"As it happened, she found herself working in a filed that belonged to Boaz, the relative of her father-in-law, Elimelech." (Ruth 2:3)
It has happened to everyone of us. Many times we try to "explain it away" or "justify" how such circumstances could have aligned themselves. I am talking about the times that God shows up in the middle of your circumstances, orchestrating the situation in a way that can not be "explained" or "justified." I call miraculous moments like this a Godincidence.
Naomi, whose name means pleasant experienced less than pleasant circumstances in her life. The death of her husband and two sons moved her to want to change her name to Mara meaning bitter. However, a pleasant result of the tragic events in her life she received the gift of a beautiful and devoted daughter-in-law named Ruth.
Ruth found herself right in the middle a Godincidence as she boldly and unashamedly requested to gather the fallen grain in the field of a weathly man she would later learn was her father-in-laws brother. After noticing her presence and discovering her identity, he instructs the young men bringing in the harvest not to bother her, to allow her to follow right behind them giving her opportunity to get the best grains, and even instructed them to drop full heads of barley for her. (It was customary for the poor to wait until the harvest was completed before picking up the leftovers.) Unbeknowst to her, God provided for Ruth abundantly in this Godincidence. He was also setting in place the plan for her future.
God works in our lives like this everyday. Sometimes behind the scenes in the secret places and other times He shows off for all the world to see. My prayer is that we would have eyes to see and ears to hear the activity of the Lord around us so when we find ourselves in the middle of a Godincidence we will quickly recognize it and give Him the glory He deserves.
Naomi, whose name means pleasant experienced less than pleasant circumstances in her life. The death of her husband and two sons moved her to want to change her name to Mara meaning bitter. However, a pleasant result of the tragic events in her life she received the gift of a beautiful and devoted daughter-in-law named Ruth.
Ruth found herself right in the middle a Godincidence as she boldly and unashamedly requested to gather the fallen grain in the field of a weathly man she would later learn was her father-in-laws brother. After noticing her presence and discovering her identity, he instructs the young men bringing in the harvest not to bother her, to allow her to follow right behind them giving her opportunity to get the best grains, and even instructed them to drop full heads of barley for her. (It was customary for the poor to wait until the harvest was completed before picking up the leftovers.) Unbeknowst to her, God provided for Ruth abundantly in this Godincidence. He was also setting in place the plan for her future.
God works in our lives like this everyday. Sometimes behind the scenes in the secret places and other times He shows off for all the world to see. My prayer is that we would have eyes to see and ears to hear the activity of the Lord around us so when we find ourselves in the middle of a Godincidence we will quickly recognize it and give Him the glory He deserves.
15 Comments:
Boy, the Lord is speaking the same messages to me these days Wendy. Out of that verse you highlighted, I had underlined, "As is happened.." and I began to think of all the "as it happened" moments in my life.
For example, when I was born at only 25 weeks, weighing less than a pound, the Dr's said I would never survive, but 'as it happened' the Lord continued to breathe life into me.
Or...last year when I had decided fear would keep me from attending "She Speaks", 'as it happened' the Lord, who knew my desire and my heart, provided a way so that I would'nt miss trusting Him and seeing Him each step of the way.
Also, one morning when my heart was breaking and I needed to know that the Lord knew and saw, I walked down to my kitchen and opened the shutters and 'as it happened' one dove was sitting on my deck railing looking in at me, reminding me of the Holy Spirit's presence.
Or what about just this past Friday as I was waiting for my sister outside by her car so that we could drive to the hospital, feeling very sad and alone, 'as it happened' a very dear friend, who I haven't seen in months suddenly appeared with a hug and quick message of hope and love.
I could go on and on remembering 'as it happened' moments when God provided in miraculous ways.
