Our emotions will either produce positive or negative motions in our circumstances. Life is about learning to love, serving God and others. Life is to be enjoyed, so live it to the fullest. Ruth is a good example of humble service and overcoming great adversity. Ruth, the Moabitess, continually spoke words of hope and obtained the grace and power to change her life.
A failure thrives on giving excuses of why they can't succeed. A failure is always a victim of someone else's schemes or their own self limitations. We can come up with a myriad of excuses to prevent us from realizing our potential. I'm single. I'm a widow. I'm divorced. I'm too old or too young. We may feel there's not enough money, or enough time. Possibly we feel we lack certain skills or the necessary intelligence or education. At times we may be tempted to allow health problems to hold us back. Negative words and thoughts create a depressing atmosphere of lack, poverty, and death. Ruth refused to make excuses or talk about lack, death or weaknesses. She was determined to face uncertainty, make changes and move forward. We need to remember, worry never changed anything and fear paralyzes forward motion, but action breaks indecision.
The Lord Jesus remained single his entire life. The Apostle Paul followed in His footsteps and wrote nine books of the New Testament. If we are to follow the examples of Jesus and Paul, then neither marital status nor age should factor into anything we desire to accomplish in life. There are always exceptions to every rule.
Boaz came from Bethlehem decreeing, "The Lord be with you!" over his reapers. He inquired, "Whose young woman is this?" because Ruth stood out in his field. God is looking for outstanding women. Boaz was a man of great wealth, and Ruth's kinsmen redeemer. He praised Ruth for choosing an older man. Naomi nursed the baby Obed, 'the one with a servant heart,' in her old age. We are as young as we think we are. We must tell ourselves, "We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us! We are educated, intelligent, healthy, capable, talented, and gifted." We can make positive changes to bring about success now! Our best years are ahead. After all, God is for us, so who or what can be against us? Adversity will only cause us to gain strength and momentum as we learn to push our way through to success. God is eternal and older than time itself. So what does age or time matter?
Fear, doubt and unbelief will cause us to hinder our potential by remaining in our current circumstances or a negative situation. In contrast, Ruth concentrated on the abilities God had given her and the love she felt for Naomi. She looked for the door of opportunity. She was determined to overcome adversity. Ruth boldly walked through the opportune door when it presented itself. Why should we remain in a place of lack when we can step into our inheritance and a prosperous future? Positive, productive attitudes give us energy to move forward. By managing our thoughts and intelligence we will find ways to create solutions. God has a plan to prosper us (Jeremiah 29:11). Be diligent in seeking God's heart on every matter. Work hard and solve problems as they arise. Placing God's will first in our lives will insure our success (Matthew 6:33). A positive, I 'can do' all things through Christ who empowers me attitude is powerful!
No Limits
Why spend our time being pessimistic or focusing on negative, limiting factors? Instead we should spend our time in the presence of the Lord developing our intimate relationship with God. So many times we allow relationships and or worldly pursuits to distract and detour us from the atmosphere of God. As we commit to believe His Word and write them on the tablets of our heart, He will make our path straight. Develop positive thinking skills. The way we think and the words we speak, determine our success or failure. Ruth determined she was going to find favor and grace to prosper and she did.
How do we cause prosperity in our thought life? When condemnation, vain imaginations of doubt, fear or negative opinions try to enter our mind, simply cast them down. Refrain from entertaining or embracing someone's critical, negative opinions or jealous evaluations. Refuse to listen to the accusing lies of the enemy. There is no condemnation in Christ, only love, hope and grace. Ruth clung to Naomi and overcame devastation. Orpah, 'the one, who is quick to flee,' kissed her opportunity for a godly life good-bye. When a new opportunity presented itself, Orpah chose familiar comforts, and ran back to her old worldly ways and dead gods, forsaking salvation.
Words are the building blocks that come from our thoughts. Thoughts create positive mental images that construct the world we live in. Our words either draw people towards us or they push them away. It is important to choose our words carefully. They craft who we are today and who we will become tomorrow. Ruth 1:16-18 NASU, But Ruth said, "Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. "Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the Lord do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me." When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her. Be determined and purposeful in achieving your calling and destiny in life. Overcome adversity and enter into victory.
Monday, January 17, 2011
I awoke from a dream. Someone had thrown me under an old car. I found myself trapped there alone in that small limiting place. No matter how low I lay, it wasn't low enough for the car to roll over me without the fenders hurting my head. My former Pastor Strader came to offer me godly advice. Pastor Strader's sermons were always full of the Word of God. He would quote one scripture after another. I knew that pastor's presence indicated my answer was in the Word of God, the sword of the Spirit. Recently, a prophetic friend told me God was placing a new sword (which represents the Word of God) in my hand. Pastor's name being 'Strader,' caused me to ask the Lord to search me. I asked Him to know my heart and to try me; and to straighten any negative thoughts; to enable me to walk upon a 'straighter' road. That straight road is Isaiah 35, the Highway of Holiness; no unclean, evil person can walk there; only the redeemed of the Lord. The dream indicated I needed to see if there was any wicked way in me where I had strayed, 'Strader.' I prayed and asked the Lord to lead me in His everlasting ways, Psalms 139:23-24. The car could not get over my head. The 'fenders,' could be a word play for people who have 'offended' me, or my taking 'offense' at their words or actions. God often brings us low and offends our minds in order to get us to walk by His Spirit. Thus, wrong ways of thought were preventing my freedom. I prayed Lord, "Create in me a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within me, Psalms 51:10."
