Category: Prayer Starters

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, Prayer Starters, Uncategorized

Worry Doesn’t Help

Posted on by MaryEllen

Full disclosure

Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

Matthew 6:26-27

Years, probably more like decades ago, I remember a little ditty/chorus that turned into the catch-phrase of the day. I’m guessing you’ll remember it too:

“Don’t worry, be happy ~ put a smile on your face ~ don’t worry be happy”

Then the chorus would just repeat itself … or so I thought. However, when it came to my mind today after I read today’s verse, I looked it up and learned that there were also three or four verses with the chorus. The premise of every verse is that “In every life we have some trouble ~ but when you worry you make it double.” Then the chorus would repeat… “Don’t worry be happy, don’t worry be happy …. put a smile on your face 🙂 Don’t worry be happy”

As Jesus continued His teaching, known as the Sermon on the Mount, He not only continued His instruction on not being anxious, but He posed the question, “Which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” He uses an example that most, if not all, of His audience can relate to, pointing out that if God takes care of the birds, “how much more attention/care will He give to His children”?

The book, “God Shots” states that, “We’re given to anxiety when we forget that God is attentive and active in our lives, so Jesus again makes the point that He doesn’t want them to be anxious.” So important is this lesson of “not being anxious”, that my little “God Shots” book points out the warning/instruction is given “366 times in Scripture God tells His children not to be afraid.” He says it over and over but only to His children, which the book suggests is, because He wants them to know that He is will take care of them.

Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

Friend, let me ask you a question the book poses, “Is your heart at peace right now? Or does it need to remember the goodness of your Father’s attentive love? if you’re feeling anxious , be on the lookout today for all the ways your Father has provided and is providing.” Write them down, thank Him for these reminders and keep a running list for all the times ahead when anxious thoughts fill your mind. Use them to speak truth and calm to your mind – that Your Father who cares for the birds also cares for you – and even more.

Now back to that little song that seems so nonsensical, but oddly enough, when I stopped to consider it aligns quite nicely with the teaching of God’s Word. For Jesus told His disciples that in this world they would have troubles. But He follows that up with the encouragement for them not to lose hope because “He has overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

So, don’t worry – be happy, put a smile on your face 😎

Flower garden with colorful blooms next to dry, cracked earth under sun rays
Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, prayer, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time, She, Volume 4

Rebekah, Part 4 ~ More than we ask or imagine

Posted on by MaryEllen

Adapted from She, Volume 4/pp 57-58

Today’s Scripture Reading: Genesis 25 and Ephesians 3:20

From being barren for twenty long years to a complicated pregnancy to delivering twins, the road to having children was not an easy one for Rebekah and Isaac.1 Unlike today, barrenness in the days of Isaac and Rebekah came not only with the disappointment women experience today but with the added stigma of social shame and disgrace. This was in large part due to the cultural beliefs that childbearing was equated with a blessing from God and/or a woman’s worth. So, like Hannah and others2 we have studied in our journey through the women of the Bible, barrenness could frustrate marriages or have crushing mental effects on a woman who struggled to conceive.

Rebekah also serves as an example that when we feel barren God can intervene. She, volume 4/p58

I particularly appreciate one of the commentaries by Biblehub.com, which points out (and I paraphrase) that the stigma not only affected the barren woman but also her husband and extended family. However, as the commentator points out, God often used these situations “as a backdrop for miraculous divine intervention.” I know the reality of this statement from my own years of barrenness, and I am forever grateful for God’s sovereign timing (divine intervention) in opening not only my womb but my mind and heart to His saving grace and mercy. These gifts (mercy and grace) led me out of the physical barrenness, but also out of the hopelessness and spiritual wilderness I had been wandering in for far too long.

Her husband prayed to the Lord on his wife’s behalf.

While our focus is on Rebekah in this part of our journey through God’s Word, it should also be noted, as the my study journal points out that Isaac prayed for his wife because she was barren and the Lord heard Isaac’s plea and God gave them even more than they asked for, or, as He so often does ~ He gave them exceedingly abundantly more than he asked or even imagined (Eph 3:20). When it came time for her to deliver she delivered twin boys. In Genesis 25:23 the Lord had described them to her as “two nations…two manner of people would come from her…one would be stronger and the other would serve the younger. Of course, if you know the story of Jacob and Esau, you know that every word God spoke to Rebekah about her babies was proven true, they could not have been more different.

“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.”

Ephesians 3:20 KJV

Reflection and Application

  • How did Rebekah go from barren to doubly blessed? (list out all the ways/things that you can think of that played into it.)
  • Think of ways God has blessed or doubly blessed you and/or someone else you know and why it happened.

