A Devotional Life

Mark 4:1-20, 26-29. (The Parables of the Sower and Growing Seed). How do you respond to God’s word? Jesus shows that the continuous experience of true life only comes from accepting the word of God. Anything short, at its best, only yields momentary joy. In teaching about the Kingdom of God (v11, 26), Jesus speaks of a farmer who goes to sow seeds and scatters them on all kinds of soils, with the good soil truly yielding life (v1-8, 26). The seed is the word of God (v14), and the soils are how we respond to the word. But there is only one right response. Accept it The parable shows that just as the kind of soil affects the yield, the kind of response affects the experience of the Kingdom of God. It’s like signing up for an online service, say Amazon; there are terms and conditions open to all. You can either ignore it, tiptoe around it, consider it or accept it. But there...

Mark 1:9-11, 14-15. What do you expect a time of God’s reign to look like? Perhaps the end of oppression, or a better economy, or an increase in morality. In biblical times, there were similar expectations of God’s kingdom, including the end of Roman oppression (Luke 24:21, Acts 1:6), the formalisation of moral traditions (Mark 7:6-9), and others, all conveying the longing for a better life—one of peace, justice, and happiness. Why is this? Because of a promise! The promise… When God anointed David as King of Israel, He promised David peace and an everlasting kingdom through his offspring (2 Samuel 7:11, 16). The first partial fulfilment of this promise was with David’s son, Solomon, who is also called Jedidiah, which means “the beloved of the Lord” (2 Samuel 12:25, 1 Kings 2:46). What was the impact of Solomon’s reign? It brought a time of peace (1 King...

Ruth 4:1-22 NIV. In today’s passage, Boaz follows up on his promise to Ruth (in 3:12-13) to redeem her. From Boaz’s redemption of Ruth, we get a peek into the pattern of God’s redemption through Jesus. So what does this redemption look like? It is selfless—a costly act, no other redeemer could pay, v1-12 When Boaz met with the closer guardian-redeemer, whom we called Bob, he asked Bob if he would redeem his kinsman’s properties. Bob said yes, then declined when he realised that this included his kinsman’s widow, which would affect his estate. This shows the inevitable selfish motive of any redemption act which is outside of God’s provision. However, Boaz, motivated by love, acquired Ruth, notwithstanding the cost. This costly and selfless act points us to God’s act of redemption through Jesus, our Redeemer, who, out of love, gave His life to save us (John...

Ruth 3:1-18 NIV. We recall from chapter 1 that Naomi prayed that her bereaved daughters-in-law “will find rest in the home of another husband” in Moab (1:9). Still, Ruth followed Naomi to Bethlehem where she was favoured to glean from the field of a kind guardian-redeemer, Boaz (2:3). But there is another guardian-redeemer (3:12) who is closer to Ruth and Naomi’s family than Boaz. Imagine the sense of uncertainty! So, amid such uncertainty, how would Ruth be assured of finding that rest? And like Ruth, how are we assured of rest, whatever our life’s journey? In today’s passage, Ruth is assured by Naomi’s counsel and Boaz’s promise. Naomi counseled Ruth… Bethlehem is a tiny town where everyone knows everyone (1:19), so Naomi must have known the other guardian-redeemer, especially as he was the more closely related one (3:12). Let’s call him Bob. Des...

Ruth 2:1-23 NIV. In Chapter 1, Ruth shows kindness to Naomi, demonstrating God’s love for her in her time of suffering. Chapter 2 shows how God used the kindness of a close relative, Boaz (v20), to reward and favour Ruth for her faith—“taking refuge in God.” Ruth took refuge in God… Earlier in Chapter 1, we saw that Ruth, a Moabite widow, insisted on returning to Bethlehem with her mother-in-law (1:4-5, 1:16-18, 1:22), although Moabites were enemies of Israel (Judges 3:12). So why this decision? Aside from her love for her mother-in-law, Chapter 2 shows that Ruth had “come to take refuge” in God (v12). She found faith in God and declared to Naomi, “…your God my God” (1:16). This declaration meant a different way of living, so rather than stay in Moab—where God is rejected, she returned with Naomi to live in Bethlehem—the house of...

Ruth 1:1-22 NIV. I hope you had an enjoyable Christmas break. Happy New Year! The Book of Ruth has been called the most beautiful short story ever written because of its simple narrative. A narrative that shows how God’s provision for our needs or challenges is often woven into the simple acts of human kindness. Chapter 1 shows the kindness of a daughter-in-law, Ruth, to her mother-in-law, Naomi (v8, 16, 22), and we’ll see God at work through that. But first, the passage sets the context by introducing us to Naomi’s loss… Naomi lost her family… When Naomi (which means pleasant) is first introduced, we are told of her loss. A woman in a foreign land who lost her family (v1-5). She feels bitter, empty and afflicted by the Lord (v21). Why so? …Because Naomi knows Israel’s God to be the Almighty—Sovereign. He can bring famine to a disobedient Israel (v1) a...