This passage shows us that God is working behind the scenes to provide for his people. Even seemingly random, chance occurrences are part of God’s providential care for us. Those who have come to trust under the shadow of God’s wing can have hope for the future. We must trust in the Lord to guide us to our place of work and to the people we need to know. Read More ...
We probably don’t understand how radical of a commitment this was. Ruth was ready to leave her country and her own people in order to follow Naomi. A person’s identity and sense of stability and security is often directly tied to family and home place. Ruth is willing to give up all of that to follow Naomi. And all of that is despite the fact that Naomi believes that the future is hopeless. So Ruth’s commitment to Naomi is really remarkable. Read More ...
Before making a major move, every family should very carefully weigh the pros and the cons—the costs and the benefits. You don’t want to seek greener grass elsewhere, only to find more problems in the new place. It’s probably not a good idea to move to a place that is spiritually dark and pagan. You must consider the effects of the move on your family. Read More ...
Christian parents are raising the next generation to know the Lord, to love him, and keep his commandments. This is the highest goal. We can’t force our children to do that, and we can’t guarantee that they will. But we can follow the biblical model and raise our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. We can take steps that make it most likely that the children will be saved and will serve God throughout their lives. And we do that through proper discipline. Lack of discipline reflects a lack of love. Withhold not discipline from the child. He who loves his child disciplines him promptly (Prov 13:24). If we want a pleasant, happy, joyful home, and if we want our children to turn out right, we will be careful to discipline our children appropriately. Read More ...