The only other verse that I underlined as I read today was from Ruth 3:1. "'...it's time that I found a permanent home for you, so that you will be provided for...'" As a family right now we are so confused as to the next step with my Dad. As much as we'd love to bring him home, his sudden change in character over the past 5 weeks makes it unsafe for my Mom to look after him on her own. It's breaking all our hearts to go through the process of putting Dad in a 'home'. Continuing to seek and ask for His divine wisdom.
Praying for all of you girls. I can't wait for the day that my time opens up a little more and I can come back later in the day to visit with you more here.
Hugs from Canada...where I've opened the blind to more snow! :o)
Joy
Today's reading is such an encouragement. I believe we all have found ourselves in an "as it happened" blessing from God.
Years ago, I was a young military wife and living in a new place. The Post Chapel held a Bible study every Tuesday morning; I thought this would be a good place to meet friends. Getting more than I bargained for, this is where my true spiritual walk with God began. One of the speakers talked about the positive aspects of keeping a journal. She said, that if you knew on Monday what was going to happen all week...you might not want to get out of bed. (LOL) But if at the end of the week, you looked back in your journal, you would see how God was there all the time. Sometimes, it takes more than a week. Looking back I can often see many "Godincidence", I just didn't know what to call it!
Thanks, Wendy.
Keeping all of you in prayer (those we hear from and those we don't),
Nancy
Ya'll, I am falling in love with Ruth here lately!! Yesterday I finished a modern day account of Ruth by Tommy Tenney called The Road Home.
As I picked up that book, God spoke to me and a couple of months ago, I went to my husband and told him that just in case I never told him before that I was ready to go anywhere with him and make any sacrifice for his dreams to come true.
God has been doing some amazing things over here and I can't wait to share them with you!
I camped on Ruth 3:18 "Just be patient, my daughter, until we hear what happens." I bet that was just as hard for Ruth as it is for us!!
PS I love the term "Godincidence" I just call them "God things" but I'm adopting this term today!
May you all have a blessed day!!
Dear, dear sister's...Good Morning!
I think we are all ready to leave Judges...and how comforting to begin Ruth. Sorry to say, we'll only be here till tomorrow! The chapter begins by reminding us we are still in "the days when the judges ruled in Israel..." I thought that the "severe faminie" might be one of their punishments...Did ya notice how it mentioned 4 times that Ruth's a "moabite woman" -reminding us she is from a despised group of people. I love how God blesses her.
When her mother-in-law said her good-byes, "Ruth clung tightly to Naomi" this was precious to me! Her selfless devotion to this woman and shortly after acknowledging God is "Her God" too!
I love the "Godincidences" throughout these chapters! We see clearly how being faithful and obedient allows God to bless us!
Beth Moore calls these "Godincidences" GodStop
(Savoring the Observable Presence)
When God makes Himself observable we want to stop and take notice. "God seems to go out of His way during your day to make Himself known to you."
She had us do a homework assignment where we divided our whole life into sections on a timeline. Each week we'd take a section and mark points on the timeline where God was observable in our life...
When I took the time to look back over my life I was absolutely amazed and shocked at how God was woven into all my years! His hands have been on me since birth! Once you start thinking about this, you notice events happening daily and it causes you to stop and praise Him...Nothing is a coincidence. We are a people of providence. LOVE THAT!
Looking back I see the "Godincidences," and I love my Father so much more! At birth I almost died; the long and labored period ended with an emergency, radical C-Section and I was born on Thanksgiving Day! God saved my life on this particular day! How awesome is that? My best friend's dad (in second grade) happened to be the daughter of a famous Christian magician who traveled with Campus Crusade...her Mom befriended my own mother, who was a new Christian at the time...When I left to attend college, in my sorority, my Big Sis and Little Sis turned out to be strong Christian gals!!! During my early teaching years when I was not going to church...God placed a young teacher in my presence...we became pregnant at the same time...both ended up staying home after giving birth...and she was the gal that invived me to go to church with our "young" babies! My little sister in the sorority, just happened to get pregnant the same time I did...and then pregnant AGAIN at the same time and just happened to have boy's also!!! We remained close friends and had play groups together....her husband is now a minister nearby! Christian families have been sprinkled all around me all during the period of my boy's lifetime.
