Our ladies' Bible study started again tonight. We are studying Ruth and I thought so much of each of you. I think you will be encouraged by catching a glimpse of the level of discourse this small group of women at a small church in Arkansas can have about things of kingdom significance.
We spent some time discussing God's sovereignty in weaving Ruth into the geneology of Christ, and how He used so many little events to bring about His plan. We discussed how in that process, things looked rough for a while - 3 men died, people were hungry, life was hard - but God had a purpose. A wise woman observed that the three men who died had a part in God's overall plan to get Ruth to Israel and Boaz. She wondered - how many of us would be willing to die to play a part in God's bigger picture?
We discussed Naomi's bitterness in Ruth 1. We talked about relating to her frustration, possibly depression, over going to a foreign land and losing her husband and children to death. And we discussed how often God gets us to the point where we have nowhere else to turn. Again, my wise friend observed profoundly, "God constantly orchestrates circumstances in our lives to get us to the point where we give up - and surrender to Him."
And we discussed how important it is to have a bigger purpose, something beyond ourselves, something significant. And that is something you all have, and we all support, encourage, and admire.
I was so encouraged by this group, just as I am encouraged each month by a group of women who meet in my home to pray and discuss things of kingdom significance. They, too, see the big picture. Be encouraged tonight that in this little corner of the world, some women are "getting it".
Thanks for leading the way.
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