Are you a resident or an alien in the place you live? Find out why Christians are resident aliens, regardless of what passports we hold or how long we’ve lived in one place. On Truth For Life, Alistair Begg explains how our true citizenship is revealed.
From the Sermon
Extending God’s Kindness
Today, you can make the invisible God visible.
When Ruth set out for the fields to glean, she never could have known just how wonderful God’s provision would be. She had already taken refuge in God, but through Boaz she discovered that the Lord was able to do far more abundantly than all that she could have asked or thought.
As God established His covenant with Israel, He revealed His own kindness as one who “executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing” (Deuteronomy 10:18). He gave His law to His people not to make them legalists but to have them display His character and bring glory to His name through their obedience. Part of that law created a framework to provide for those in difficult circumstances.
As Boaz obeyed the law’s instruction by extending his invitation to Ruth to come and eat (Ruth 2:14), he did so graciously. He had received God’s kindness, and he realized that he could in turn share it with others. He put literal hands and feet to obeying God’s commands—and Ruth further discovered God’s heart as a result. Further, Boaz’s graciousness was paired with generosity: he not only invited Ruth to feast but also offered her a seat among his harvesters. He encouraged her to eat her fill. He allowed her to take from the best sheaves of grain, not just the leftovers. Despite her social and racial differences, he didn’t alienate or hold her at arm’s length. Quite the reverse: Boaz went beyond what God’s law had laid down.
This is but a glimpse of the welcome God extends to us through Christ as He invites us to His heavenly table. And this is the offer that all of us as Christians should embody. If somebody—be they widowed, poor, hurting, or bitter—enters a church gathering or a Christian home, there ought to be a sense of faithful acceptance because of how God’s people embody His covenant care.
By the end of the day, Ruth was overwhelmed with the favor Boaz kept extending. When she returned home with her plentiful provision, Naomi rejoiced over the generosity, describing it with the word checed—the continual loving kindness and merciful provision of God. Boaz’s checed caused Ruth’s and Naomi’s hearts to worship the God who abounds in checed (Exodus 34:6-7).
Boaz’s kindness overflowed from the gracious, generous, and continual kindness he had received from God. As fellow recipients of the Lord’s care, when we extend such kindness to others, they too may come to know Him. The invisible God becomes visible to every generation through the compassion of His people. To whom will you extend gracious, generous, unexpected kindness today?
How is God calling me to think differently?
How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?
What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?
14And at mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here and eat some bread and dip your morsel in the wine.” So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed to her roasted grain. And she ate until eshe was satisfied, and she had some left over. 15When she rose to glean, Boaz instructed his young men, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her. 16And also pull out some from the bundles for her and leave it for her to glean, and do not rebuke her.”
17So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah2 of barley. 18And she took it up and went into the city. Her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. She also brought out and gave her what food she had left over fafter being satisfied. 19And her mother-in-law said to her, “Where did you glean today? And where have you worked? Blessed be the man gwho took notice of you.” So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said, “The man's name with whom I worked today is Boaz.” 20And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, h“May he be blessed by the Lord, whose kindness has not forsaken ithe living or the dead!” Naomi also said to her, “The man is a close relative of ours, one of jour redeemers.” 21And Ruth the Moabite said, “Besides, he said to me, ‘You shall keep close by my young men until they have finished all my harvest.’” 22And Naomi said to Ruth, her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, lest in another field you be assaulted.” 23So she kept close to the young women of Boaz, gleaning until the end of the barley and wheat harvests. And she lived with her mother-in-law.
Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg, published by The Good Book Company, thegoodbook.com. Used by Truth For Life with permission. Copyright © 2021, 2022, The Good Book Company.
Do You See Him?
But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.
The disciples ought to have known Jesus; they had heard His voice so often and gazed upon that marred face so frequently that it is incredible they did not discover Him. Yet is it not also with you? You have not seen Jesus lately. You have been to His table, and yet you have not met Him there. You are in a dark trouble this evening, and though He plainly says, “It is I, do not be afraid,” yet you cannot discern Him. Sadly, our eyes are kept from seeing Him. We know His voice, we have looked into His face, we have leaned our head upon His shoulder, and yet, though Christ is very near us, we are saying, “I wish I knew where I could find Him!”
We should know Jesus, for we have the Scriptures to reflect His image, and yet how possible it is for us to open that precious book and have no glimpse of our loving Lord! Dear child of God, are you in that state? Jesus feeds among the lilies of the Word, and you walk among those lilies, and yet you do not behold Him. He is accustomed to walking through the glades of Scripture and communing with His people, as the Father did with Adam in the cool of the day, and yet you are in the garden of Scripture but cannot see Him, although He is always there.