The More We Know

  1. Rebekah did not have an easy pregnancy and Scripture tells us that she talked to the Lord about the difficulty (Genesis 25:22) ↩︎
  2. Notable matriarchs who wrestled with the stigma of barrenness include:
    Sarah (Sarai): She endured years of childlessness before God miraculously enabled her to conceive Isaac in her old age (Genesis 11:30, Genesis 21:1-2).
    Rachel: She famously cried to her husband Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!” (Genesis 30:1).
    Hannah: Mocked by her husband’s other wife due to her infertility, she poured out her anguish in prayer to God, eventually giving birth to the prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 1:6-8, 1 Samuel 1:20).
    Elizabeth: In the New Testament, she was publicly disgraced for being childless, but gave birth to John the Baptist in her old age (Luke 1:7, Luke 1:24-25). ↩︎
A crowned woman holds a plate with a bleeding severed man's head with closed eyes.
Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time, She, Volume 4

Herodias

Posted on by MaryEllen

Adapted from the study, She – volume 4/pp33-34.

Unlike most of the women we have journeyed with, Herodius is not a woman we would want to pattern our lives after. We meet her in our story today as the wife of Herod; however, Herod was not her first husband. Before marrying Herod, or Antipas1 as he was also known, Herodias was married to Herod’s half-brother, Philip. The more troubling part of the family connection is that she was also the daughter of Herod’s and Philip’s half-brother Aristobulus, making her their niece. Gotquestions.org states that when Herod was visiting Philip, he met Herodias and fell in love with her. Long story short, she divorces Philip and marries Herod Antipas.

As the study journal describes her, Herodias was one of the most wicked women. While there is no reference in the Bible comparing her to Jezebel,2 many commentators write that she was the “Jezebel of the New Testament”, using a variety of reasons, such as:

  • The Prophet vs. The Queen: Just as Jezebel fiercely opposed and sought the life of the prophet Elijah (1 Kings 19), Herodias held a deep grudge against John the Baptist and ultimately succeeded in having him beheaded. [1, 2, 3]
  • The “Elijah” Connection: Theologically, John the Baptist is recognized as coming in the “spirit and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:17). This makes Herodias’s hostility toward John an exact New Testament mirror of Jezebel’s hostility toward Elijah. [1, 2, 3, 4]
  • Controlling Wives: Both women were highly ambitious and manipulated their weaker husbands (King Ahab and King Herod Antipas, respectively) into carrying out their malicious goals. [1, 2, 3]
  • Using Their Daughters: Both used familial relationships—Jezebel using her daughter Athaliah and Herodias using her unnamed daughter—to achieve their wicked objectives. [1, 2, 3]

The last point (using her daughter) in the list of reasons that she was compared to Jezebel is where we find Herodias in our journey today. You see, Herodias bore a grudge against John the Baptist 3, because he had told Herod that their marriage was unlawful. 4 Herodias wasn’t just bothered by John’s declaration; her grudge was so strong that she wanted to kill him, but without Herod’s approval, she was powerless to do so.5 Herod, while not a fan or friend of John, “knows John is a righteous man and he fears him, plus he liked to listen to John. So, since Herodias is trying to kill John, Antipas holds him in the one place she can’t reach: prison.6“

Then his daughter, also named Herodias, came in and performed a dance that greatly pleased Herod and his guests. ‘Ask me for anything you like,’ the king said to the girl, ‘and I will give it to you.’

Mark 6:22

One would think that John’s imprisonment would have appeased Herodias, but prison did not satisfy her; she wanted him dead. So she came up with an evil plan and used her daughter to manipulate Herod when she danced for him at his birthday celebration. Whether the dance was meant to arouse his lust or simply play with his emotions, Harod was so pleased with the dance that he offered her anything she wanted. The girl asked her mother what she should request, and Herodias seized the opportunity and replied: “The head of John the Baptist.” Without hesitation, Herod ordered it done, and John was not only beheaded, but his head was delivered to Herodias’ daughter on a tray, who took it to her mother.

The story of Herodias serves as an example of the disgrace that lust and sin brings to a life consumed with pride.

Reflection and Application

Friends, from Herod’s lustful7 desire for his brother’s wife to Herodias’ hurt/angered pride aroused by John’s condemnation of their marriage and the sin of murder that ensued because of the lust and pride ~ is it any wonder that we are warned in Scripture that pride goes before destruction,8 and to “get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, we are to be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven us.” 9? Oh, let us not be like Herodias, manipulating an end that we desire – but may our hearts and minds be forever yielded to God, slow to anger, abounding in love, and quick to repent of our sins.

Practical Applications by Bible Hub

• Expect resistance when confronting sin with truth.

• Guard your heart from grudges; unresolved resentment breeds greater evil.

• Public righteousness may cost temporal safety but garners eternal reward (Matthew 5:11-12).

