Ruth Bible Sketch

Family, work, future

 

“The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!” Ruth 2:12 ESV Bible verse sketch hand lettering with blue sky and barley.

Ruth

Ruth is my mom’s name. She was full of love, joy and strength—these flowed from her faith which trusted God’s mercy and grace to save us. Our Creator gifted Mom with valuable talents and a peaceful, generous, meek, patient and kind personality. Because of sin in this world, tears and difficulties were mixed into the happy times of her life. I don’t doubt that she prayed often about my wandering ways. She inspired our family and others. Her work was important. She was the spiritual leader of our home where she prepared us physically, mentally and emotionally to spread our wings and fly toward our Lord in the direction He calls each of us to follow Him. Dad was a godly man of integrity and Mom worked closely with him in the crop production and seed cleaning business on the farm where God supplied our daily bread. Just as all repentant sinners who trust the Word are promised an eternal future together with Jesus who is alive, the Holy Spirit kept Mom in faith until our Heavenly Father took her Home to live with Him!

“Ruth means…“fullness.” Where God has made empty, He has prepared to make full once again. Even as we confess the God who empties and makes bitter, we confess also the God in Christ who sweetens, fills, and restores.” —read more from the post The Commemoration of Ruth by CPH

“The Book of Ruth relates a beautiful story in the history of King David’s family, illustrating how God guides history for the sake of His people. He works through suffering and redemption to preserve His people and to welcome the nations. These aspects of the Book point to the birth of Jesus, the world’s Redeemer, who descends from Ruth and Boaz. Though the Book of Ruth is not a love story, it beautifully illustrates the Lord’s enduring love for you. As you read Ruth, consider how the Lord calls you to show love and faithfulness to your family and your neighbors, for whom Christ lived and gave His life.” —The Lutheran Study Bible by CPH (highly recommended for insights and devotional commentary which helps to grow in faith and apply God’s Word to life)

• Great stories of the Bible: Ruth (learn more)

Join in for music—voices singing, trumpet, guitar and organ—speak the Word out loud, pray, and listen at my church online to the 14 minute sermon Seeking the Savior for Comfort (at 27 minutes into the video). Replay this one hour service as often as you want, subscribe, and come back often for new content! 

Together, we seek Jesus. The key to life is faith. This gift comes alive though the Bible. Church is a hospital for sinners. When we’re sick, we call a doctor, when we have a toothache, we call a dentist—when we are curious about matters of life and death, we call a pastor. Learn how to receive faith by the work of the Holy Spirit in Baptism—watch videos about Baptism.

1. receive faith
2. repent and return to faith
3. learn and grow in faith
4. go forward in the comfort of faith

While we follow COVID-19 restrictions, we lean on the Triune God in whom we take refuge. 

Until we die or He returns (whichever comes first), He is allowing us to creatively stay connected and participate in this life by trying new things! We can

• pray
• watch worship and Christian education videos
• read daily devotional material out loud to “hear” the Word
• listen to Christian podcasts
• sing along to sacred music

We pray: Lord, Your will be done. Thank you for providing for all our needs as You mysteriously work things, in every situation, together for Your good purpose. Give health, healing, wisdom and guide us through all hardships of life. End the coronavirus that we may return to regularly receive all the benefits of attending church together again to

• learn with friends at classes
• worship as a family of believers
• receive Communion (watch videos about the Lord’s Supper)
• enjoy community activities
  

Links for growth and enjoyment

• Bible
• Bible Project
• Bible Study & Worship
• Daily Devotions
• KFUO Radio
• Sermons & Reflections
• Speaking of Jesus
• Study Bible

If you use a phone to read this blog, look for and tap “view web version” to see the full page which doesn’t show up on the mobile version.

Judges Bible Sketch

Seek Truth. Expose, fight, flee the mean, ugly, emotionally painful, physically harmful evil which stems from lies and temptations to sin.

Creation is impacted by the ugly effects of sin which surround us—corona virus pandemic, natural disaster, fear, broken relationships, doubt, guilt, sadness and more…

• Sin caused death
• What is sin?

People have or may become sick, sadly, many will die even though we wash hands, honor six-feet, use masks, develop treatments and vaccines to battle the corona virus COVOD-19.

Spiritually, we prepare for our earthly death because in the long-term big-picture, our story is not over then. Safe are people who are cleansed in Christ who took our punishment. In quarantine, midst this pandemic nontraditional Holy Week, let’s self-reflect on our lowest state. May we receive an overwhelming awareness of our own individual failures, weaknesses, need for our Creator’s provision for us—daily repent, take refuge in our Savior; then, last but not least, give thanks to Him in all circumstances!

“In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Judges 21:5 ESV Bible verse sketch—an artistic rendition: portrait of the state of humanity since the original fall into sin.

“The Lord provides for the tribe of Levi, and with that, the author proclaims with praise that that the Lord has kept all of His promises. We are not to become attached to the things of this world as though they have lasting value. The Lord provided the Levites with earthy cities that anticipated a better city, a heavenly one (Heb 11:16). Likewise, He promises that as we seek first His kingdom and His righteousness through Christ, He will grant us what we need for this life (Mt 6:33). • Heavenly Father, release us from worries and undue attachment to earthly things, so we might find our true joy in You and the enduring city awaiting us through Christ. Amen.” Luther’s Study Bible, CPH (learn more)

Our spirit may be willing to put God and others first, yet in reality, we are too weak to make it happen. 

• Sins may be
  
  • unrealized
  • known
  • subtle
  • obvious
  • physical
  • mental
  • emotional
  • spiritual
• Sins are deeply damaging to
  
  • ourselves
  • those we love
  • people we don’t know
• No one is immune to
  
  • sinning
  • sins committed against them
  • the effects of all sin
• Sin is difficult to
  
  • own up to
  • confess
  • ask to be forgiven
  • turn from
  • expose
  • correct
  • prevent
  • forgive
  • forget

Arrogance and pride make us blind and deaf to

• to have compassion for others’
  
  • weaknesses
  • needs
  • innocence
  • voice
  • emotions
• our need to take responsibility for our faults, but rather
  
  • blame-shift
  • make excuses
• our need to forgive people, preferring to
  
  • hold grudge
  • stop communicating
  • stop listening
  • isolate self
• the seriousness of
  
  • our own flaws
  • our need for personal confession
• the fact that
  
  • redemption in Christ is necessary
  • earning our own redemption isn’t possible
• blessings available in
  
  • Bible study
  • mental health counsel
  • help for substance abuse
  • receiving forgiveness 

It is possible to blatantly reject God without sorrow.

We aren’t robots—we may resist God’s generous desire for all to be saved. Unbelief causes sin to fester into an infection which desensitizes conscience—turns the cold heart hard. Grace and hope abound until the Day of Judgment when those who are apart from Christ enter eternal separation from God (hell) because of their

• defiance of God’s Law and Gospel
• irresponsibility to change bad behavior
• frigid tendency to lie
• stony refusal to confess sin
• rigid resistance of the Holy Spirit

Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. Ephesians 5:11 ESV

Thankfully, God provides The Way to live forever!

God’s Word in the Bible for us to read or hear reveals His purpose of Christ suffering at the cross unto death, His descent to hell and bodily resurrection by which He successfully washed away the sin of the world and defeated all evil. By grace, our Creator supplies victory—eternal life for all who receive the Holy Spirit’s gift of faith which trusts Truth.

“It all rests on Christ…The babe whose birth we celebrate came to give us grace. And He wants us to be completely certain of it, because it rests totally on Him.” — Pastor Harrison (read the post here)

Healthy living is nurtured by the Holy Spirit’s inspiration for us contained in The Bible. In our struggle against temptations, we can rely on Christ’s Word and Spirit to

• discern truth from lies
• maintain, build, strengthen, grow faith
• identify our sin, confess it and do our best to stay clean (even though we cannot do this perfectly as Christ did)
• receive grace to move forward, forgiven
• constantly pray His Word
• give confidence to share the faith
• discover how to help each other
• lead us to do God’s will
• provide a way out of temptation so we can endure it
• put praise for Him in our mouths
• encourage brothers and sisters in Christ
• be free from false guilt as parents to communicate His anger over children’s disobedience
• encourage us to plant “seeds”and pray unbelievers will receive faith
• work faith to bring us to Christ

“Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.’” John 8: 42-47 ESV

Mercy and promises in Christ

• the Light in whom all will be judged when He returns on the Last Day for those living in Truth and the believers who have gone before them
• who sees each heart of repentant believers viewing all sin as repulsive, knowing their Savior bled and bore the horrible punishment they deserve
• who protects, defends and delivers us from evil all who take refuge in Him
• whose sacrifice is finished and made us right
• who forgives—declares not guilty all who repent and trust Him
• in whom believers are never separated
• with whom believers will enjoy an eternal paradise

“fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”  Isaiah 41:10 ESV

Give God glory for GRACE—God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8–9 ESV

“For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” Isaiah 55:12 ESV

“It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.” Luke 13:19 ESV

Dear Heavenly Father, refine and renew us. Help us let go of selfish grumbling, unhealthy controlling and manipulative manners. Forgive us for each and every sin Jesus took upon Himself in His suffering at the cross, paying the price to buy our salvation. Our faith trusts the certain hope that You will eventually destroy all evil and wipe away our tears. As the Holy Spirit trains us to live in Light and frees us to generously see others as You see them, having great value, fill us with your mighty power to care. Equip us with patience, kindness, and confidence to tell others about the relationship you want with everyone. Show us how we may serve You and others in Truth. Amen.

God is faithful to fulfill His promises. Don’t neglect the Holy Spirit’s nudging that would have you cling to Jesus. Peace ✝︎

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