In the Bible, when people disobeyed the Lord’s commandments and acted foolishly, they were often rebuked for their spiritual pride. Any time we behave this way, it could be an indication that our disobedience and reliance upon our own wisdom is a sign of Spiritual pride. In this passage, we learn how we can get rid of Spiritual pride.
We live in a culture that is very hostile to Christianity, perhaps increasingly becoming hostile. This is also because the Lord Himself prophesied about persecution. The Lord prophesied about it because the world was already hostile to Him. In this passage, the Lord teaches us how we can endure persecution.
In this final section of the Book of Ruth, we see an extraordinary event that takes place. It’s a remarkable testimony of God’s grace in His people’s life. It’s an event where God turns people’s mourning into a season of joy, and a great fulfillment of God’s promise to be with His people at all times. This passage also teaches us to be patient in our suffering and trust in the Lord.
Every Christian is called to suffer and to expect persecution in this life. The Bibles places such expectation because God knows that we live in a sinful world among fallen people, who do not like to worship The true and living God of the Bible. In this passage, we learn how we can respond during persecution.
As human beings, we all experience stress, anxiety, fear and worry. This is also a reminder that we cannot control everything in our lives. This reveals our limitation, but also should point us to the God of the Bible. In this passage, we learn through the trials of David, how to handle stress in a way God commands.
“Not only does the Lord through forgiveness of sins receive and adopt us once for all into the church, but through the same means he preserves and protects us there. For what would be the point of providing a pardon for us that was destined to be of no use? . . . We must firmly believe that by God’s generosity, mediated by Christ’s merit, through the sanctification of the Spirit, sins have been and are daily pardoned to us who have been received and engrafted into the body of the church.”
These are the words by John Calvin, a much needed reminder on God’s protection over His bride, the Church.
Christian life is all about turning away from our sins and turning towards God as a way of renewing and strengthening our relationship with Him in faith. This needs to be an integral part of our practical Christian living. Repentance is a way of turning God’s Fatherly displeasure on us into a joyful embrace. This assurance about God’s embrace of us in Jesus Christ is also experienced when we practice godly sorrow by repenting of the sins we have committed against God and His people.
Christian Life consists of various character qualities which are an indication of our genuine faith in Christ. God expects His children to exhibit certain spiritual qualities so that the world might glorify His name. In this passage, we learn about being faithful in our callings, and also to seek God’s approval in everything that we do.
There is one prevailing truth which the Bible keeps reminding Christians about, that is our eternal fellowship with God. This is not just our destiny, but it is also our longing. We were created with a sense of eternity in our hearts, which can only be realized in actuality when we behold God on the last day and enter into eternal fellowship with God. In this passage, the Apostle Paul explains why and how we need to keep groaning for our eternal home, which is God Himself.
Christian life is not devoid of suffering. It is not always filled with happiness. Christian life involves suffering because of the sin we carry with us, and also the sin and evil we see around us. Sometimes, this reality of suffering and hardship can be daunting. But this is where a great comfort lies, because it is God who enables us to persevere, assuring us that our suffering is momentary. In this passage, we learn how to endure suffering with eternity in mind.