And why do we not see Him? This must be ascribed in our case, as in the disciples', to unbelief. They evidently did not expect to see Jesus, and therefore they did not know Him. To a great extent in spiritual things we get what we expect from the Lord. Only faith can bring us to see Jesus. Make it your prayer, “Lord, open my eyes, that I may see my Savior present with me.” It is a blessed thing to want to see Him; but it is far better to gaze upon Him. To those who seek Him He is kind; but to those who find Him, He is dear beyond expression!
Devotional material is taken from Morning and Evening, written by C. H. Spurgeon, revised and updated by Alistair Begg. Copyright © 2003, Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.org. Used by Truth For Life with written permission.
Daily Bible Reading for October 29
Jehu Slaughters Ahab's Descendants
1Now Ahab had seventy sons in pSamaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the rulers of the city,1 to the elders, and to qthe guardians of the sons2 of Ahab, saying, 2“Now then, as soon as this letter comes to you, seeing your master's sons are with you, and there are with you chariots and horses, fortified cities also, and weapons, 3select the best and fittest of your master's sons and set him on his father's throne and fight for your master's house.” 4But they were exceedingly afraid and said, “Behold, the two kings could not stand before him. How then can we stand?” 5So he who was over the palace, and he who was over the city, together with the elders and the guardians, sent to Jehu, saying, r“We are your servants, and we will do all that you tell us. We will not make anyone king. Do whatever is good in your eyes.” 6Then he wrote to them a second letter, saying, “If you are on my side, and if you are ready to obey me, take the heads of your master's sons and come to me at Jezreel tomorrow at this time.” Now the king's sons, seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, qwho were bringing them up. 7And as soon as the letter came to them, they took the king's sons sand slaughtered them, seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets and sent them to him at Jezreel. 8When the messenger came and told him, “They have brought the heads of the king's sons,” he said, “Lay them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the morning.” 9Then in the morning, when he went out, he stood and said to all the people, “You are innocent. tIt was I who conspired against my master and killed him, but who struck down all these? 10Know then that there shall ufall to the earth nothing of the word of the Lord, which the Lord spoke concerning the house of Ahab, for the Lord has done vwhat he said by his servant Elijah.” 11So Jehu struck down all who remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, all his great men and his close friends and his priests, until he left him none remaining.
12Then he set out and went to Samaria. On the way, when he was at Beth-eked of the Shepherds, 13Jehu met wthe relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah, and he said, “Who are you?” And they answered, “We are the relatives of Ahaziah, and we came down to visit the royal princes and the sons of the queen mother.” 14He said, “Take them alive.” And they took them alive and slaughtered them at the pit of Beth-eked, forty-two persons, and he spared none of them.
15And when he departed from there, he met xJehonadab the son of yRechab coming to meet him. And he greeted him and said to him, “Is your heart true to my heart as mine is to yours?” And Jehonadab answered, “It is.” Jehu said,3 “If it is, zgive me your hand.” So he gave him his hand. And Jehu took him up with him into the chariot. 16And he said, “Come with me, and see amy zeal for the Lord.” So he4 had him ride in his chariot. 17And when he came to Samaria, bhe struck down all who remained to Ahab in Samaria, till he had wiped them out, according to the word of the Lord vthat he spoke to Elijah.
Jehu Strikes Down the Prophets of Baal
18Then Jehu assembled all the people and said to them, c“Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him much. 19Now therefore call to me all the dprophets of Baal, all his worshipers and all his priests. Let none be missing, for I have a great sacrifice to offer to Baal. Whoever is missing shall not live.” But Jehu did it with cunning in order to destroy the worshipers of Baal. 20And Jehu ordered, e“Sanctify fa solemn assembly for Baal.” So gthey proclaimed it. 21And Jehu sent throughout all Israel, and all the worshipers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left who did not come. And they entered hthe house of Baal, and the house of Baal was filled from one end to the other. 22He said to him who was in charge of the wardrobe, “Bring out the vestments for all the worshipers of Baal.” So he brought out the vestments for them. 23Then Jehu went into the house of Baal with Jehonadab the son of Rechab, and he said to the worshipers of Baal, “Search, and see that there is no servant of the Lord here among you, but only the worshipers of Baal.” 24Then they5 went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings.
Now Jehu had stationed eighty men outside and said, “The man who allows any of those whom I give into your hands to escape ishall forfeit his life.” 25So as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guard and to the officers, j“Go in and strike them down; let not a man escape.” So when they put them to the sword, the guard and the officers cast them out and went into the inner room of the house of Baal, 26and they brought out the kpillar that was in hthe house of Baal and burned it. 27And they demolished the kpillar of Baal, and demolished the house of Baal, and made it la latrine to this day.
