The sky looked doubtful; the weatherman had forecast rain. Should I go or shelter in place? I glanced at the sky and decided to chance a walk anyway. I left the house and kept a watchful eye on the darkening sky.

drip. drip. drip.

Half way through my walk the rain began to fall. However, what started as a light sprinkle soon evolved into a summer shower. Up ahead I saw a dry spot in the road. An overhang of trees offered protection from the rain. As I hurried to the dry spot, I thanked God for providing a shelter in the storm.

shelter in place

The rain became heavier. As the heavens opened up, I was tempted to leave my safe haven and make a run for home. I considered my options, shelter or run. If I left my leafy shelter I would meet the full force of the storm head on. Despite the downpour, I was barely wet. My leafy shelter protected me from the worst of rain. I was still in the storm but protected from the storm. I decided to stay put and ride it out. 

shelter in Him

Life can be stormy. Often our first reaction to storms is to run. But God gives us opportunity to take Him up on His promise to  work all things for our good. If we shelter in Him, He decides what touches us, what gets through the leaves. Instead of dashing out into the storm, we need to shelter in place—in His Presence.

( Note: Even if we do run, God still has a plan to bring us back to Him)

Bible study

For the remainder of today’s Bible study we are going to read about a family who decided not to shelter in place but to run in the face of a storm. Get your Bible journal and a pen.

Let’s take a moment to pray.

Dearest Father, please open our hearts to your word and teach us Your truths. Help us to shelter in You during the storms of life. Amen.

Read Ruth 1:1-5.

In the days when the judges judged, there was a famine in the land. A certain man of Bethlehem Judah went to live in the country of Moab with his wife and his two sons. ² The name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi. The names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem Judah. They came into the country of Moab and lived there. ³ Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left with her two sons. ⁴ They took for themselves wives of the women of Moab. The name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other was Ruth. They lived there about ten years. ⁵ Mahlon and Chilion both died, and the woman was bereaved of her two children and of her husband.

According to these verses who was leaving Bethlehem?

Why were they leaving Bethlehem?

Who joined Elimelech’s family after they reached Moab?

Reread Ruth 1:1 and fill in the missing information:

Now it came to pass _________________, there was a famine in the land.

The phrase when judges ruled refers to a time period from the death of Joshua to the start of the reign of King Saul. It was a time of chaos, idolatry and disobedience in the land of Israel. To get a little taste of this time when the judges ruled, read Judges 2:10-11

¹⁰ After all that generation were gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who didn’t know Yahweh, nor the work which he had done for Israel. ¹¹ The children of Israel did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and served the Baals.

Focus on verse 10.

Why do you think the generation that lived after Joshua did not know the Lord, nor the work which He had done for Israel? (See Deut. 6:5-9 for a hint!)

train them up

The importance of training our children in the Lord can hardly be over-stressed. As parents/teachers/mentors we have the incredible opportunity to impact not just the next generation but several generations to come. The choice is ours; shall we leave a legacy of faith or famine?

According to Ruth 1:1 what was in the land?

The famine was an outward sign of an inward condition of the heart.

Where were Elimelech and his family dwelling at the time of the famine (Ruth 1:1)?

In this present age, the idea of moving to another state or country is not unusual. Most people would quickly relocate to provide for their families when faced with hardship.  However, moving was not an acceptable option for the Hebrew people. For the people of Israel, to move outside of Israel was to leave the Presence of God.  As New Testament believers we have the privilege of God’s Presence in us. When we accept Christ as our Savior we are indwelt forever by His Holy Spirit. 

Amos 8:11 warns of another more dangerous type of famine. What is it?

How can we avoid this type of famine?

From time to time I have experienced seasons of famine in my life (a famine of relationship, a famine of peace, a famine of  hope). How about you?

The key to thriving during  a season of famine is not running or moving but sheltering in place, in God’s Presence and in His Word. 

The first step of your journey with Jesus is to stop running and shelter in place.

How can you shelter in place with Jesus during this season of life?

What message does have for you while you shelter with Him?

Please leave a comment in the reply section below. I’d love to chat with you!God bless!

 

 

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Cold and storms. Ice and sleet. The elements pound the seeds planted deep by faith. It is the season of Lent of the soul. Waiting, weeping, hoping, striving.  Ages and seasons.

Finally.

Darkness gives way to sunrise. Death gives way to life. Seeds of suffering, watered by tears, groan and grow. Against the odds, in the dark of the earth, they push through the debris of seasons past.

Because He is stronger. Because He rose from the ground. Because His death brings life. A shoot comes forth delivering hope. Buds, blossoms, fruit. It is finished.

Great suffering yields great fruit.

²⁴ Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. ²⁵ For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. ²⁶ For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?

Lent is the season of denying self for spiritual gain. Lent has always held a special place in my heart. My parents taught me from an early age to partake in the blessing of denial. The blessing of less. In less there is more. Less of me, more of Him. Less of sin, more of Him. Less of flesh, more of Him.