• The gospel calls even Herodias-like sinners to repentance; Christ’s resurrection proves that forgiveness is available to the hardest heart.

Summary

Herodias harbored a grudge against John the Baptist because his uncompromising proclamation of God’s law threatened her illicit marriage, her ambition, and her conscience. Her reaction—rooted in pride, political calculation, and spiritual darkness—culminated in John’s execution, fulfilling the biblical motif of prophetic suffering and underscoring the peril of resisting revealed truth.

The More We Know

  1. The family history of Herod the Great is twisted and confusing. This is especially true given that “Herod” means “king” and seems to have been used as a family name by several members, whether they were recognized as kings by the Roman emperor or not. Herod Antipas is one of at least eight sons. Upon the death of Herod the Great, the kingdom was split into four tetrarchies, and Antipas the Tetrarch was given rule over Galilee, north of Samaria, and Perea, across the Jordan River from Judea. Antipas married the daughter of the king of Nabatea, a nation which bordered southeast Perea, and settled down to a life of irritating the Jews. ↩︎
  2. https://www.gotquestions.org/life-Jezebel.html ↩︎
  3. John the Baptist, the cousin of Jesus, not John the disciple of Jesus. John was related to Jesus, as their mothers were relatives (Luke 1:36). In fact, when the angel Gabriel told Mary that she would give birth to Jesus, he also told her about John. When Mary was carrying Jesus in her womb, she visited Elizabeth, and John leapt in his mother’s womb for joy at the sound of Mary’s voice (Luke 1:39-45).

    Although his name implies that he baptized people (which he did), John’s life on earth was more than just baptizing. John’s adult life was characterized by devotion and surrender to Jesus Christ and His kingdom. John’s voice was a “lone voice in the wilderness” (John 1:23) as he proclaimed the coming of the Messiah to a people who desperately needed a Savior. He was the precursor for the modern-day evangelist as he unashamedly shared the good news of Jesus Christ. He was a man filled with faith and a role model to those of us who wish to share our faith with others.  ↩︎
  4. Mark 6:17-18 ↩︎
  5. Gotquestions.org ↩︎
  6. Gotquestions.org ↩︎
  7. Lust is an intense, overwhelming desire, craving, or enthusiasm. While most commonly associated with strong, uncontrolled sexual attraction, the term is also frequently used to describe a powerful, often obsessive longing for something—such as a “lust for power,” wealth, or adventure. [1, 2, 3, 4] ↩︎
  8. https://www.bibleref.com/Proverbs/16/Proverbs-16-18.html ↩︎
  9. Ephesians 4:31-32 (NLT) ↩︎

Dear Reader: Do you know the Lord of Heaven and earth, the one whom John the Baptist so faithfully proclaimed? If not, I invite you to follow the link to know the truths about who He is, and how He loves you and can save your soul.

Know These Truths
Woman running on dirt path with stone arch and sunset in background
Posted in 100 Meditations on The Names Of Jesus, Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time

Author and Finisher of Our Faith

Posted on by MaryEllen

Adapted from 100 Meditations on the Names of Jesus, p18


1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. (NLT)

I love the variety of synonyms concerning this particular name of Jesus. While they all mean the same thing, I am particularly fond of “the pioneer and perfecter of faith… as I picture a pioneer forging the way through … setting a path for others to follow … with the goal of leading them to a better place. ~ Which one is your favorite and why?

… fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

… Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set NKJV/KJV

… looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, ESV

…. keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, HCSB

… looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, NASB

“Jesus is not only the originator of our faith, but He is the one who perfects it.”1

As always we must be careful to understand the context of the passages that we read as we journey through God’s Word. Specifically, in this passage, we cannot truly understand it if we do not know that chapter 11 was filled with the imagery of the faithful saints who have gone before us. The writer shares a considerable amount of examples to show “how God honors and works through true, godly faith—which is a trust sufficient to produce obedience, despite our doubts and fears (Hebrews 11:1–3). The writer also mentioned how these faithful ones endured hardships during their earthly lives, and even now are waiting to see God completely fulfill His promises (Hebrews 11:35–39.” Having these examples before us we should be inspired to run our own race of faith (“a trust sufficient to produce obedience, despite our doubts and fears”).Yet, the ultimate example, as the writer goes on to conclude here in Hebrews 12:2 is Jesus Himself, the beginning and the end, or as it is here written, in one fashion or another: The founder (pioneer, author, source, origiantor) and perfecter of our faith.

