April 01, 2014 - Tuesday

Start Time: 6:38 A.M.

End Time: 7:18 A.M.

Title: Hannah’s Prayer

Scripture: 1 Samuel 2:1 – 36

God’s Message / God’s Promise / God’s Commands:

→Then Hannah prayed and said: “My heart rejoices in the Lord; in the Lord my horn^[a] is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance.  “There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. “Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the Lord is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed.   “The bows of the warriors are broken, but those who stumbled are armed with strength. Those who were full hire themselves out for food, but those who were hungry are hungry no more.  She who was barren has borne seven children, but she who has had many sons pines away.  “The Lord brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up.  The Lord sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts. He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor. “For the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s; on them he has set the world.  He will guard the feet of his faithful servants, but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness. “It is not by strength that one prevails; those who oppose the Lord will be broken.  The Most High will thunder from heaven; the Lord will judge the ends of the earth. “He will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.”  Then Elkanah went home to Ramah, but the boy ministered before the Lord under Eli the priest.

NOTES:

Ø God is in control!  Hannah’s prayer speaks of delight in God’s deliverance, she spoke of assurance of God in her life, both in her lack and abundance.  The same way that we should put our trust in God alone.  He is in control and holds both life and death in His hands.  Nothing can break Him for He is beyond all things!  He humbles and exalts, He sends poverty and wealth.  He has both sides of things and He is in control of both.  So there is no point of worrying or feeling troubled or breaking free on your own for only God can deliver you in whatever circumstances we face, no matter how difficult it is.  Let God have His way and trust Him fully for He is in control at all times!

→ Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard for the Lord.  Now it was the practice of the priests that, whenever any of the people offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand while the meat was being boiled and would plunge the fork into the pan or kettle or caldron or pot. Whatever the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh.  But even before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the person who was sacrificing, “Give the priest some meat to roast; he won’t accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.”  If the person said to him, “Let the fat be burned first, and then take whatever you want,” the servant would answer, “No, hand it over now; if you don’t, I’ll take it by force.” This sin of the young men was very great in the Lord’s sight, for they^[b] were treating the Lord’s offering with contempt.  But Samuel was ministering before the Lord—a boy wearing a linen ephod. Each year his mother made him a little robe and took it to him when she went up with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice.  Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, “May the Lord give you children by this woman to take the place of the one she prayed for and gave to^[c] the Lord.” Then they would go home. And the Lord was gracious to Hannah; she gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord. Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting.  So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours. No, my sons; the report I hear spreading among the Lord’s people is not good. If one person sins against another, God^[d] may mediate for the offender; but if anyone sins against the Lord, who will intercede for them?” His sons, however, did not listen to their father’s rebuke, for it was the Lord’s will to put them to death. And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and with people.

NOTES:

Ø God multiplies and returns back whatever we sacrifice for Him!  Hannah, barren for so long, received a son from God but eventually had to surrender him back to God because of a promise.  Yet, whoever fulfills his or her promise to God will receive it back multiplied!  For God is a God of multiplication and He wants us blessed at all times.  Whatever we let go for the Lord, He returns it back to us even more.  This is a proven fact and no matter how heavy or hurtful the sacrifice we offer, the Lord will multiply the joy of His return.  So never think twice to sacrifice for the Lord, for no one can out-give the Lord.

Ø God has continued His work in us despite of what is happening around us.  God is faithful and true in His work in our lives and despite of what is happening around us, whatever circumstances we are in, He is faithful in completing the work He began in us always.  Just like with Samuel, despite of the trouble that Eli’s sons made, Samuel grew in stature and in favor with the Lord and with the people.