My favorite tho...is the phone call that changed my life... My girlfriend that invived me to a Bible Study...I had know idea what the phone call would do at the time...but, I know now, that it was the beginning of a very close love affair with my Father. A daily desire to seek Him in everything I do, came about, through that one simple phone call!
Our God is so awesome! I could go on and on about the moments He's been in my life and I see so clearly the kids he's placed in my 2 son's lives. Now, I watch for these special moments...Also, (just one more thing, I promise!)...I see Him in Dave's life too! The fact that he married a Christian...and get this...his best friend from college, (who was NOT Christian at the time), about 10 years ago got saved. He left a million plus job environment...walked away from it with his family and moved to MT. He's serving God there in an unbelievable way...Their family prays daily for Dave's salvation...Dave really respects this man, and I know God has kept them in touch with our family for a reason! This man's folks live in Mesa! :) Gives me goosbumps just thinking about it. Dave watched him turn away from wealth and fame and move to a place to serve God! How awesome is that? The two closest people in Dave's life right now are clinging to God with all of their hearts!!! He's bound to get saved, don't ya think? :)
Love you, love you, love you dear girlfriends and making time today for each of you in my prayer's...
For those of you who opened up yesterday I'm thankful for your honesty. I feel so blessed to be apart of this group where we can open our hearts up. I can't say enuf how sorry I am for what you've been through...
Remember what Kristen said..."praying we all stand strong with God, even when we are tempted to bend or break." Satan is going to come in and attack and try to get us to question what we are reading...let's keep him behind us! Loved the verse, Karen-"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.
Lori - Mesa, AZ
Lori--
I'm praying for Dave right now and standing with you for his salvation.
I'm also making a timeline of my life this weekend. Fabulous idea!!
Hi again...
I just ordered the book you mentioned, Lisa, on barns noble-used books $1.99!!! LOVE A BARGAIN!!! I can't wait to read it!
Lisa, I can't wait for the time you can share with us about the amazing things going on in your neck of the woods!
Thinking about this, dear sisters, our Chronological Bible Study, is a Godincidence!!! This is something we can all add to our timelines! Wendy, dear girlfriend, thank goodness you were obedient to God...look what He is doing with our little group! Praying for each other and helping each of us stay accountable! I'm just so much in love with Him at this moment.
And, thank you all for praying for Dave; this is a Godcoincidence that Dave will be able to put on his timeline one day! I think I'll begin a timeline for Dave today! :) Won't that be fun for him to look at one day!! Thank you Lord for your ideas to me!!!!!!!
Remember, nothing happens by coincidence...everything is of God...the good things that happen to us and the bad things that happen to us...Everything happens in our life for a reason. When we are going through a period of darkness we can be rest-assured that God knows why it is happening...we don't always know, but our Father does. That is the only way to get through the difficult times.
Keeping a timeline for each child is a wonderful idea too, (idea from Beth). Can you imagine what an awesome gift it could become...maybe to give it to them on their wedding day or something! Talking about the God moments each day in our family keeps us centered on looking for God in our life!
Love you all! Lori - Mesa, AZ
I once heard that nothing happens by coincidence...a Godincidence is when God does something anonomously. I am now on my 3rd God Moment Journal. Although I have many to share one of my favorites involved my son. A little background first. His room had a basketball border around it with the word basketball printed in it as well. He told me that he was wondering one day how something would work out and then he looked at the short peice of border between his two closets and letters spelled "ask". (taken out of the word basketball) We had never really noticed the word it just happened to be a piece left over that fit. It reminded him to turn to God in prayer and ask for God's guidance.
I so loved that God moment and that piece of wall paper border is also glued into my journal. :)
I also noticed in today's reading that there were a number of blessings given ....Ruth 1:8&9
*Naomi blesses her daughter-in-laws,
And may the Lord reward you for your kindness to your husbands and to me."