I believe it is worth it, if not necessary, to share this commentary from bibleref.com, explaining how Jesus is not only the ultimate example of godly faith but also as one who “suffered hardship and persecution (Philippians 2:8-11), as well as temptation (Hebrews 4:15), but never wavered in His resolve to do the will of God the Father (Hebrews 5:8). Christ’s entire ministry and the superiority of the new covenant (Hebrews 10:12–14) are grounded in His example, which we should strive to follow (Hebrews 2:10–11). His willingness to endure those trials came from an understanding that God could, and would, “work together for good” all of those things (Romans 8:28). The end goal of Jesus’ obedience was to establish the purpose we should be striving for: the “city with foundations” (Hebrews 11:10), our ultimate victory and reward in God (Hebrews 11:13–16; Revelation 21:1–14).”

The old hymn, Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” just flooded my mind. So let me end with that encouragement for us all; a wonderful call to worship and way to live … Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.” As we know from the Scriptures, Jesus suffered much on our behalf – but we know that He never stopped doing the will of His Father, striving to please Him in all that He did. May this be our resolve as well my friends.

Reflection and Application

  • What do you think it means that Jesus is the “author and finisher of our faith”?
  • Does your life relfect this truth?

  1. 100 Meditations on the Names of Jesus, p18 ↩︎
Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time, She, Volume 3

Tamar

Posted on by MaryEllen

adapted from She, Volume 3, Delighting in the Women of the Bible, pp 69-70

Today’s Scripture: Genesis 38 and 1 Corinthians 15:57

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

1 Corinthians 15:57

Tamar, believed by most commentators to be a non-Jew1, ‘married into the family of God’ when she married Er, the oldest son of Jacob and Leah. While Er was Judah’s son and thus of Israelite descent, it is important to note that after selling his brother into slavery, Judah had left his home and family and married a Canaanite woman2. Through this woman, Judah had three sons, Er, Onan, and Shelah. Er was given in marriage to a woman by the name of Tamar3. As we read in today’s Genesis 38, “Er was an evil man, so the Lord put him to death (verse 7). Following the custom of levirate marriage, Tamar was then given to Onan, who selfishly refused to give Tamar children (verse 9); he was also put to death by the Lord for his actions. Shelah was too young to take a wife, so Judah ordered Tamar to live as a widow in her father’s house (verse 11).4

Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Live as a widow in your father’s house until Shelah my son grows up.” For he thought, “I don’t want him to die like his brothers.” So Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.

Genesis 38:11

However, as today’s journal entry points out: “Instead of doing what he had promised, Judah refrained from giving his third son to her to marry. When she realized this, Tamar took matters into her own hands and disguised herself as a prostitute, or harlot as she is called in the KJV, by covering her face from Judah when he inquired of her. She became pregnant with twins after her encounter with Judah, though he did not know it was her.” Afterward, Scripture says:

 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute because she had covered her face. 16 He turned aside to her along the road and said, “Come, please, I want to sleep with you.” (He did not realize it was his daughter-in-law.) She asked, “What will you give me so that you may sleep with me?” 17 He replied, “I’ll send you a young goat from the flock.” She asked, “Will you give me a pledge until you send it?” 18 He said, “What pledge should I give you?” She replied, “Your seal, your cord, and the staff that’s in your hand.” So he gave them to her, then slept with her, and she became pregnant by him. 19 She left immediately, removed her veil, and put on her widow’s clothes.

Genesis 38:15-19

Tamar had tricked Judah into sleeping with her so that she would become pregnant. She also cleverly kept the one pledge for “her services” that she knew would prove that Judah was the father. According to verse 24 of Genesis 38, it is a good thing that she had the proof. For when Judah first learned she was pregnant, he ordered for her to be burned – “While they were bringing her out, she sent word to her father-in-law: “I am pregnant by the man to whom these belong.” Then she said, “Identify the one to whom the seal, cord, and staff belong.” 26 Judah recognized them and said, “She is more upright than I am, because I wouldn’t give her to Shelah my son.” He was not physically intimate with her again” (Genesis 38:23-26).

Tamar gave birth to twin sons, Zerah and Perez, and through the line of Perez came our Savior, Jesus Christ.


1This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David and of Abraham :

2Abraham was the father of Isaac.Isaac was the father of Jacob.Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers.3Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (whose mother was Tamar).Perez was the father of Hezron.Hezron was the father of Ram.4Ram was the father of Amminadab.Amminadab was the father of Nahshon.Nahshon was the father of Salmon.5Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab).Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth).Obed was the father of Jesse.6Jesse was the father of King David.David was the father of Solomon (whose mother was Bathsheba, the widow of Uriah).7Solomon was the father of Rehoboam.Rehoboam was the father of Abijah.Abijah was the father of Asa.8Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat.Jehoshaphat was the father of Jehoram.Jehoram was the father of Uzziah.9Uzziah was the father of Jotham.Jotham was the father of Ahaz.Ahaz was the father of Hezekiah.10Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh.Manasseh was the father of Amon.Amon was the father of Josiah.11Josiah was the father of Jehoiachin and his brothers (born at the time of the exile to Babylon).12After the Babylonian exile:Jehoiachin was the father of Shealtiel.Shealtiel was the father of Zerubbabel.13Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud.Abiud was the father of Eliakim.Eliakim was the father of Azor.14Azor was the father of Zadok.Zadok was the father of Akim.Akim was the father of Eliud.15Eliud was the father of Eleazar.Eleazar was the father of Matthan.Matthan was the father of Jacob.16Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is called the Messiah.

