Naomi [Ruth’s] mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, I need to seek some security for you, so that it may be well with you. Ruth 3:1 NRSV
‘In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Psalms 4:8 ESV
Seeing God's hand As We Take Risks
We all have our plans; plans aimed at building a little certainty into our lives and the lives of our loved ones. Seminars abound that purport to help us plan for college, marriage, buying a house, selling a house and how to retire “successfully.” We try to go to the right college, get the right degree, and when we graduate, we try to find the employer that will give us a job that takes advantage of our training, skills and desires. We try to look for just the right person to marry, and then develop a timeline in our heads of how we will balance career and family. Once kids come along, we do our best to send them to the right schools and college and direct their careers into areas where we think they can be most productive and fulfilled.
We ask God to guide our plans, our decisions, and help us understand the unintended consequences of our actions. To open the doors that should be opened and shut the doors that hold unseen risks. To give us a little insight as we try to balance the risks and rewards of any potential decision. In short, we ask God to bless our plans and our decisions.
The Bible is full of stories where God guided the hands, minds and feet of His children. The record shows that this guidance often involved the exercise of the recipient’s “faith muscles.” God seems fond of engineering quiet solutions instead of dramatic interventions, and many times expects us to take the first step toward a solution that He intends to bless.
This weekend at Trinity Downtown, we’ll be continuing our sermon series exploring just such an example of “faith muscles” being strengthened in the life of an undocumented alien living in Israel. In a period in Hebrew history filled with apostasy, lawlessness and famine, the Old Testament book of Ruth tells an all-to-common story of loss and pain set in a village of hardworking peasants trying to live as best they can. But it’s also a story of that reveals how God often accomplishes His loving purposes quietly, with little fanfare, through ordinary people who overcome adversity with God’s strategic (albeit quiet) intervention. The book of Ruth reminds us that God sometimes chooses to work behind the scenes to redeem our problems and pain.
If you are facing tough times, or have hard decisions to make, you’ll especially enjoy learning how Ruth’s faith and determination was rewarded in ways that she literally could not imagine. Even to the point of her contributing her DNA into the linage of Jesus.
If you are feeling like your life is out of your control (it is) or that God has forgotten you (He hasn’t) come find out how faith in God can transform your life. Join us at our contemporary service on Saturday at 5:00 pm, and/or the traditional worship services on Sunday at 8:15 am and 10:50 am. Your kids won’t want to miss our “Kingdom Quest” pre-school and student gatherings, and you’ll enjoy making new friends and learning more about your faith in our expanded array of adult bible study classes, all held at 9:30 am on Sunday.
This weekend come learn how placing our faith and fears in the hands of Jesus can lessen our stress load and bring deep transformation in our hearts. Celebrate with us the depth of Jesus’ love for us and find out how you can live a life of significance, filled with meaning. Discover how following Jesus can help you and your family navigate around the minefields of life.
Come get a fresh jolt of spiritual energy at Trinity Downtown. It will make a tremendous difference in your life.