"May the Lord bless you with the security of another marriage."
*Boaz greeted his harvestors with a 2:4 "Lord be with you!" and the harvestors replied, "The Lord bless you!" What a great relationship they had! It would be great to go into work with this kind of greeting wouldn't it!
*Boaz himself also gives a blessing to Ruth as she falls at his feet and she questioned his kindness since she is a foreigner. He responds that he knows everything she has done for Naomi and says to Ruth, "May the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully for what you have done."
*Ruth 2:19&20 Naomi asks Ruth, "Where did you gather all this grain today? Where did you work? May the Lord bless the one who helped you!" So Ruth told her mother-in-law his name is Boaz.
Naomi says, "May the Lord bless him!"
*Ruth 4:11&12 The elders and all the people standing in the gate replied, (a blessing upon Boaz and Ruth) "We are witnesses! May the Lord make this woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, from who all the nation of Israel descended! may you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. And may the Lord give you descendants by this young woman who will be like those of our ancestor Perez, the son of Tamar and Judah.
After all the curses and disobedience, and slayings etc of Judges, the blessings came kind of like a dip of water on hot day.
Finally blessings, kindness, caring, compassion, devotion, and love all all expressed and experienced through today's reading of Ruth.
Think of blessings that you could ask the Lord to bless the members of your family with today.
Oh, Lord bless each of us today with whatever blessing you choose to bestow upon us from your rich store house of blessings. For some have been going through some trials and your blessing would be refreshing as a dip of cool water on a hot day. Amen
Debbie in Illinois
Ruth is such a breath of fresh air after yesterday's reading! I smiled from beginning to the end because I knew the end of the story. :-) I didn't concentrate on Naomi loss, because I knew her latter days would be greater than her former days.
Ladies, no matter what, never change your names. You are beautiful, fearfully and wonderfully made, loved by your Father, the righteous of God in Christ Jesus, more than a conqueror, the apple of God's eye and etc. Everything, the good, bad and ugly, is no surprise to our God. And he has a plan to make it all work for our good, because we love him and he has a purpose for us all.
My mother named me Deborah and the prophetic has been upon life time in my darkness hour, I have been able to see those God moments manifest. It's not enough space here to begin to tell the story...but my God has been faithful to me!!!!
I admire the relationship Ruth had with her mother-in-law. Please pray with me, that my relationship with my mother-in-law will be pleasing in the Lord's sight.
How I long for my daughters, 24 and 21, to find a Boaz that will honor them as women and love their God. Please add them to your prayer list.
Blessings!
Debbie – North Carolina
Oh, yippee...my NIV chrono is lining up with your NLT chrono...at least for a day! :)
Loving Ruth. Loving the kinsman-redeemer.
Loving God's perfect plan. It reminds when Jesus "must needs go through Samaria" for the woman at the well! (John 4:4) He took the long way...intentionally...to get to that Samaritan woman. And the final result -- her salvation and many in her town came to believe because of her testimony.
Wendy, thanks always for your dedication to all of us reading through the Bible in a year with you. Each morning, I ask the Lord to bless you. I know my socks are being blessed off by being in His Word more and more each day. He is transforming my heart and deepening my love for Him and His Word.
This is a beautiful community of prayer and fellowship here on "Anecdotes".
Love you friend!
Sharon :)
The word 'redeemer' is one of my favorites. I love how the book of Ruth parallels our kinsman redeemer--Jesus, and it is always so meaningful when I read the book with that in mind!
Have an awesome rest of the day, ladies!
Today's reading and discussion is so awesome! I have enjoyed reading all the comments and posts today. Lori, I will continue praying for Dave and believing with you that he will be saved! I had quite a bit to say today on my Godincidences in my own life and did not want to take up all of the room on here so I made a post on my own blog if any of you want to pop over there and read it:
http://setmyfeetonarock.blogspot.com/
It ties in to what we were talking about yesterday with the events of the past and healing from those things. Even in the bad things I see where God was at work. Those things in and of themselves were not good, devastating even, but Christ has redeemed and I would not change my past if it meant not having the relationship I do with my kinsman redeemer today.
