Daily Treasure

“Are you really the Messiah we’ve been waiting for, or should we keep looking for someone else?”  (Matthew 11:3 NLT).        

I’ve looked for a lot of things in this almost forty-year journey.  I’ve looked for my car keys, looked for my favorite lip gloss, looked for my cell phone on more occasions than I care to think about.

I’ve looked for that special diet that’ll work in less than twenty-four hours.  The one that allows me to continue eating the way I like and requires no exercise.

I’ve looked for that perfect pair of blue jeans.  The ones that fit just right, feel just right, wash up well and have the mislabeled tag a few sizes smaller than my actual size.

I’ve looked for the potluck recipe that’ll knock the socks off every member of my church family with one bite.

I’ve looked, and looked, and looked, for that magical anti-wrinkle cream that I’m pretty sure will take away all the crow’s feet and fine lines overnight.

Oh, don’t laugh—you’ve spent plenty of time looking yourself…

For that knight-in-shining-armor.  (Here’s a clue:  I’ve found the last one—and am raising the next.)  For that perfect church.  And pastor.  And set of deacons.  And Sunday School teacher.  And music minister.  And door greeter.  Need I continue?

For that magic pill that will erase ugly pasts, set into motion brilliantly bright futures and fill you with patience in the present.

Well, you and I will be looking a long time for a few things—but not the most important, most relevant, most life-changing, most amazing thing there is…

Jesus Christ.

Malinda Edgell
Illinois

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for pastor’s wife Jackie Gasperson of Asheville, North Carolina, whose husband Danny is on a 10-day teaching trip in Central Asia. Ask God to protect her, give her strength and encourage her in ministry during this time.

“So, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation whatsoever to do what your sinful nature urges you to do”  (Romans 8:12 NLT).

What a relief!  This verse provides the breath of fresh air I so desperately need.  The incentive to keep trying.  The prize at the end of the race now seems more attainable.

All the sins I’ve been struggling with…

All the temptations I’ve been staring at…

All the opportunities to act in an ungodly manner…

All the time I’ve had the monumental desire to spew just what I was thinking…

I am, and it tells me right here in His Word, under no obligation at all to follow through with any of it. I hold in my hand, my heart and my mind the choice to be victorious over Satan’s ploys. And, dear friend, so do you.

Malinda Edgell
Illinois

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for the Sociedad de Damas (Panama Women Active for Christ) meeting for their 25th annual national retreat this weekend at the seminary in Chame.

“And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the Lord which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel. And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter-in-law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him. And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it” (Ruth 4:14-16).

Ruth bore Boaz a son. When that baby was born, Naomi was re-born. The once bitter
“Mara” became Naomi again. Little Obed brought much joy to her life. This grandma felt her life take on new meaning. She sensed new purpose in life. She would be part of Obed’s life.

As history records, Ruth, the Moabite, became the great grandmother of King David. Only in the mind of God could this story ever be scripted.

As I reflect on this, precious memories flood my soul. A year and a half after the passing
of my husband, God placed something in my arms that would fill a big void in my life. In
November, 2006, I became a first-time grandma. When I held that precious baby girl in my arms, all the weeks and months of tears and heartache seemed to vanish. I know how Naomi felt because I, too, felt re-born.

I hope this entire study has given you a different perspective on how God cares for widows. For me, it’s been a wonderful reminder, knowing I’m never far from His mind.

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for those who have recently lost husbands in tragic deaths (shootings, accidents). Ask God to give these women divine wisdom and the ability to both cope and forgive as they work through their grief.

“And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was the kindred of Elimelech” (Ruth 2:3).

Ruth was industrious, willing to take whatever work was out there for her to do. That
showed her humility as she went to ask permission to glean in the fields. Ruth did not go out to seek out any particular fields. That was not her intention. She just needed a job. It was no coincidence that Ruth just happened to end up working in the fields of a man named Boaz.

Though she wasn’t aware at the time, Boaz was kin to Naomi’s husband, Elimelech. As the story unfolds, we can see the hand of God. I’d like to think it was love at first sight. Boaz
inquired of his laborers about his new worker. He was impressed by her beauty and work ethic. He looked after her and was protective.

Tomorrow we will learn about Boaz’s conversation with Ruth regarding her past. In other
words, her good reputation proceeded her.

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for women, recently widowed, in your church or community. Ask God to guide them as they face a new life with new challenges and new opportunities.

“And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shown me, all thou hast done unto thy mother-in-law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore” (Ruth 2:11).

At this point, I think what Boaz had learned about Ruth made him love her all the more.
Everything she had done was not to heap praise upon herself. All she did flowed from a heart of love for her mother-in-law. These two women stood by each other in good times and bad. It wasn’t always easy, but, God gave them strength and courage.

Eventually, Boaz becomes Ruth’s kinsman-redeemer and husband. In spite of any obstacles that could have prevented their union, their beautiful story has a happy ending.  One more thing happens that also includes Naomi in the “living happily ever after.” We will focus on this tomorrow in the final devotional of our study.

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for women, recently widowed through conflicts in war-torn areas of the world.

“I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the Lord hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me? (Ruth 1:21).

When Naomi returned home, she was a different woman. I think this showed in her
countenance. I know from my experience, that during the grieving process, a person feels just about every emotion. With everything Naomi had faced in a short period of time, she felt bitter. “Mara” meant bitter, while “Naomi” meant sweet and pleasant. She felt more like “Mara.” Naomi needed to be restored, and God had a mind to help make that happen.

For those of us who have lost husbands to death, no matter how long we have been widows, we need to draw closer to the One who can give us strength and courage to work through our grief. Don’t become bitter and turn away
from Him. Yes, we will face changes and we may wonder if life will ever get better. We will
forever miss our husbands, as I’m sure Ruth and Naomi missed theirs. However, time has a way of healing that hole in our hearts. Eventually, we see that we must finish our lives on earth, then one day soon be reunited with our husbands and other loved ones.

Two widows with no visible means of support, depending on God and each other,
returning home at harvest—only God could master-mind what happens next. Tomorrow the story continues.

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray that God would burden pastors and support families with the need to plant multicultural churches in America’s cities—home to many internationals from the world’s 6,000+ unreached people groups.

“And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God” (Ruth 1:16).

The book of Ruth contains one of the most beloved stories in the Old Testament. We see
portraits of three widows: Naomi, Ruth, and Orpah. Naomi’s husband died leaving her with two sons. Those sons married Moabite women, Ruth and Orpah. Sadly, those sons died, also.. Naomi was in Moab, far from her homeland, with two widowed daughter-in-laws. All were feeling grief and loss.

However, Naomi tried talking to her daughter-in-laws, attempting to convince them to go on with their lives. She was going back to her people and gave them reasons why they shouldn’t go with her. With tear-filled eyes, Orpah kissed Naomi and went back to her people. It was a different story with Ruth. Nothing Naomi said would change her mind. The Bible says Ruth was “stedfastly minded to go with her” (verse 18)—what we might term stubborness.

Though today’s verse is often used today in wedding ceremonies, it is actually a loving
commitment made by a young widow to an older widow she loved like a mother. It basically was a vow, convincing Naomi that Ruth was going with her—no matter what. There was nothing left for Naomi to say.

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray wisdom and safety of travel for Elizabeth Hodges as she attends RCMA (an annual meeting for religious convention/meeting planners) this week in Minneapolis.