→Now a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Did I not clearly reveal myself to your ancestor’s family when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh? I chose your ancestor out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in my presence. I also gave your ancestor’s family all the food offerings presented by the Israelites. Why do you^[e] scorn my sacrifice and offering that I prescribed for my dwelling? Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?’  “Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that members of your family would minister before me forever.’ But now the Lord declares: ‘Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained. The time is coming when I will cut short your strength and the strength of your priestly house, so that no one in it will reach old age, and you will see distress in my dwelling. Although good will be done to Israel, no one in your family line will ever reach old age. Every one of you that I do not cut off from serving at my altar I will spare only to destroy your sight and sap your strength, and all your descendants will die in the prime of life.  “‘And what happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be a sign to you—they will both die on the same day.  I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his priestly house, and they will minister before my anointed one always. Then everyone left in your family line will come and bow down before him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread and plead, “Appoint me to some priestly office so I can have food to eat.”’”

NOTES:

Ø God honors those who honor Him and those who despised Him, He will disdain or despised!  God offers us love and favor, unending and without condition, but if we treat God disrespectfully or if we despised Him, the same way will He treats us for He is the King of Kings.  In truth, death, torture, etc should be the punishment of anyone who disrespects the Lord, yet God chose to treat us the same way we do to Him.  Again God’s grace is clearly revealed even in our wrong doings against Him.  Praise Jesus!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus thank You for You are a God in control of all things.  No matter what happens, You hold everything in Your hands and there is nothing that I should be worrying about because I have You in control of my life.  Thank You Lord because whatever I lay down for You or to You as a sacrifice, You return or restore it back even more.  Whatever pain or hurt I felt for the sacrifice I made for You, is covered up with the greater joy of Your restoration.  Thank You Jesus because I can trust You to rebuild and restore everything because You are the source of everything Lord.  Thank You Jesus because You continue Your work in my life despite of what the circumstances are.  You allow me to grow in stature and in Your favor at all times no matter what is happening around me.  Your love and grace continues to abound in my life and covers me from getting destroyed because of the troubles of the world.  Thank You Lord because when I continue in You, You do the same in me and even when I sometimes slip, You do not give up on me easily.  Thank You Jesus for cleansing and purifying me daily so I may be worthy of Your love and grace.  Jesus thank You for Your righteousness that covers me in the eyes of the Father that I may be deserving of the love and favor that He pours out daily,  Help me to see Your love and grace and favor at all times.  Work in my life completely Lord and let me see Your hands at work.  In Jesus’ Name!

March 31, 2014 - Monday

Start Time: 6:52 A.M.

End Time: 7:22 A.M.

Title: The Birth of Samuel

Scripture: 1 Samuel 1:1 – 28

God’s Message / God’s Promise / God’s Commands:

→ There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite^[a] from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none. Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the Lord Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the Lord.  Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters.  But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the Lord had closed her womb. Because the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her.  This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat.  Her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?” Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s house.  In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.” As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth.  Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.”  “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.”  Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.” She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast. Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel,^[b] saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.”

NOTES:

Ø People can misjudge our actions easily but God always sees the heart!  Hannah (means grace) was provoked and weeping deeply, asking for a son to God, yet her silent prayer (for she was praying silently that no voice was coming out of her lips but only movements from her mouth) was mistakenly thought as her being drunk.  People before and even today are quick to judge because of what they see and we tend to rebuke or correct others without understanding or knowing the whole story.  Good thing, the Lord is not like that.  He sees our hearts always hears our cry. 

Ø God finds favor to those who are faithfully and consistently asking and when He does, He lifts our sadness away.  Hannah kept going to the temple for years asking for the same thing, a son.  She could easily felt depressed and decided to wallow on her feelings and become depressed, yet she persevered in her prayer and every year goes with her husband, weeping before God.  Each year, she will go back downcast and sad but when God, through Eli the priest, spoke, Eli’s words comforted her and she left happy even though there was no indication that she is pregnant.  Truly, Hannah had faith.  Simple words from Eli saying, May God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him, stirred her heart and kept her alive.  She went away and ate something, unlike before, where she usually ends up downcast after praying in the temple.  After that incident, she came back to the temple to worship before the Lord and the Lord gave her a miracle, a son!  Note that our words, how simple they may be, can comfort others and bring life or hope in them that will increase their faith and change their lives.  So let us become instruments of hope and favor as we speak positively to others.