Hope you all are having a blessed day! It is so cold here in TN, I thought it was spring! :)
Many verses in today's reading were some that always make me smile! For instance....(1: 16) "Thy people shall be my people, and thy God MY GOD."
I love how Boaz had them leave "handfuls of purpose" for Ruth. (2: 16)
And as a grandmother myself, how I can relate to what Naomi's friends told her about her new grandson..."he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age;" (4: 15)
Marilyn
Wendy, loved your posting for today. I enjoy reading how the same Word of God speaks so generally, yet so specifically to each of our circumstances.
What I love about this section of Ruth is also a Godincidence. I love how God used Ruth, a Moabite woman who comes from a background and country of idol worship and Boaz, a descendant of the prostitute, Rahab as examples of redemption. In God's plan, this was no mere coincidence. It was a Godincidence.
God did not care about their pasts. God did not care about their lineage. God can use anyone and graft them into His eternal purposes. Wow!
I also love the fact that in order for Ruth to find redemption, she needed to leave her past, as well as what had become her comfort zone, behind. We often are asked to do the same with God, aren't we.
Like Ruth however, don't we often have to experience devestation before we are ready to follow and move? Sometimes, this seems to be the only way God can grab our attention and cause us to move closer to Him.
I'm sad to leave Ruth so quickly, tomorrow. I have enjoyed having this beautiful story in the midst of all the war and hatred in Judges.
Please know I am lifting up so many of you. Until tomorrow...
Hi All,
I normally refer to joining this goup as 'stumbling across' it. But I had a wake up call, It wasn't a 'stumbled across' moment, it was a 'Godincidence!'.
Thank you for your Godbedience Wendy. Thank you Lord, you truly provide all of our needs.
Chanana
Bahamas
dear ladies,
its a day late (and a $ short?), but i needed to comment on joyous Ruth...
my whole life i knew i was called to be an obstetrician/gynecologist. i came from a very blue collar, small town, uneducated family, with wonderfully supportive Christian parents who told me i could do anything i set my mind to.
long story short, despite the discouragement of local educators and counsellors, i enjoyed a fabulous ivy league education, was trained by awesome mentors, and am living my dream, delivering babies and caring for women. Praise God!
once i joined a group practice, i decided 'it was time', and my husband and i attempted to start a family... no luck. seemed a bit cruel to care for 14 year olds having babies out of wedlock, and not being able to concieve ourselves...ironic....we had done all the 'right things'...we had jobs, a home, a savings account...what's up God??
another long and painful story short, we were blessed with 2 amazing, gorgeous, brilliant, talented, healthy, sweet and kind and Godloving daughters from china....a clear Godincidence...
so, for our 15th wedding anniversary we chose to renew our wedding vows, @ the same place we'd oringinally gotten married while i was in medical school(except this time with REAL flowers and more for dinner than just chicken!!) we had a formal Christian ceremony, and my then 7 year old stunning chinese daughter read Ruth 1:16... not a dry eye in the place to hear a previously orphaned, destined to be buddhist child to read 'wherever you go, i will go. wherever you live, i will live. your people will be my people, and your God will be my God"...selah...i'm crying as i write this, sweet memories... she now is an altar girl @ church, and loves the Lord with all her sweet heart, as does my 8 year old, who will recieve her first Holy Communion in 2 weeks....
i praise God for His hand on our lives, and weaving such an amazing tapesty, that when i look back, makes such sense....
fyi (i don't think she'd mind me sharing)...one of my partners in my practice is also reading along with us, and she is in the process of international adoption.... coincidence? i don't think so!! as my kids say "GO GOD!"
XOXOX,
amy jane
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