17All those listed above include fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the Babylonian exile, and fourteen from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah.

Matthew 1:1-17

Tamar serves as an example of how God can overcome the sin we commit and give victory through His Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ.

She, Volume 3, delighting in the women of God, p 70

  1. While the Bible does not explicitly state her ethnicity, Tamar (Genesis 38) is widely considered to have been a Canaanite or Aramean Gentile. She married into the Hebrew family of Judah, and despite her foreign background, she became an ancestor of King David and Jesus Christ. C.S. Lewis Institute +4
    Gentile Background: Many scholars and traditions, including the C.S. Lewis Institute, describe her as an Aramean or Canaanite Gentile.
    Marriage and Family: She was married to Judah’s firstborn son, Er, and later to his brother Onan.
    Significance: Tamar is noted for her righteousness by Judah himself and for using unconventional means to secure her place in the family line.  ↩︎
  2. Genesis 38:1 ↩︎
  3. Did you know there are three Tamars in the Bible? ↩︎
  4. https://www.gotquestions.org/Judah-in-the-Bible.html ↩︎

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time, She, Volume 3

Rahab, part 2

Posted on by MaryEllen

Adapted from the She study, volume 3, pp. 51-52

By faith Rahab the prostitute escaped the destruction of the disobedient, because she welcomed the spies in peace.

Hebrews 11:31

Rahab, a prostitute in Jericho, had not only welcomed the spies into her home, hid them, and lied to protect them, but she also professed her faith in their God. God considered this an act of genuine faith and spared her and her family from the destruction that met all the others who lived within the city’s walls. This was the promise the spies had made to her at her profession of faith in God and her request to “be saved” (Joshua 2:12-13).

For the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on earth below!

Joshua 2:11

The spies agreed to her request, giving her three conditions:

  • 1) She must distinguish her house from the others by hanging a scarlet rope out of the window so the Israelites would know which home to spare.
  • 2) Her family must be inside the house during the battle; and
  • 3) She must not later turn on the spies.

Rahab agreed to the conditions and sent them safely on their way, and then tied the scarlet cord in the window, a signal of their commitment to her and visible expression of her faith in God

Safely escaping the city, the two spies returned to Joshua and reported that the “whole land was melting with fear.” The Israelites crossed the Jordan into Canaan where they laid siege to the city of Jericho. The city was completely destroyed, and every man, woman, and child in it was killed. Only Rahab and her family were spared. Ultimately, Rahab married Salmon, an Israelite from the tribe of Judah. Her son was Boaz, the husband of Ruth. Joseph, the legal father of Jesus, is her direct descendant.

Gotquestions.org

I love that Scripture gives us details about what happened after the spies escaped. I love that it includes the details of Rahab and her family being spared, and I marvel at how we see that she was saved for a purpose – and what a purpose it was! Rahab was not only spared from certain death but also escaped to safety and married Salmon. Salmon was from the tribe of Judah, whose wife, Tamar, gave birth to Boaz, who grew up to marry Ruth, who gave birth to Obed, who became the father of Jesse, the father of King David, whose royal dynasty leads directly to the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

The Lord has done great things for us,
And we are glad. Psalm 126:3

The More We Know

The cord was not merely a passive marker but a visible expression of Rahab’s faith in God.

Rahab was a Canaanite prostitute from Jericho who, due to her faith, protected two Israelite spies and became a significant figure in the Bible. Often cited as one of the first Gentile converts to worship the God of Israel, she is part of the lineage of Jesus Christ, demonstrating God’s grace to outsiders. (gotquestions.org)


Salmon, the father of Boaz is a significant figure in the genealogy of Jesus Christ, as outlined in the Gospels. He is traditionally believed to have been one of the Israelite spies who married Rahab, the Canaanite woman from Jericho who protected the spies (Joshua 2). This union is a powerful example of God’s grace and the inclusion of Gentiles into the covenant community. Salmon’s marriage to Rahab also highlights the theme of redemption and transformation, as Rahab’s faith led to her becoming part of the lineage of the Messiah. This connection to Rahab is a testament to God’s ability to use unexpected people and circumstances to fulfill His divine purposes.

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, Easter, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time

A Day of Lament

Posted on by MaryEllen

As He approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it.