→When her husband Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the Lord and to fulfill his vow, Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, “After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the Lord, and he will live there always.”^[c] “Do what seems best to you,” her husband Elkanah told her. “Stay here until you have weaned him; only may the Lord make good his^[d] word.” So the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned him. After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull,^[e] an ephah^[f] of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh.  When the bull had been sacrificed, they brought the boy to Eli,  and she said to him, “Pardon me, my lord. As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him.  So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.

NOTES:

Ø God always has a room for us, He is not limited by law or rules or tradition – He makes them and He can change them too!  Samuel was not a Levite, he was a child from the descendants of Ephraim, yet he was dedicated to the Lord and raised to serve as a priest, even if it is not his duty to do so according to the law/rules or tradition.  But God allows him to serve in the church and became one of the powerful prophets God used in a time because of God’s covenant with Hannah.  So no matter who we are, what we are, male or female, God has a place for us in His kingdom and when God uses us and calls us to do something that we may thought to be unlikely, know that God is not bound on any law, or tradition or rules.  He creates them to serve His purpose.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, miraculous God and wonderful Lord.  Thank You for You sees our hearts and don’t judge us solely with our actions.  Thank You because You know everything and make Your decisions justly.  Thank You because You hear our cries and sees our miseries.  You give us Your favor and give our hearts desires.  Thank You because when we spend time with You and You come to join us and move in our lives, our sadness, miseries, oppressions, etc are all lifted up.  Thank You because in Your presence there is rest and I can truly be at peace.  Just like Hannah, that after hearing comforting words from Eli, went away no longer feeling downcast.  Thank You because it is the same with us when we meet with You.  Thank You because You find favor to our consistent prayers and request.  Thank You because You are not limited of any tradition, or rules or law and You are more than able to go beyond it.  Remind me Lord, when my thinking will try to limit Your capabilities in my life, that You are more than all these rules or traditions and that You are more than able to do beyond what this world dictates.  Help me to increase my faith and allow me to just put my whole trust in You at all times.  Continue to open my eyes daily that I may see You greatness in my life.  Thank You for Your love, grace and favor every day.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen!

March 30, 2014 - Sunday

Start Time: 7:28 A.M.

End Time: 7:52 A.M.

Title: Boaz Marries Ruth

Scripture: Ruth 4:1 – 22

God’s Message / God’s Promise / God’s Commands:

→Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate and sat down there just as the guardian-redeemer^[a] he had mentioned came along. Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down. Boaz took ten of the elders of the town and said, “Sit here,” and they did so. Then he said to the guardian-redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelek. I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you^[b] will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you, and I am next in line.” “I will redeem it,” he said. Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the^[c]dead man’s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.”  At this, the guardian-redeemer said, “Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.”  (Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactions in Israel.)  So the guardian-redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it yourself.” And he removed his sandal.  Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon.  I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown. Today you are witnesses!”  Then the elders and all the people at the gate said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem.  Through the offspring the Lord gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.”

NOTES:

Ø God is our guardian redeemer!  God redeemed us by purchasing us using His blood so He now owns our possessions and has taken us as His wife.  What Boaz did to redeem Ruth was a clear symbol of what God has done for us.  He does not leave us abandoned and He took the lead by taking responsibility even when He is not required to do so.  Boaz was not next in line but he went to the guardian-redeemer of Naomi’s land to tell him to redeem it, including Ruth, and if he will not, Boaz will.  The same with the Lord, it is not God’s duty or responsibility to save and deliver us or take us as part of His family, but He still did anyway!  He took a stand and decided to take the duty and responsibility because of His love for us!  Thank You Jesus!

→So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel!  He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.” Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

NOTES:

Ø God restores everything we lost!  Through Ruth, God was able to fulfill His promise to His daughter, Naomi, and gave her a son.  When we live according to God’s will and perspective, we see that everything we lost for doing what is right and His commands, will be restored back in full and sometimes even more to us.  Naomi, left Moab depressed and returned home with Ruth, who became instrumental to her restoration.  Know that whatever we had to give up for God, He returns back to us 30, 60 and 100-fold!  Hallelujah!

→This, then, is the family line of Perez: Perez was the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon,^[d] Salmon the father of Boaz, Boaz the father of Obed, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David.