Somehow denying ourselves of the everyday makes it a little less familiar and a lot more special. We cut back on the everyday to make room for the sacred. The blessing of less.

The Greek word for deny, used in verse 24 is aparneomai which is derived from the root word arneomai which means to disregard his own interests or to prove false to himself, to act entirely unlike himself.

Isn’t this what happens to us when we become a new creature in Christ? We stop living for self and start living for Him? There are times when the greatest compliment I could receive is She is acting completely unlike herself.

Let that be our prayer. Father, help us to act entirely unlike ourselves and be entirely like Jesus.

What do you need to give up this lent? Beyond denying yourself candy, or pop, what is God really going after in your life/my life to make us entirely unlike our old selves and more like our Savior?

Please leave me a comment in the space below about your Lenten journey. I’d love to chat with you!

 

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18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.”

Luke 2: 18-21

Joseph, a just man

In verse 19, we find out why God chose Joseph to be Jesus’ earthly father. He was a just man. He was just the man God had in mind to raise his Son. So God tells Joseph, “Do not be afraid to take Mary to be your wife.” What does Joseph fear? For his reputation? For his business? For his personal relationships?

I wonder: How did Joseph find out? Was it a friend? Was it an enemy who came to him with the the news? Whether friend of foe,

Someone delivers the bad news.

Mary is with child.

Joseph can’t believe it. How could this happen? Everyone knew Mary’s reputation. She’s a woman of integrity and great character. But she is with child.

God delivers the good news.

And Joseph listens. The child is not his, but His. The baby is conceived of the Holy Spirit. God tells Joseph not to be afraid to take Mary to be his wife. They have a quick wedding and head to Bethlehem for the honeymoon.

And Mary delivers the Good News, Jesus!

The Names of Christmas.

The name Joseph descends from the Hebrew root yacaph, and it means to add, to increase. To add more and more. God is always in the business of adding more and more to His people. More righteousness, more grace, more love, and more blessing.

The name Mary also descends from the Hebrew root marah, and it means bitterness, rebellion, a rebellious house. I am not proposing a new doctrine, but perhaps Mary is a symbol of the rebellious nature of the people of Israel. And amid their rebellion and bitterness, God appears one silent night  to add more and more to the lives of His people by sending His only begotten Son. More grace, more love, more blessing. If you have bitterness in your heart, you need more and more Jesus.

God yacaph life to our marah by sending the King of Kings.

You see, God is redeeming us from our rebellion and bitterness.

Reflect: How is God adding more and more to your life this Christmas season? How does your life fit into the names of Christmas story this year? Please leave a comment down below. I’d love to chat with you!

Merry Christmas!

by Mary Kane

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5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years … 11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense…  “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.

He was a priest of the Most High God. He had been praying for years, we might even say decades, for a baby. Now He and his wife were advanced in years…beyond hope…beyond help.

Yet Zacharias prayed.

The name Zacharias transliterates from the Hebrew as Zakaryah which means Jehovah remembers. And what does God remember? He remembers His word, His will, His promises. He remembers your prayers.

God remembers.

It’s not that God ever forgets your prayers. When the Bible says  He remembers it means He is going to act, according to His word, His will, and His promises, In His perfect timing. God is always on time.

The name Elisabeth is derived from Hebrew and it means God has sworn. What has God promised us at Christmas time? To send His only beloved Son, to be born of a virgin, in the dark of night, in the darkness of our sin, to be the Light of the World.

Let’s put those two names together and receive a Christmas message from God:

Zacharias Elizabeth: GOD REMEMBERS HIS PROMISES.

He will never leave you.

He will never forsake you.

He forgives you.

He loves you.

He promises.

What has God promised you? Please leave a reply in the comment section below. I’d love to chat with you! Merry Christmas!

by Mary Kane

all rights reserved. Copyright 2019

 

They skitter across the ground.

Smooth, hard, precious drops of life, scattered to the wind.The sower puts his hand in, draws it out and releases another handful of hope. He watches as they arc through the air and rains down on the barren ground. Step, release, scatter. Planting for the future. He raises dust with each step but it goes unnoticed as the sower sees only the fields of green.

So the sower tends his seeds, watering, weeding, and watching for signs of new life.

They scatter across the ground.

A cloud of ebony, on the wing, descending upon the seed. A ravenous, raven-ous shroud of black.

Hundreds, thousands, masses of birds snatching at the seeds of hope.

The sower hears the carnage. One against thousands. He takes a step of faith into the cloud and speaks. Words of command. Words of authority.

Be gone.

An explosion of black leaps from the seed and takes to the sky. Feathers, shadows, claws, caws. Black of night takes wing at the light.

Sower becomes victor by speaking the word.

The Word. His Word. The sower tends his seeds. 

“A farmer went out to sow his seed. ⁴ As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵ Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. ⁶ But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. ⁸ Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. ⁹ Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

By Mary Kane

copyright 2019. all rights reserved.