Upon waking I was reminded of the story of Ruth lying down at Boaz's feet at the threshing floor. She didn't make herself known until Boaz asked, "Who are you?" God is asking each of us that same question, "Who are you?" Ruth came on the scene as a humble servant not seeking his face but resting at his feet. Ruth 3:3-6, "Wash yourself therefore, and anoint yourself and put on your best clothes, (preparation) and go down to the threshing floor;(humble yourself) but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. "It shall be when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies, and you shall go and uncover his feet and lie down; then he will tell you what you shall do." She said to her, "All that you say I will do." So she went down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law had commanded her. Ruth 3:8-9 It happened in the middle of the night (midnight is the darkest hour) that the man was startled and bent forward; and behold, a woman was lying at his feet. He (Boaz) said, "Who are you?" And she answered, "I am Ruth your maidservant." NASU
God Reveals Himself
God will reveal Himself to us in our darkest hour as we repent and embrace our identity as servants of God. As we wholeheartedly return to the Lord in obedience; lie down at His feet in servant-hood, submission and humility, He will once again tell us what to do. A servant is a slave who is subjected to or submitted to another. A servant can be a worshipper, an ambassador, a minister or an official messenger.
The threshing floor represents the place of broken emptiness. A broken, contrite, empty person will listen for God's voice and do according to everything He commands.
Let's rekindle the fire of God's obsession in our heart! Let the breath of His Spirit blow upon the coal of fire until they ignite into flames of passion. God's angels and ministers of fire are manifesting. We are awakening to our desperate need of God's word, anointing and presence to cover our nakedness and open our blind eyes.
God has set a controlled fire to our gleaning field. The fire will bring a purity of heart and a cleansing to our hands. The pure in heart shall see God. The fire will remove the wood, hay and stubble, allowing greater fruitfulness, prosperity and production. The fire will bring us to the center of our purpose and destiny instead of allowing us to remain detached and distant, barely entering into our promises.
The season of being held on the fringe by religion and living in lack because of traditions and scarcely getting by is coming to an end. It is a necessary part of the journey for us to embrace the accusations and exclusion from those who follow a religious spirit. They persecute us for righteousness. We need to allow the purging, and pruning to bring the eradication of self. The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die, or it remains alone, John 12:24-26.
The eyes of the Lord are searching for those with a servant's heart to support and promote. 2 Chronicles 16:9 We can do nothing in our own flesh, strength or abilities. Our success comes by His great grace and favor shining upon us. Psalms 44:3, "For by their own sword they did not possess the land, and their own arm did not save them, But Your right hand and Your arm and the light of Your presence, For You favored them." NASU
A New Day will Begin
When we recognize our true state of being wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked our new day of abundance will begin. 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. 'Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. Revelation 3:17-19 NASU The love of the Lord brings power, fullness of joy, a reproving and necessary discipline into our repentant lives.
Ruth is a powerful picture of the church today. Ruth found herself as a young widow, far from God in a pagan, sin laden country of death called Moab. Ruth had no means of support. She had no real hope for a prosperous future. But God gave her an invitation to leave everything familiar behind.
Naomi, ('the pleasant cordial one,') Ruth's mother-in-law, is a picture of the Holy Spirit. Naomi heard the famine was over; and that the Lord had visited His people by giving them bread in Bethlehem again. So she went out from the place where she was, Moab (which means, 'incestuous birth of her father'), to return to Judah, (a place of praise) which birthed Obed, (a servants heart).
Ruth, (whose name means, the friendly, warm, welcoming one,) accepted God's invitation and clung to Him. He became her desperate desire, her all in all. Ruth trusted God against all odds. She developed an intimate relationship, placing her hope and trust in God during her darkest hour. Ruth said to Naomi "Do not urge me to leave or turn back from following you." Ruth's cry became "Where you go, I will go!" 'Thy people shall be my people and thy God shall be my God!" The words of Ruth's mouth created a new victorious life for her. Her bold commitment and willingness to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit allowed God to transform Ruth's dark night of the soul into a bright new day that dawned on the horizon of her future.
Not only did Ruth's words change her life but Scripture says that when they (Ruth and Naomi) came to Bethlehem the whole city was stirred up talking about them. When Jesus, the 'Living Bread,' is broken and served in the house of the Lord, His presence will shake the place and His power will be noised abroad. Demonstrating the 'Living Word,' will end the famine of not hearing the Word of the Lord our ears will be opened. The darkness in the world calls us to the threshing floor. God hides Himself in darkness. When we leave the threshing floor, the Word of God will release a great light within us. All will see the glory of the Lord covering the whole earth. The gospel of the Kingdom will be preached with boldness. Then signs, wonders and miracles will be seen, there won't be room enough to hold the crowds. They will begin to take the roof off to get into His glorious presence.