NOTES:

Ø God allows all things to happen in us according to His purpose and plan!  Know that God is in control always even when things aren’t going the way we planned it to be…still God has a purpose.  He allowed these things to happen for a reason and it is always necessary for the fulfillment of His promises and grand plan for us!  Let us trust Him fully at all times!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, gracious God and marvelous King!  Thank You because You are my guardian-redeemer and You redeem me from my circumstances and restores everything I lost.  Thank You because Your power and love not only restores what was taken from me but Your restoration exceeds what was taken by my enemy.  Thank You Lord because I can just trust in You and know that I am in good hands for You are in full control.  Calm my heart and silence my soul when things aren’t going the way I want them Lord and hold my heart and mind at peace by reminding me that You have everything in order.  Ease my worries and remove it from my heart that I may focus in living by faith and not by what I see.  All glory belongs to You Lord and let it be evident in my words, actions and behaviors that You deserve all glory, honor and praise.  Thank You for Your favor, love and grace daily and let me be a channel of Your goodness to others.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen!

March 29, 2014 - Saturday

Start Time: 9:00 A.M.

End Time: 12:00NN

Title: It is better to Give than to Receive

Scripture: Genesis 1:27; 1 Corinthians 13; Jeremiah 17:9; 2 Corinthians 9:6

God’s Message / God’s Promise / God’s Commands:

→Why is it important to give?

1) Because giving is our need!  We are designed to give

Genesis 1:27

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

God is a giver; He started the World by first giving His word...and that Word becomes life and created the world; God created the sun, stars and moon to give light to darkness; God created the seas, oceans, and bodies of water to give life to the fishes; God created the earth to give life to plants; God created animals to give life to humans as food

In the same way, we, as living creatures, need to give life to live...

The simplest example is our breath.  We cannot live without breathing and in the process of breathing, we give out carbon dioxide which gives life to plants.  So we literally continue to live by giving life to others.  Our words can also give life to others and when we do, we become more alive than ever but if our words give death to others, we become dead ourselves.

2) Because giving is an act of love

1 Corinthians 13 speaks of doing great things but without a love, we are nothing... it speaks about love being the greatest of all among hope, love and faith.  Without love, we are nothing and life means nothing.

They say one can give without loving but no one can love without giving...but I say, giving is ultimately an act of love no matter what the intentions are.  A person may give for the wrong reason but the act of giving is always brought about by love.  The question is, what or who is that love directed to or from?  For example, one might give because he seeks praise from others, or he wants popularity or fame...then he is giving because of his love for himself. So giving is an act of love but that love can be pure or wicked.

Jeremiah 17:9 - 10 says that the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure, who can understand it? I, the Lord, searth the heart...

Our giving is a fruit of our love but we have to search our hearts to see the purity or wickedness of our love.  Good thing, Ezekiel 36:26 says that God gives us a new heart and put a new spirit in us.  He will remove from us a heart of stone and give us a heart of flesh (sensitive/obedient heart).  So it is important to be connected to the source of pure love that our giving may be pure as well.

3) Because giving is a declaration of God's greatness in our lives

2 Corinthians 9:6 says Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.

As Christians, we are to live by faith and not by sight. And it is the same with our giving!  Give with the purpose of declaring God's greatness in our lives not in the past but in the days to come!  We are to exercise our faith even in our giving!  We declare the greatness of the Lord that is still to come and He said that when we sow generously we shall reap generously!

March 28, 2014 - Friday

Start Time:  7:00 A.M.

End Time: 7:21 A.M.

Title: Ruth and Boaz at the Threshing Floor

Scripture: Ruth 3:1 – 18

God’s Message / God’s Promise / God’s Commands:

→ One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, I must find a home^[a] for you, where you will be well provided for. Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative of ours. Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. Wash, put on perfume, and get dressed in your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do.”“I will do whatever you say,” Ruth answered. So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do.  When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile. Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down. In the middle of the night something startled the man; he turned—and there was a woman lying at his feet!  “Who are you?” he asked. “I am your servant Ruth,” she said. “Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer^[b] of our family.”