Luke 19:41

Friends, we have journeyed for weeks now, toward the cross, and we have known this day would come. The day God planned from eternity past, the day His only begotten Son would hang and die for us, sinners, condemned unclean! Yet in this world of animatronics, it is easy to forget that He came not as a spirit or a robotic type creature, but as “fully man”! He came as a baby in a manger – a suffering servant – the son of God, yet sent to earth as the son of a carpenter – sent not to sit on a royal throne and be served but to serve and ultimately to die for the world God so loved. Yet not before He would seek and save those who were lost. For He came to dwell among them, teaching them about the God who saves, and to show them the way to live and the way to eternal life. A life that could only come through death – the death of the spotless, scarificial lamb of God.

Just days before His death, we find Him walking into Jerusalem, weeping as He entered the city.

Jesus Weeps over Jerusalem

41 But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. 42 “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes. 43 Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you from every side. 44 They will crush you into the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not recognize it when God visited you.”

Luke 19:41-44

Even as He was being welcomed by the crowd as He rode in on the donkey, the crowd was waving palm branches and shouting, “Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in Heaven and glory in the highest heaven!” Even then, (like us today), He wept for He knew what the leaders and rulers were planning. He knew then what had to be – ‘fully man but fully God,’ -He knew and had come to accomplish it – to redeem the lost, a lost and dying world – a world God had chosen to love and to save through the blood of a lamb – a people who would believe in this man – who was also fully God! He knew the death He would die and the destruction that would come upon this city and its people, and He wept – lamenting that the Jews – “of all people,” would have understood the way to peace! He was that Way, but they had rejected Him. They could not see Him as the rescuer He was, but rather as a threat to be done away with! — So He wept, and continued on the road … the road that led to the Temple…the road that led to Him lamenting their blindness, their lack of understanding, and what would come because of it – not just His own death – but the destruction of Jerusalem – The City of God!

Jesus Clears the Temple

Then Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people selling animals for sacrifices. 46 He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.”

47 After that, he taught daily in the Temple, but the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the other leaders of the people began planning how to kill him. 48 But they could think of nothing, because all the people hung on every word he said.

Luke 19:45-48

It was a road that led to His authority being challenged…the road that would lead to the upper room…the washing of feet…the last supper with His disciples…the Garden of Gethsemene and His heartfelt prayer of lament that the Father would “let this cup pass from Him” It was the road that led to…Judas’ betrayal and the arrest that followed…Peter’s denial…the trial… and ultimately the road that ended at the cross, or more appropriately stated today – “On the cross”, where He suffered and bled and died, not as one without feeling, but in agony,1 on a cross of scorn, of sin, and shame meant for us.

Friends, Jesus could have called down 10,000 angels to take Him from the cross – , where He suffered and bled and died, not as one without feeling, but in agony.1 It wasn’t His cross to bear, it was ours – a cross of scorn, of sin, and shame but as a sacrifical lamb led to the slaughter He took our place, our scouraging, our nails, our pain and shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” And with those words he breathed his last.

And when all the crowd that came to see the crucifixion saw what had happened, they went home in deep sorrow. 49 But Jesus’ friends, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching. – Luke 23:48-49

Prayer of Response

Father this day brings great sorrow to me, a great awareness of Your sacrifice, of Jesus’ suffering, and of my sin. But I do not sorrow as one without hope – but one who knows that Sunday is coming! And so I cry with grateful heart, thank You, God, for loving me. Thank you, Jesus – Lamb of God, for Your tears and Your willingness – even through lamenting – to not turn back but to take my stripes and my wounds and all the torment it must have been. I am forever indebted and forever changed because of Your love and Your obedience to the will of the Father. Amen and amen! – May my life and lips forever tell Your story!2 –

The More We Know

Credits for today’s graphic belong to Susan Hill’s excellent Easter Devotional, “A Savior Is Risen”, p121.

  1. The Medical Aspecs of the Crucifixion ↩︎
  2. I love to tell the Story ↩︎

Dear Reader: If you do not know the story of Jesus, the truths of His Word and the invitation that is open to you to receive salvation through Faith in Jesus, the sacrificial lamb of God – I invite you (urge you) to click on “Know These Truths” and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ ~ the Way, the Truth, and the Life -~ to all who believe.

KNOW THESE TRUTHS

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time, She, Volume 2

Ruth, Part 3

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Adapted from She, Volume 2, pp 67

Read: Ruth 2:14-23

There is a version/translation of the Scriptures called the Message. I’m assuming most are at least familiar with it but if you aren’t it is, as Christianbooks.com describes it, “a unique, contemporary paraphrase of the Bible that captures the heart, tone, and vibrant imagery of Scripture in everyday language—making it an inspiring choice for personal devotion, fresh insights, and connecting with God’s Word in a relatable, emotionally engaging way that speaks powerfully to both new believers and longtime readers alike.” ~While I do not use the Message as a study Bible, I do appreciate its tone and imagery – particularly in books like Ruth, as it seems to capture the heart and voice of the characters and the all-encompassing love and personal care of our God.

