Zacchaeus’s story was one of worldly wealth and spiritual poverty until he was drawn to Jesus. Our Savior was journeying to Jerusalem to lay down His life for sinners.Luke 19:1Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. 2 There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, …
God had told Ananias that He had a mission for Saul. This enabled Ananias to see through God’s eyes. Ananias knew of Saul’s reputation for persecuting Christians and was understandably afraid of him. But Ananias’ faith was stronger than his fear, and he obeyed God’s instructions. Acts 9: 17 So Ananias went and found Saul. He …
Obeying God can stretch us because it often requires leaving our comfort zones. This fosters spiritual growth by deepening our faith and by trusting His wisdom more than our own. Although challenging, this “holy stretch” encourages us to go beyond self-reliance. It can foster a deep dependence on the Holy Spirit and lead to increased …
Misunderstanding the moves of God on Pentecost came from viewing them through the lens of sin. Sin always clouds God’s works. Devout Jews from many nations were in Jerusalem when a loud noise drew a crowd together. They were amazed and bewildered to hear the believers from Galilee speaking in their own native languages. People …
God is still working when life feels empty and even when we are unaware that He is with us. Naomi returned to Bethlehem, overwhelmed by the loss of her husband and sons. She openly admitted her bitterness. Her name, Naomi, means “pleasant” in Hebrew. She knew her life was no longer pleasant because of her …
Choosing faith when the future is unclear is about trusting Him above what we can see with our human eyes. It requires God working in our hearts. This act of faith played a role in Ruth’s life, as she traveled from Moab to Israel with her mother-in-law, Naomi. Years earlier, Elimelech, his wife, and his …
Faith is tested by the choices we make, as seen in Naomi’s daughters-in-law. After the deaths of her husband and sons, Naomi decided to head back home to Bethlehem. The three women readied themselves for the trip and started down the road. Ruth 1:8 But on the way, Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back …
God’s mercy still calls us home even when we have experienced failure. Scripture tells us this repeatedly. This very fact gives insight into the heart of God, our Good Shepherd, who never tires of calling lost sheep back to the fold. As the book of Ruth unfolds, we see this very story of God’s heart …
Living between loss and direction can be difficult because you are in a place of uncertainty. As people, we don’t like experiencing loss and are often impatient while we wait for direction, yet this type of transition is not unusual. In the book of Ruth, Naomi experienced this challenging transition. In the days when the …
Decisions made without God’s guidance often rely on limited human understanding, leading to avoidable challenges and missed blessings. We can easily fall into this trap, as we see in the story of Elimelech and his family leaving Israel for Moab during a drought. Rutha 1:1In the days when the judges ruled in Israel, a severe …