NOTES:

Ø God looks out for our welfare!  He plans and wants to take care of us to the point of finding a suitable man/woman for us to spend our lives on earth!  Ruth, with her decision to serve God alone, became part of God’s family and God lookout for His family.  When we become part of God’s family, God, Himself, takes care of us! After the breakthrough in Naomi’s life, after realizing the goodness of God in their lives thru Ruth, Naomi diverted her depression into a mission of ensuring a home for Ruth.  Even in times when it slipped our minds, God always thought through of everything and every part of our lives, our marriage, family, career, livelihood, etc.  He planned for everything when it comes to our well being on earth!  Hallelujah!

Ø God replaces our depression with a mission!  Naomi after witnessing God’s unending goodness and grace, turned her depression into a mission.  God gave Naomi a mission to ensure that Ruth finds a suitable home with her people.  Many times, God works in ways that are unexpected.  One moment we are very depress or sad but then after God opens our eyes to the wonderful truth of His love, He gives us a purpose, which becomes the reason for us to live and have hope.  God did this to Naomi and He can do it to us as well.  Praise Jesus!

→ “The Lord bless you, my daughter,” he replied. “This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor. And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character.  Although it is true that I am a guardian-redeemer of our family, there is another who is more closely related than I. Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to do his duty as your guardian-redeemer, good; let him redeem you. But if he is not willing, as surely as the Lord lives I will do it. Lie here until morning.”So she lay at his feet until morning, but got up before anyone could be recognized; and he said, “No one must know that a woman came to the threshing floor.” He also said, “Bring me the shawl you are wearing and hold it out.” When she did so, he poured into it six measures of barley and placed the bundle on her. Then he^[c] went back to town. When Ruth came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, “How did it go, my daughter?” Then she told her everything Boaz had done for her  and added, “He gave me these six measures of barley, saying, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’”Then Naomi said, “Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.”

NOTES:

Ø God will not rest until our matters are settled!  Praise the Lord!  Our God is a good and mighty God!  His love for us is overwhelming and He does not rest until everything in our lives are set in accordance to His plan, which is set for our good!  Jesus takes matter into His own hands when it comes to us and He does not lay around in waiting…He is at work every second of the day for our welfare!  This is how marvelous and awesome our God is!  The Lord Almighty and Conquering Savior!  The King of Kings and Lord of Lords, not resting for our sake!  Hallelujah!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, Great and mighty One!  I am deeply moved to know that Your concern about me is unexplainable.  I am flattered and touched to know that I have a God who does not rest until all my matters are resolved.  Thank You because You have thought everything, for every detail of my life, from my childhood, teens, adulthood, marriage, career, livelihood, and in every aspect of my life.  Thank You because You look our for me and in times when we are down and feeling depressed because of the oppression we get from our enemy, You turn my depression into a mission!  Thank You Jesus because You give me reason to live and have hope again!  Thank You because You will not rest until all my issues/concerns about my life are taken care of.  Thank You Jesus!  In Jesus’ Name, Amen!

March 27, 2014 - Thursday

Start Time: 6:51 A.M.

End Time: 7:17 A.M.

Title: Ruth Meets Boaz in the Grain Field

Scripture: Ruth 2:1 – 23

God’s Message / God’s Promise / God’s Commands:

→Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side, a man of standing from the clan of Elimelek, whose name was Boaz. And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.” Naomi said to her, “Go ahead, my daughter.”  So she went out, entered a field and began to glean behind the harvesters. As it turned out, she was working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelek.  Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters, “The Lord be with you!” “The Lord bless you!” they answered.

NOTES:

Ø God leads us to the solution to our problem!  Ruth’s firm decision to serve Naomi’s God despite she is a Moabite was rewarded by God thru leading Ruth to the solution to both Naomi and Ruth’s problem.  Here, we can see that God extended His provision to Ruth who is the only positive constant in Naomi’s life during this time.  If we think about it, God is not responsible for Ruth because she is not an Israelite, but because she denounced her religion and decided to devout her love, service, and loyalty to the True King, God rewarded her by making her an instrument to end the sufferings of His child, Naomi, and in the process, blessed Ruth as well.