14 At the lunch break, Boaz said to her, “Come over here; eat some bread. Dip it in the wine.”

So she joined the harvesters. Boaz passed the roasted grain to her. She ate her fill and even had some left over.

15-16 When she got up to go back to work, Boaz ordered his servants: “Let her glean where there’s still plenty of grain on the ground—make it easy for her. Better yet, pull some of the good stuff out and leave it for her to glean. Give her special treatment.”

17-18 Ruth gleaned in the field until evening. When she threshed out what she had gathered, she ended up with nearly a full sack of barley! She gathered up her gleanings, went back to town, and showed her mother-in-law the results of her day’s work; she also gave her the leftovers from her lunch.

19 Naomi asked her, “So where did you glean today? Whose field? God bless whoever it was who took such good care of you!”

Ruth told her mother-in-law, “The man with whom I worked today? His name is Boaz.”

20 Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “Why, God bless that man! God hasn’t quite walked out on us after all! He still loves us, in bad times as well as good!”

Naomi went on, “That man, Ruth, is one of our circle of covenant redeemers, a close relative of ours!”

21 Ruth the Moabitess said, “Well, listen to this: He also told me, ‘Stick with my workers until my harvesting is finished.’”

22 Naomi said to Ruth, “That’s wonderful, dear daughter! Do that! You’ll be safe in the company of his young women; no danger now of being raped in some stranger’s field.”

23 So Ruth did it—she stuck close to Boaz’s young women, gleaning in the fields daily until both the barley and wheat harvesting were finished. And she continued living with her mother-in-law.

Ruth 2:14-23 ~The Message

What a beautiful love story that unfolds on the pages of Scripture as God leads Ruth to the field of Boaz, one of their Kinsman Redeemers, and the heart and actions of Boaz respond with tender compassion and protection for Ruth and her mother-in-law.

Equally as beautiful is the visible melting of Naomi’s bitterness when she hears what God has done for them and declares, “Why, God bless that man! God hasn’t quite walked out on us after all! He still loves us, in bad times as well as good!” (Ruth 2:20).

Friends, this is such an important truth for us to know and remember throughout all of life. Even when life is overwhelming and the way ahead seems uncertain, we have the promise of God’s never-ending love and wisdom. We have the promise that He will never leave us or forsake us, and that He will lead us and guide us by His Spirit and His Word.

I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.

Isaiah 42:16

Isaiah 42:16 was the passage of a morning devotion I recently read, and it came to mind as I was working on today’s journey through Ruth chapter 2, where Ruth knew no one and was desperately trying to help provide for herself and Naomi. There is no indication that she knew which fields were safe or who they belonged to. There is, however, overwhelming evidence that God was guiding her along unfamiliar paths, turning her darkness into light, and making the rough places smooth. Ruth had chosen to leave her pagan gods and family behind, committing herself not only to Naomi but to her true and living God, the faithful God of Israel. Now, she would begin to realize His love and personal involvement in her life as He provides not only safety but the attentiveness of a kinsman redeemer and the handfuls of barley purposefully dropped along the path for her to pick up as she gleaned.

She returned home to Naomi with the reserve of barley, and the amount sparked the interest of her mother-in-law.1

She held abundant grace within her hands.2

The passages (Ruth 2:14-23 and Isaiah 42:16) are worth rereading, for they reveal the absolute beauty of God leading, guiding, planting … us where He wants us, both for our good and His purpose and glory. Even the Isaiah passage is evidence of that truth in my own life, as I had not gone looking for the verse, the people who post the daily verses do not know me or what I would be studying – nor do I believe it is a mere coincidence, but rather the beautiful direction and timing of our lovingly purposeful, sovereign God.

May God continually open our eyes and hearts to behold all the wonderful things in His Word and His work in and around our lives. May we, as Naomi, trust, see, and declare that, regardless of how difficult our days and situations may be, God has not abandoned us, He still loves us – “in the bad times as well as good,” and may we bless His Holy Name.

“Why, God bless that man! God hasn’t quite walked out on us after all! He still loves us, in bad times as well as good!” Naomi went on, “That man, Ruth, is one of our circle of covenant redeemers, a close relative of ours!”

Ruth 2:20

I love that we not only see Naomi’s scales of bitterness falling away, but we can hear the restored hope in her words to Ruth (2:20). We can also hear the beautiful evidence that she truly considered Ruth her daughter. As we move toward the end of our journey with Ruth over the next day or two, we will see that those around Ruth could see these truths as well.

