Handfuls on Purpose...

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 

4Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,5Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth 7Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.8Charity never faileth...

Recently a friend of mine and I were reading a bracelet that had an inscription of 1 Cor. 13:4 on it.  They said, in jest, " do you really believe that kind of love exists anymore?"  and as you guys are getting to know me, you know that this of course got me to thinking...

do I just SAY that I believe it exists or do I TRULY  believe it DOES exist? 

My life would say I do simply because it seems that when I love, I love with all I've got: but, that isn't what this passage is saying at all...anyone can have the capacity to love with with their flesh and be quite dedicated; yet still not embody ALL that having charity breathes because how can you truly love another the RIGHT way if you don't love God this way? 

Mark 12:30-31 

30And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 

And,  I have NOT always loved my Savior the way that I should have.  Even as of late, I have not been the faithful bride that I have been set apart to be. As I pondered this lack of faith and commitment on my part, I began to recall the story of Ruth.  

This was a woman we all could learn from when considering how to live a faithful, God-willed life of love.  She loved her Mother-in-law Naomi, she believed that Naomi wanted what was best for her...so much so that she left all the comforts and securities of her home to follow a God she didn't know...trusting he would somehow do the same for her that He had done for Naomi and her people.  

Ruth 1:16-17 

16And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: 17Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.

It would do me well to take a page from Ruth's book...

Page one... Ruth's testimony preceded her...

Ruth 2:5-6 , 3:11 

5Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this? 11And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a VIRTUOUS woman. 

People are watching your life rather you believe it matters or not...it does!

Page two...She was humbled by and thankful for the life she'd been given...

Ruth 2:10-11 

10Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger? 

God resists the proud people...but draws close to those that are humble.  

Page three...She continued to work in the field of service that she was given...

Ruth 2:8 (KJV)

Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens:  23So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother in law. 

God not only provided the RIGHT field, he gave her more than what she could have gleaned in the WRONG field. 

Ruth 2:16-17 (KJV)

16And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.

 Page four...She did no more and no less than she was prompted to do...

Ruth 3:5-7 (KJV)

5And she said unto her, All that thou sayest unto me I will do. 6And she went down unto the floor, and did according to all that her mother in law bade her. 

We make wrong choices when we regard our own desires instead of what the Lord tells us to do in His word...line your choices up with it, friends...line it up!

And Page five...She waited...

"...sit STILL my daughter and SEE thou how the matter will fall: for the man will not be in rest, until he have finished the thing this day"...

And at the end of the day, Ruth did find herself blessed and her story a shining testimony of the Glory of God to everyone!!

Ruth 4:10-13 (KJV)

10Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife...11And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The Lord make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in bethlehem 13So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the Lord gave her conception, and she bare a son.

She was highly favored of God, for she was used to bring about the lineage of His very Son...OUR kinsman redeemer, Jesus Christ!  ( Matt. 1 )

 

 When we, like Ruth, keep our eyes on the things He has set before us and with  with willing and obedient hearts, do them; then He has promised we WILL eat of the good of the Land.  But, if we refuse and rebel then it is plain that we delay His blessings and lose what we coulda had originally. (Is. 1:19-20)

I spent a better portion of my life searching in the wrong place for love... Leaning unto my own hastiness to know what's best for me.  I don't know, maybe it isn't hard for you, but, the desire to love and BE loved is a toughie for me.  It has often been a distraction.   But, praise the Lord, it is never too late to be redeemed and start a fresh! Just look at the woman at the well who had had FIVE husbands, she ended up a missionary folks! MANY believed on Jesus because of her willingness to take the good news of the gospel back to the people of Samaria!,( John 4 ) Or what about Rahab the Harlot (Joshua 2,6)  ? She ended up with a life I am SURE she never dreamed possible...she was BOAZ's Mom! Ain't that a blessing to know!! 

As women of God, our soul desire should be to live IN Him and FOR Him...all the other stuff will happen in time.  I know...ick!...there is that pesky little word...Patience!  Girls, it surely  has NEVER been MY strongest suit either...patience with myself and with the Lord is not an easy lesson to learn.   I haven't listened to Godly advice in my past  and made some big mistakes.  Waiting on the Lord would have yielded so much better for my life.  

The SINGULAR pursuit of  finding your "dream guy" can be a stumbling block and lead you to a hasty decision.    Keeping your heart and mind fixed on God can only bring good things to pass! His word says so! When the right guy comes along, and you have been living a life for Christ; that guy, just like Boaz, is gonna know it and appreciate it.  There is no need to do anything other than stay committed to the Lord and wait!

Ruth is a wonderful testimony of what amazing things God will do when we trust Him.   Listen to the Lord's prompting ...wait on Him WHILE continuing to glean the fields of service for your Savior!  Just like with Ruth, He will leave handfuls of goodness ON PURPOSE!