→Boaz asked the overseer of his harvesters, “Who does that young woman belong to?” The overseer replied, “She is the Moabite who came back from Moab with Naomi. She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters.’ She came into the field and has remained here from morning till now, except for a short rest in the shelter.” So Boaz said to Ruth, “My daughter, listen to me. Don’t go and glean in another field and don’t go away from here. Stay here with the women who work for me. Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the women. I have told the men not to lay a hand on you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled.”

NOTES:

Ø God gives specific direction to His people for their provision!  God did not only lead Ruth to the solution to her and Naomi’s current situation, but He provided direct and specific instructions from Boaz himself!  Boaz was a man of authority and wealth; he is overseeing the field and doesn’t need to concern himself with Ruth but God ensured that Ruth found favor in his eyes and so he spoke to Ruth and gave her instructions on what to do since she is new and is a gentile so she doesn’t know the ways of the Israelites.  When we are in a situation that is new to us, rest assured that God will always send wisdom and people to help us out with specific directions and instructions on how to gain our provision!  Thank You Jesus!

→At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked him, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?” Boaz replied, “I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.” “May I continue to find favor in your eyes, my lord,” she said. “You have put me at ease by speaking kindly to your servant—though I do not have the standing of one of your servants.” At mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come over here. Have some bread and dip it in the wine vinegar.” When she sat down with the harvesters, he offered her some roasted grain. She ate all she wanted and had some left over.  As she got up to glean, Boaz gave orders to his men, “Let her gather among the sheaves and don’t reprimand her. Even pull out some stalks for her from the bundles and leave them for her to pick up, and don’t rebuke her.”  So Ruth gleaned in the field until evening. Then she threshed the barley she had gathered, and it amounted to about an ephah.^[a] She carried it back to town, and her mother-in-law saw how much she had gathered. Ruth also brought out and gave her what she had left over after she had eaten enough.  Her mother-in-law asked her, “Where did you glean today? Where did you work? Blessed be the man who took notice of you!” Then Ruth told her mother-in-law about the one at whose place she had been working. “The name of the man I worked with today is Boaz,” she said.

NOTES:

Ø God makes us favorable to other people’s sight!  Ruth was a foreigner, a gentile, yet she found favor in the sight of Boaz on her first day on the field.  Her loyalty, love, service, dedication, and decisions ultimately moved others that drive them to help her.  Ruth’s decision to serve God and become His, pleases not only God but also God’s people.  And God will always make us favorable to others when we please Him.  Thank You Jesus because I am not only receiving favor from You but You also make me favorable to others!  Thank You Lord!  Hallelujah!

→“The Lord bless him!” Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. “He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead.” She added, “That man is our close relative; he is one of our guardian-redeemers.^[b]”Then Ruth the Moabite said, “He even said to me, ‘Stay with my workers until they finish harvesting all my grain.’” Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, “It will be good for you, my daughter, to go with the women who work for him, because in someone else’s field you might be harmed.” So Ruth stayed close to the women of Boaz to glean until the barley and wheat harvests were finished. And she lived with her mother-in-law.

NOTES:

Ø God never fails to show His kindness to the living and the dead – So testify of His goodness to the world!  Our God is a good God and He is alive!  His love, mercy, favor and kindness is overflowing everyday and He can’t wait to pour it on us daily.  His love endures forever even when the end has come, it remains because He supersedes time.  His kindness to Ruth opened Naomi’s eyes of God’s goodness and made her realize that God has never abandoned her.  So the goodness of our God in our lives can be an instrument to bring others back to Him so let us continue to testify of His goodness at all times!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, my Gracious and loving God.  I am forever moved by Your unending love and amazing grace!  Thank You because You lead us to the solution to our circumstances.  The moment we decide to serve You and You only, You point us to the right direction in overcoming our iniquities and troubles in life.  You open doors and opportunities to get out of our miseries and You use even the unexpected people to open up our eyes to Your love.  Thank You Jesus because You do not only shower Your favor upon us but You make us favorable to others as well.  Thank You Lord because Your goodness in my life exceeds the sorrows or troubles I experience.  Thank You because You are the God who shows kindness to both the living and the dead.  And as long as I live and even to my death, I will praise Your Name forever.  Open my eyes always Lord for Your simple miracles and goodness every day that I may testify of Your love to others and Your goodness will lead them back to You.  Thank You Jesus!  In Jesus’ Name, Amen!

