God is working in our hearts with His word. His word is all He has but it is the most powerful force in the universe. It is the instrument He uses to cut the hardness of our hearts toward Him. Pastor John brought us the message on repentance and the Spirit of God is saying, “Will you change? Will you turn around in your heart?” We have to find ourselves changing and turning because it is by His Spirit.
For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.
(Hebrews 4:12 AMPC)
We say: Let Your word penetrate, Lord. Let it cut and circumcise. We heard your message of repentance and are turning and changing.
The story of Ruth is a picture of Messy to Marvellous, like in all our lives and if you think that you are not there, you are already missing it.
Her father-in-law, Elimelech, was a wealthy, prominent man, but he was selfish and he fled his destiny. He had many excuses and he refused to accept the leadership and authority that God had placed over him. He fled his destiny and the place where God planted him because of fear and he did not enquire from the Lord. He made a mistake and then he made it even worse, he stayed. He heaped up sin upon sin.
WOE TO the rebellious children, says the Lord, who take counsel and carry out a plan, but not Mine, and who make a league and pour out a drink offering, but not of My Spirit, thus adding sin to sin;
(Isaiah 30:1 AMPC)
We say: I will not add sin to sin! Lord, help me to see where I’ve made a mistake, where I’ve had excuses and have been selfish.
He paid a great price for his disobedience. He was stripped of everything and he died suddenly and without repenting. He died in nothingness.
You can be busy every day and it still can lead to nothing. If it is not the will of God, it is nothing!
Real repentance means a turnaround. Your lifestyle must follow the purposes that God wants for you. You receive the repentance into your heart and it will cost you your lifestyle.
We say: My lifestyle will follow the purposes that God wants. My life will not end in nothingness.
Please help us change, please help us to change. We are in this while, in this pause with God because Lord, we are becoming and enquiring, seeking people.
The son’s Mahlon and Chilion had a chance to repent and go back, but instead, they learned no lesson from their father’s death. Instead, they married to themselves which means to satisfy their own selfish, sensual desires. They did not enquire from the Lord and they died also, even worse nothingness then their father.
Then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had visited His people by giving them bread.
Ruth 1:6 NKJV
When Naomi arose, it means she left that wrong place. Orpha had a choice to go with Naomi and Ruth, she heard the word of God the same as Ruth, but she chose her old way. Jehovah was not real to her. Jehovah was real for Ruth. She chose to leave with Naomi. She showed real repentance and turned her life around. Her whole lifestyle change.
Ruth, in the natural, was now living the life of a poor woman. She had to glean in the fields. It was very messy, but God was leading her to the marvellous. Even when you experience messy moments, if you stay where God has planted you, He will give you the gifts and the messengers to get you to the marvellous.
We get there by gleaning, just like Ruth. To glean means to gather. Gather the words of God. You feed and you glean where you are planted. You glean in other fields. In the place where God has placed you, everything is there. Your provision and protection. Just like God used Boaz to protect Ruth, He will protect you.
Ruth’s life did not end up in nothingness. She brought forth what God wanted. Ruth put her foot in the message that God wanted to give her. Moment after moment she made serious choices not to walk away from God’s plans.
We say: I am gleaning in the fields where God has planted me. I will put my foot in the messages just like Ruth. I choose not to walk away from God’s plans.
Boaz had the same choices as Elimelech, but he chose to stay where God has planted him. Where Elimelech deserted his people, Boaz stayed and he was always willing to do what God led him to do.
You can be in the place where you must be and still choose to do nothing.
We say: I choose to do my part. I hear You, Lord. I come big and I come bold.
God said to pastor Christi that there are many Elimelech’s here, but He wants us to become everything that He has called us to be. He wants us to do our part in the tribe where He has planted us. He told her to tell us that if we don’t want to; He has a Boaz ready to take our place.
So, if you don’t want to do the plan that God wants for you, He is going to find someone else to do the part that you should have done.
We say: I am willing to become everything You have called me to be. I want to walk in the plans that You have for me.
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