The story of Ruth is not only about friendship but about redemption. It was in her relationship with Naomi that the Lord led her to be where He had planned and for a purpose much greater than she could ever imagine. As a foreigner, Ruth knew what it felt like to be an outsider, to not fit in, to be different and to know rejection. But that all changed when she made the choice to go with Naomi and made her commitment to God. “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will…

Everything about the Christian life concerns relationships. First with God and then with each other. When asked what the greatest commandment was, Jesus replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus modeled the perfect relationship with God while He was here on earth. He taught us that God operates in relational ways and invites us to have the ultimate relationship with Him. The bible is full of stories of relationships between God and people and between people and each other. We…

For the month of June I’ll be studying the story of Ruth and Naomi. It’s a beautiful message on true friendship and I’m excited about how God will use this to open the door to many new relationships. To go along with the daily blog study, I’m inviting you to take a friendship challenge with me. Throughout the month of June I’m going to send a letter, a notecard, a text or email to a different woman each day letting her know that I’m thinking of her. Women that I know from church, my neighbors, acquaintances and anyone that God leads me to. I may mention something I admire about…

For the month of June we will discover some of the many lessons that can be learned from studying the lives of Ruth and Naomi. Overview – Friendship The story of Ruth and Naomi provides a model of what a Godly friendship should look like.  Their cultures, family backgrounds, and ages were very different and as mother-in-law and daughter-in-law they probably had as many opportunities for tension as for tenderness.  Yet they were bound to each other. They shared deep sorrow as well as great affection for each other.  Naomi allowed Ruth to see, hear and feel all the joy and anguish of her relationship with God, which eventually led…

In a devotional I read last week I was reminded how important it is to regularly ask God to search my heart and reveal anything that is hindering my walk with Him. When we ask with a sincere desire to know, God will answer. I prayed that prayer and that very day the revelations began. Several different circumstances provided the stage that would reveal what my heart really thought and felt. And it wasn’t pretty. Plans of others overlapped what I wanted. Work demands increased. Comments in conversations pushed my value aside. In exhaustion my thoughts became projections of what I thought might take place. All of these were ways…

I think one of my favorite lessons from Deborah was the reminder that God is with us and has already gone before us. As we look back over the years we can see God’s hand in every detail and it’s a beautiful reminder of His presence and faithfulness. But seldom do we remember that He is also present and faithful for every day that is to come. Take a moment and dwell in the confidence and peace of knowing that the God of Heaven has already gone ahead of us and prepared the way. Repeatedly His word tells us not to fear because He is with us. Imagine how different…

“For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and love, and self-control (discipline).” 2 Timothy 1: 7 I admire the courage that Deborah had as she faithfully served the Lord in the many different positions that He entrusted to her. That courage came from God who gave her the power, the love and the self discipline to accomplish everything that was required of her. God has given us that same power, that same love and that same self discipline. We have those gifts at our disposal when we remember what He didn’t give us – a spirit of fear. There were responsibilities that Deborah was…

You could definitely describe Deborah as strong and courageous. She was a woman who knew that her strength came from the Lord and her faith and trust in Him is what gave her the courage she needed to fulfill her purpose. As Daughter’s of the King we are also strong and courageous. Like Deborah, we have God’s word that He will be with us and that He has already gone before us. We just need to believe it. Joshua 1: 19 reads, “Have I not commanded you, Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” That message was repeated…

I have been so blessed with this month’s study of Deborah. It’s truly been a hidden gem and encouragement to me. I want to highlight some of the key lessons that I want to take with me from her story in the last few blogs of this month. Deborah was able to accomplish the many tasks assigned to her because she was equipped for battle. Ephesians 6:13-16 begins with the words, “Therefore take up the whole armor of God.” This armor isn’t just placed on us, we need to take it up. It’s a conscience choice and requires action on our part. Our relationship with Christ is the beginning of…