"SURPRISE!"

Ruth 4:13-17
13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. Then he went to her, and the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. 14 The women said to Naomi: "Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May he become famous
throughout Israel! 15 He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth." 16 Then Naomi took the child, laid him in her lap and cared for him. 17 The women
living there said, "Naomi has a son." And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

The book of Ruth is a masterpiece of dramatic literature. In a few pages we move from an impossible situation to an unlikely conclusion along an improbable route.

Three widows, one old and two young, have experienced devastating loss. One of the younger widows vows to accompany her mother-in-law to her homeland and to seek her God. As the story progresses, it seems that a divine hand is guiding Naomi and Ruth toward a hope and fulfillment they could hardly imagine. By the end of the book, hopeless grief has been replaced by joyful expectation. It was as if God wrapped His loving arms around them and whispered, "Surprise!"

Oswald Chambers, a dynamic Bible teacher of the early 20th century, often spoke of the surprise visits of God: "Jesus rarely comes where we expect Him," Chambers said. "He appears where we least expect Him, and always in the most illogical connections. The only way a worker can keep true to God is by being ready for the Lord's surprise visits."

Another theme that permeated Chambers' teaching was giving God room to operate in our lives: "As workers for God we have to learn to make room for God--to give God 'elbow room.' We calculate and estimate, and say that this and that will happen, and we forget to make room for God to come in as He chooses. Do not look for God to come in any particular way, but look for Him. That is the way to make room for Him. However much we may know God, the great lesson to learn is that at any minute He may break in. We are apt to overlook this element of surprise, yet God never works in any other way."

Think of a situation you'd nominate as "Most Unlikely To Turn Out Well." Ponder all the reasons it's a mess and all the people who are part of the problem. Then think about Jesus. Tell Him you want to stay true and follow His commands. Now, make room and be ready to hear Him whisper, "Surprise!" --Dave McCasland

DESTINATION POINTS

* Why do I so easily forget to look for the surprise visits of God?
* What personal encouragement do I find in the story of Ruth?
* How can I make room for God in my life today?

LINKS:
My Utmost For His Highest
http://www.utmost.org

bottom line: Be ready for the surprise visits of God.

soul journey