Daily Devotional

BETHLEHEM:  This word immediately draws my thoughts to the book of Luke and his description of the Christ-child in the manger. But there is another book that comes to my mind; the book of Ruth.  This book illustrates God’s sovereignty and kindness … especially during times of hardship and loss. The book opens in the region of Moab. Naomi is struck with the agonizing loss of her husband and two sons. She is drawn to return to her homeland for she has heard, “the Lord had visited his people and given them food” (Ruth 1:6b). On the way to Bethlehem, Naomi implores her daughters-in-law to return to their mother’s house.  One daughter-in-law did just that.  Naomi’s other daughter-in-law, Ruth refused to leave Naomi.  Ruth clung to Naomi and declared in Ruth 1:16, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return 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.” So, Ruth traveled with Naomi from Moab to Bethlehem.  There Ruth meets Boaz, and they marry and have a son. Ruth 4:16b says, “They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.” This line of David continued until the Christ-child is born in the manger in BETHLEHEM.

This is a good reminder to me that my God is Sovereign over all.  All the events in my life, the day to day events, including the struggles, difficult circumstances and also the joys are all woven into God’s great plan. Sometimes I get bogged down in the moment of challenge and forget that I cannot see the whole picture. The Word of God reminds me over and over again that God is in control of the circumstances and He has a plan. I need to trust Him and remember He is Sovereign!

Parents: How do we apply this for our children?

1. Play follow the leader and tell the story of Ruth to your children. Describe how she followed her mother-in-law to a land and culture she had never known before. Tell your children that God knew all about it. We can trust God on the journey.

2. Draw a picture or cut one out of a magazine.  Cover most of the picture and ask your children to guess what it is. When they cannot guess, tell them that God knows what the whole picture is.  God knows about yesterday, today and tomorrow. He is Sovereign; He is in charge of everything and everybody. This is why we trust God in good times and in difficult times.

New American Standard Bible (NASB)
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