May 5 - Forgetfulness and apologies; staying the course and testimony

Judges 21:1-Ruth 1:22

John 4:4-42

Psalm 105:10-15

Proverbs 14:25

Apologies, first and foremost.  I am amazed at how forgetful I've become.  Here it is, Wednesday, and it just occurred to me I'd forgotten to blog on Monday.  So sorry.

It is two days after I was supposed to write my blog, so I already know how the story of Ruth turns out.  Widowed at a young age, rather than return to her own family and her own people, to seek another husband and have a shot at what likely was seen as a respectable and blessed life, she chose to stay with, and serve, her mother in law, who had nothing else to offer her.  This sure looks like an example of dying to oneself.  Think about it: could Naomi have been any more explicit?  She had nothing to offer Ruth, not even the certainty of food on the table, as Ruth had to go glean behind those harvesting the wheat, something which it seems was somewhat risky.  

We know how this turns out.  God had a plan all along, and Ruth wound up gleaning in Boaz's fields; Ruth goes from the desperation of gleaning for scraps under potentially dangerous circumstances to the marriage to an honorable and prosperous man.  When she did not know how it was going to turn out, it must not have been easy.  But she stayed the course, and God rewarded her steadfastness.  I pray to learn two things from Ruth - the ability to discern what is asked of me, and the steadfastness to stay the course.

One other thing from today's readings - in the NT reading we see the story of the Samaritan woman's encounter with Jesus at the well.  What I find interesting comes towards the end of the reading, where "many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I ever did.""  What struck me about that was that they believed not because the Samaritan woman tried to convince then; she simply spoke the truth of her experience with Jesus.   Again, I pray two things - that I experience our Lord in as remarkable a manner, and that I be able to testify to the event.  What happens after that is up to Him.