Ruth didn't make her decision to follow the Holy Spirit from what she saw but what she felt in her heart through faith. Ruth's faith in God brought her out of a pitiful state of poverty into prosperity, affluence and abundance. Her humble servant's heart enabled her to inherit all the redemption, wealth, prestige and fruitfulness that Boaz had to offer. The choices we make in life determine the life we live. We all serve someone in life, so choose to serve the Lord with gladness.
God's Ways are Higher
The ways of God are much higher than the ways of man. We often forget that the way up, is down. We need to remember the way to increase and abundance is brought forth on the narrow path of decrease or humility. We are called to remain lowly and totally dependent upon God. We do this by humbling ourselves under the mighty protective hand of God. He alone knows the time of our increase or exaltation. Matthew 7:13-14 "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. "For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. NASU
When Naomi returned to Bethlehem she told her friends to call her Mara or bitter, because she felt the Lord had dealt harshly with her. Naomi said, "I went out full, and the Lord has brought me home again empty." When we are empty of ourselves it allows God to fill us with His glory, blessings and increase. We are called to humble ourselves under the hand of God, but at times, God allows others to reject or openly humiliate us. Responding in love to their scornful disdain, disrespect and rejection brings forth promotion. Naomi and Ruth's journey brought then from a broad place of death in Moab to a small, narrow gate or birthing canal of life in Bethlehem (House of Bread), Judah (a place of praise.)
Ruth arrived at the time of the barley harvest. The priests offered barley as a jealousy offering when a man or woman was suspected of adultery. Ruth risked her reputation laying it at the feet of a man who was not her husband in hopes he would cover her with grace, redeem her, and marry her. In Ruth 3:15, Boaz instructed Ruth, "Do not let it be known that a woman came to the threshing floor." We are in a time when both men and woman are going through the threshing process to bring forth more fruitfulness. When we are desperately in love with our Redeemer we will be willing to risk our reputations to come under His glorious covering. Boaz asked Ruth to bring him her mantle. He poured six measures of barley into her veil. This is double the amount she was able to glean on her own. Ruth progressed from a place of weakness, gleaning the leftovers in the corner of the harvest fields, to coming to rest at the feet of Boaz's strength and provision. She risked her all, lying down on the cold hard threshing floor. When she gave her all she was redeemed.
Boaz's name means the sure strength, swift, and solid. He offered Ruth a safe place, provision and protection choosing her from among all the other maidens. Boaz told Ruth, "I have fully seen and it has been told to me all you have done. You are a woman with an excellent spirit. The Lord will compensate your work and give you a full reward for your faithful service, because you have chosen to rest and trust in His covering wings."
Ruth's place of quiet rest and trust in the Lord as her source led her to the soft comfort and warmth of Boaz's steadfast protective marriage bed. The lowly servant became the gracious heiress of a grand estate. Boaz, the Lord of the harvest, took Ruth as his wife, he abundantly supplied for her. The Lord caused her to conceive a son, Obed, whose name means, "The one with the servant's heart." When we, as the bride of Christ, birth a servant's heart, God will trust us with the double portion of increase. A servant must inquire of his master often for direction.
Time to Cleanse
It is time to cleanse and re-robe ourselves in a fresh new anointing of His glory. Naomi told Ruth to go to the threshing floor, a place of encounter, separation, breaking and the removing of the outer shell or husk. After the wind of the Spirit blows away the chaff the pure grain will remain. When we sow the field with the pure grain, we will reap a great harvest. Ask the Lord for intimacy. Matthew 3:11-12 He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. "His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." NASU We have felt the Ox trodding on our back and the heavy stone grinding us to powder. It is time to fall to the ground and die it is all part of the threshing floor process of winnowing. Ask the Lord for an engagement and a new encounter. Ask Him to cover our nakedness and to give us eyes to see His glorious presence and ears to hear His beautiful voice. We will gain a new sense of security when we wash ourselves clean in the Living Word.
The bride is called to make herself ready. Adversity, difficulties and the darkness of midnight should draw us closer to God in total surrender to His will. Rest at the Lord's feet under His covering. Then He will tell us what to do next. Ruth 3:1-5
Ruth, (the friendly, warm, welcoming church,) was willing to follow Naomi (a form of the Holy Spirit) anywhere she went. Ruth followed Naomi to a place of praise and bread. In this place of praise Ruth gained God's abundant provision. Ruth followed the wisdom and directions of Naomi's God so she became fertile and prospered. Ruth told Naomi that she was going to find favor and grace in the eyes of the owner of the harvest field and she did. The words she decreed established a prosperous path for her to walk on. Ruth chose to rise above her painful past and her present devastating circumstances to become fruitful. Ruth was covered with Boaz's blanket. He sheltered, loved and took care of her, just as the Lord will cover us under His protective wings of love. Psalm 17:8 "Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me under the shadow of your wings."
Barbie Breathitt
Breath of the Spirit Ministries, Inc.
www.MyOnar.com: Dream Interpretation Website
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