Inspired to inspire: The Lady of Diligence

Inspired to inspire: The Lady of Diligence: Ruth 2:2 And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find fa...

The Lady of Diligence

Ruth 2:2 And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.”  Naomi said to her, “Go ahead, my daughter.” ³ So she went out, entered a field and began to glean behind the harvesters. As it turned out, she was working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelek.

1. Your relationship with God matters most.
Ruth came to the God of Israel after years of living in darkness and bound herself to the service of the LORD. Isaiah 56:6-7 “And foreigners who bind themselves to the LORD to minister to Him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be His servants, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant—
⁷ these I will bring to My holy mountain and give them joy in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar..”
1 Corithians 15:58 “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
How is your relationship with God? Have you accepted Him to be Lord over your life? Have you bound yourself to His service?

2. Your past or current circumstance should not hold you back.
Ruth was a Moabitess, a widow, a stranger in the Bethlehem but she did not waste a minute sponsoring pity parties. Rather she stepped out in faith. Many times, we fail to step out into our destiny because we let the past and/or our current circumstances to hold us back.
Change your attitude and move on to your destiny.. Your past is history; your present is a gift from God- a package that contains opportunities to serve Him and rise to higher heights.

3. No time to waste.
Ruth was willing to use her life working diligently at whatever the LORD called her to do. She didn’t let herself be paralyzed by her lack of a husband. She did not allow the fact that she was a stranger from Moab to cause her to fear while she was gleaning in a strange field. Eph 5:15-17 says, “… Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

Seize the opportunity without wasting time, find something to do. Realize your strategic position, understand what the Lord’s will is and make the most out of every opportunity.

4. The opportunity/strategic position to serve.
Acts 13:36 “Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed.” David served God’s purpose and he left a lasting legacy that is living until today.

Do you understand the purpose of God for your life? Do you know what you are cut out for? God in His sovereign power created every person for a purpose. Nobody is an accident. There is a lot we can do in our generation:

a. Ministry of Encouragement- Isa 50:4 “The Sovereign LORD has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.

How many times do people come to you with a need and all they need is gracious and wise encouragement? Are you willing to encourage people?

b. Ministry of Prayer- to intercede in behalf of someone’s need is a privilege. Matt 18:19 get someone you can prayerfully approach God in harmony.

c. Ministry of Service- there could never be a better moment to Serve God and people than NOW. Rather than waste time, take advantage of your free time to serve God and people

d. Ministry of Listening- when someone is grieving, your presence provides more power than words. When someone is burdened, you may just want to listen and silently pray. A listener provides a healing audience for someone who is hurting. It only requires a loving and listening heart.

e. Ministry of Hospitality, Helps, teaching Sunday School and others- Do not limit yourself, God has given you time and helping others with dailies of life is gift. Whatever you will choose to be diligent in, Col 3:23 tells us, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the LORD, not for men.”

Determine what may have kept you from being more diligent and purpose to step out in faith.

Much luv
Kachel

The Acceptable and Honorable Sacrifice

2Sam 24:24 “… I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God offerings that cost me nothing.”

How much does you offering/sacrifice cost you? What’s the attitude of your heart when offering to God your sacrifices?

Mal 1:6-14 what is the sacrifice that is acceptable and honors God?

1. The offering that is not defiled. Defiled how?

Whatever we offer to God should never have any blemish. Food for thought, if you took a crippled sacrifice to your local governor, will he be pleased with you? Certainly No. should we give to God that which is crippled, dishonorable? Absolutely No. God is sovereign, never give Him that which is dishonorable. God is the giver of good gifts. He even gave His best, His only begotten son Jesus without any blemish/sin. Let’s give Him what is due His great name.

2. Never bring to God a sacrifice of convenience.

If you want to get rid of something you don’t require, don’t not give it to God. Don’t sacrifice nything that is just convenient to you. We must give God what is due Him. Our hearts must be set to honor God. it must cost you. If something is not useful to you, why bring it to God? How often do we bring to God our second best, the coins that remained after shopping and paying bills? Our Quiet Time, is it a superficial effort of convenience or of love and loving devotion?

Mark 14:3-9, Luke 7:36-39- A woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume. She broke it and poured the perfume on Jesus. The perfume was worth a year’s wages. She came out of love and gratitude in the understanding that she could be forgiven. That was a costly sacrifice and she offered it to Jesus out of love with humility and gratitude

Matt 19:29- we must be willing to sacrifice the most important things in our lives for the sake of Jesus. Our relationships, our ambitions, possessions etc. we must sacrificially give to God.

3. What’s the attitude of your heart when offering your sacrifices to God?

Never offer any sacrifice to God with a contemptible attitude. A grateful heart, a cheerful attitude, willingness and loving attitude is what we should have when offering to God our sacrifices. It will be a waste if we bring an acceptable and honorable sacrifice with wrong attitude. When giving to God, what has been the attitude of your heart? Better no sacrifice that sacrifices offered with contempt. Mal 1:10-12

God is not interested in a multitude of our sacrifices. He requires the sincerity of the worshiper, faithfulness, obedience, total devotion, humility, justice and righteousness Isaiah 1:11-15.

God hides His face from those who rebel against Him. he will not listen to their prayers Isaiah 1:15. He will not accept us with defiled sacrifices, sacrifices of convenience and wrong attitude Mal 1:9-10.

Prayer.

I implore you God of grace, please forgive me for the many times I have sacrificed to You offerings that cost me nothing. Forgive me for the times I have had wrong attitude towards giving. Forgive me for the times have sacrificed to You unacceptable and dishonorable sacrifices. Forgive me God. I pledge to give myself sacrificially, the time You have given me and all the resources You have endowed me with.

Much Luv

Kachel