Reflection and Application

What have you recently gleaned from the Word of God?

The More We Know
  1. She, Volume 2/p67 ↩︎
  2. She, Volume 2/p67 ↩︎

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time, Thanksgiving

Praise the Lord for His Goodness

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Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 9 For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.

Psalm 107:8-9 KJV

To be clear, while God certainly provided for the people’s physical hunger and thirst, the Psalmist is also referring to a spiritual hunger and thirst rather than simply the physical need. For as Spurgeon explains: “They were lost in the worst possible place, even as the sinner is who is lost in sin; they wandered up and down in vain searches and researches as a sinner does when he is awakened and sees his lost estate; but it ended in nothing.”

First, the Psalmist calls the people to give thanks to the Lord for His goodness and loyal love, for He has delivered them from the power of their enemies. He has gathered them from foreign lands around the world. Yet, even in their freedom from the enemy, the Psalmist writes that they wandered through the wilderness with no place to live. They were starving and thirsty, but “they cried out to the Lord in their distress,” and He lovingly and compassionately led them to a place of provision.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
and his loyal love endures.
2 Let those delivered by the Lord speak out,
those whom he delivered from the power of the enemy,
3 and gathered from foreign lands,
from east and west,
from north and south.
4 They wandered through the wilderness, in a wasteland;
they found no road to a city in which to live.
5 They were hungry and thirsty;
they fainted from exhaustion.
6 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;
he delivered them from their troubles.
7 He led them on a level road,
that they might find a city in which to live.

Psalm 107:1-7 NET

Thankfully, true physical starvation and unquenched thirst have never been a reality in my life. However, I have found myself wandering in spiritual deserts before, trying to find my way back to God, thirsting for His spring of living water, and hungry – not just to feast on His Word but to understand its truth. Today’s ‘thankful’ passage is a picture of Israel finding themselves in such a place. God had delivered them from their enemy, and they were now being “gathered” from every direction where they had been held captive. By the Psalmist’s description, some were led through a wasteland in the wilderness, where they found no place to live. They were hungry and thirsty, to the point of exhaustion — and they cried out to the Lord. And our God, the True and Living God, intervened on behalf of His people, Israel, and “led His redeemed to just the right place, to a city for a dwelling place.1 “

Friends, are you hungry and thirsty for God, and find yourselves fainting from the exhaustion of the physical and spiritual needs and wars of this world? Then cry out to the Lord in your distress and watch, for He will deliver you from your troubles and lovingly and compassionately lead you to the place of His provision.

Now, because of His deliverance, the Psalmist calls the people again to give thanks, not just for His loyal love but also “for the amazing things He has done,” such as satisfying their thirst and hunger, both of body and soul.

Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 9 For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.

Oh, friends, have you noticed how God has satisfied your longing soul, and/or filled your hungry soul with goodness? Let’s ask Him to help us daily keep our eyes up and become more aware of His spiritual and physical provision, and less and less aware of our needs, that we may faithfully give Him thanksgiving for His goodness and for His wonderful works of grace and mercy toward us.

Posted in Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time, Thanksgiving

God is Good …

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It is good to give thanks to the Lord! Scripture says it, and I have personally found it to be true in my life. The writer of this Psalm obviously knew it to be true, for throughout the chapter, he calls his listeners/readers to proclaim God’s goodness. He also continues to reveal the goodness of God throughout the entire Psalm.

 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Ps.107:1

I love that the Psalmist not only calls us to give thanks but also tells us why to give thanks. He calls us to give thanks for two specific reasons that we are wise to remember and daily declare.

  • He is good.
  • His mercies (or loyal love) endure forever.

To know His goodness and mercies is a wonderful thing/feeling, but more than that, it is a catalyst for knowing Him intimately. His goodness and mercy allow us to know Him. They draw our eyes upward. They open our eyes to His love and kindness. They convince us of His faithfulness to never leave or forsake us. They are seen in His grace to save/deliver us from our sins, and in His power to transform us from the inside out. His goodness knows no boundaries – for God is only, always, good.

The gotquestions.org commentary explains it like this: “To say that God is good means that God always acts in accordance to what is right, true, and good. Goodness is part of God’s nature, and He cannot contradict His nature. Holiness and righteousness are part of God’s nature; He cannot do anything that is unholy or unrighteous. God is the standard of all that is good.”

Friends, let’s ask Him to open our eyes to see His goodness and mercy throughout the day, and may we be quick and faithful to give Him thanks, declaring aloud: ‘Thank You, God!’ For You are good and Your mercies endure forever!

The More We Know

What does it mean that God is good?

If you do not know God or would like to know more about Him, I would love to introduce you to Him … simply click on the Know These Truths link below.

https://atomic-temporary-62140760.wpcomstaging.com/2023/03/14/know-these-truths/