March 26, 2014 - Wednesday

Start Time: 6:14 A.M.

End Time: 6:44 A.M.

Title: Naomi Loses Her Husband and Sons

Scripture: Ruth 1:1 – 22

God’s Message / God’s Promise / God’s Commands:

→ In the days when the judges ruled,^[a] there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. The man’s name was Elimelek, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there.  Now Elimelek, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons.  They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years,  both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband. When Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, she and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there.  With her two daughters-in-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah.

NOTES:

Ø God provides a way back home to His children!  After all the loss, Naomi had nothing left, yet at her troubled state, God provided her a way back to Him even when she already lived far from Him for some time.  The Lord never leaves us and He never forgets us.  Despite of how far and how long we walk away from Him, He finds a way to lead us back to His arms.  After losing her husband and son, good news arrived.  The Lord had come to the aid of His people in a place far from His promised land.  When Naomi heard this, she took it as a sign to return home.  We may be in a similar situation, where we have lost everything but God never forgets, and even to this day, He thinks of us every day and He is leading us back home.  Thank You Jesus!

→ Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the Lord show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me.  May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.”Then she kissed them goodbye and they wept aloud and said to her, “We will go back with you to your people.” But Naomi said, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons— would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord’s hand has turned against me!” At this they wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her.

NOTES:

Ø God ensures that we have the support we need especially in times when we are miserable and hopeless!  Many times when trouble come our way, we see it as the end of us, we fail to see the light down the tunnel and we push people away, desperately clinging on to becoming alone in our misery.  But God knows us better than we do and He knows we need company and support in troubled times.  He sends us people than more often we push away to be at our side and help us in taking a stand again.  God enables us and empower us by the presence of our friends, family, etc.  He knows best and He is sure that a positive companion will do wonders in our miserable lives.  So Ruth did not want to return back to her home and decided to stand by Naomi in her hard times.

→“Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.”But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.  Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.”  When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.  So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?” “Don’t call me Naomi,^[b]” she told them. “Call me Mara,^[c] because the Almighty^[d] has made my life very bitter.  I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? TheLord has afflicted^[e] me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.”  So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning.

NOTES:

Ø God shows His miracles to us in times of our miseries even if our eyes are too blinded to see the truth!  Ruth’s decision to stay with Naomi and pledge her loyalty to the point of throwing away her culture, race, tradition, religion, etc. is a miracle!  Here’s a woman (Moabite) who has her own people, her own beliefs, her own tradition, etc. who can go back to her own home and live her life as a Moabite, yet decided to stay with her mother in law who is depressed and even pronounced her life to be a curse!  Ruth chose to stay with the depress Naomi, rather than going back to her own home, this decision is nothing but a miracle yet Naomi did not see that.  All she saw is her life that is bitter for she lost everything.  Many times, we are like Naomi, we struggled and we endure hardship but then our minds are filled with negativity that leads us to depression and we then fail to see the miracles God does for us daily to show us His love, grace and favor!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, miraculous God, my ever loving Lord who never leaves nor forsakes me.  I am grateful for Your wonderful acts of love every day.  Thank You because in our darkest times, You provide us a way back home always.  Thank You because in difficult times, You provide us a way out and You include support and help from our friends and family and loved ones.  Thank You Jesus because You see our needs and You know our hearts and because of that, You provide for everything we need to get back on track.  Jesus, help me to see daily Your miracles.  Do not allow the negative thoughts, actions, environment or any form of negativity cloud my vision and prevent me from seeing Your goodness, love and favor each day.  Allow me to always see Your miracles Lord that I may always find life refreshing, beautiful and enjoyable.  Thank You Jesus for Your everlasting love, I do not deserve it yet Your grace always abounds in me.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen!