Daily Radio Bible - April 5th, 22

 GOD NEVER FAILS US

Our reading today is from Ruth 3 - 4, Psalm 64 - 65, and II Corinthians 6.  We are reading from the New Living Translation.

The book of Ruth is a love story from beginning to end.  But it doesn’t look like that at first.  It looks like a cruel tragedy, beginning with famine, displacement, exile, loss and death.  Naomi thinks her story is one giant dead end.  She tells people not to call her Naomi but Mara, which means “bitter”. She believes that her story is one of bitter, cruel, tragic loss.

Some of you might be tempted to think the same of your own story. Hardships have come.  You’ve experienced loss and death. You’ve been displaced and feel like you’re in exile.  When you look back on your story and try to piece things together you feel bitterness well up.

Through Ruth’s story, we are quickly learning that when we respond in faith to God, as Ruth did, a story that started out so tragic and looked like a giant dead end, grows into something completely different.

Ruth the Gentile chooses the God of Naomi, even though Naomi had given up on Him.

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.  Ruth 1:16

This story ends up being an epic love story, that moves forward into the future with eternal ramifications.  Out of this love between Ruth and Boaz, the Kinsmen redeemer, is born the grandfather of King David.  And from King David will be born the Redeemer of the world, the Redeemer of Jews and Gentiles alike - Jesus!

You and I are invited into this love story.  God is showing up in our story of loss in ways far better than Boaz.  He’s transforming one story after another. And these stories of faith are not dead ends.  They always result in life.  When we respond in faith, God has a way of transforming our story into a love story, that always points to him.

God is at work in your life.  I know that many of you have experienced loss this year.  But amidst the loss He’s conspiring and making all things work together for good. There is a story of God’s love, being written, and you might not see it now, but hold on to him in faith, and we will discover our kinsman redeemer was there, all along.   

You are loved!