Jehu Reigns in Israel
28Thus Jehu wiped out Baal from Israel. 29But Jehu did not turn aside from mthe sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, nwhich he made Israel to sin—that is, the golden calves that were in Bethel and in Dan. 30And the Lord said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in carrying out what is right in my eyes, and have done to the house of Ahab according to all that was in my heart, oyour sons of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.” 31But Jehu was not careful to walk in the law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with all his heart. pHe did not turn from the sins of Jeroboam, which he made Israel to sin.
32In those days the Lord qbegan to cut off parts of Israel. rHazael defeated them throughout the territory of Israel: 33from the Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from sAroer, which is by the Valley of the Arnon, that is, tGilead and Bashan. 34Now the rest of the acts of Jehu and all that he did, and all his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 35So Jehu slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son reigned in his place. 36The time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.
Greeting
1Paul, aan apostle of Christ Jesus bby the will of God according to cthe promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus,
2To Timothy, dmy beloved child:
eGrace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Guard the Deposit Entrusted to You
3fI thank God gwhom I serve, as did my ancestors, hwith a clear conscience, as I remember you iconstantly in my prayers night and day. 4jAs I remember your tears, kI long to see you, that I may be filled with joy. 5I am reminded of lyour sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and myour mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. 6For this reason I remind you nto fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, 7for God gave us oa spirit not of fear but pof power and love and self-control.
8Therefore qdo not be ashamed of rthe testimony about our Lord, nor of sme his prisoner, but tshare in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 9uwho saved us and vcalled us to1 a holy calling, wnot because of our works but because of vhis own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus xbefore the ages began,2 10and which now has ybeen manifested through zthe appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, awho abolished death and bbrought life and cimmortality to light through the gospel, 11dfor which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, 12ewhich is why I suffer as I do. But fI am not ashamed, for gI know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until hthat day iwhat has been entrusted to me.3 13jFollow kthe pattern of lthe sound4 words mthat you have heard from me, in nthe faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14By the Holy Spirit owho dwells within us, guard ithe good deposit entrusted to you.
15You are aware that pall who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. 16May the Lord grant mercy to qthe household of Onesiphorus, for he often rrefreshed me and was not ashamed of smy chains, 17but when he arrived in Rome the searched for me earnestly and found me— 18may the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on uthat day!—and you well know all the service he vrendered at Ephesus.
Israel's Unfaithfulness Punished
11 Say to your brothers, x“You are my people,”2 and to your sisters, y“You have received mercy.”3
2“Plead with your mother, plead—
for zshe is not my wife,
and I am not her husband—
that she put away aher whoring from her face,
and her adultery from between her breasts;
3lest bI strip her naked
and make her as cin the day she was born,
and dmake her like a wilderness,
and make her like a parched land,
and kill her with thirst.
4eUpon her children also I will have no mercy,
fbecause they are children of whoredom.
5For gtheir mother has played the whore;
she who conceived them has acted shamefully.
For hshe said, ‘I will go after my lovers,
who igive me my bread and my water,
my wool and my flax, my oil and my drink.’
6Therefore jI will hedge up her4 way with thorns,
and kI will build a wall against her,
so that she cannot find her paths.
7She shall pursue her lovers
but not overtake them,
and she shall seek them
but shall not find them.
lThen she shall say,
‘I will go and return to mmy first husband,
lfor it was better for me then than now.’
8And nshe did not know
that it was oI who gave her
pthe grain, the wine, and the oil,
and who lavished on qher silver and gold,
rwhich they used for Baal.
9Therefore sI will take back
my grain in its time,
and my wine in its season,
and sI will take away my wool and my flax,
which were to cover her nakedness.
10Now tI will uncover her lewdness
in the sight of her lovers,
and no one shall rescue her out of my hand.
11uAnd I will put an end to all her mirth,
her feasts, her vnew moons, her vSabbaths,
and all her wappointed feasts.
12And xI will lay waste her vines and her fig trees,
yof which she said,
‘These are zmy wages,
which my lovers have given me.’
I will make them a forest,
aand the beasts of the field shall devour them.
13And bI will punish her for cthe feast days of the Baals
when she burned offerings to them
and dadorned herself with her ring and jewelry,
and went after her lovers
and forgot me, declares the Lord.
The Lord's Mercy on Israel
14“Therefore, behold, I will allure her,
and ebring her into the wilderness,
and fspeak tenderly to her.
15And there I will give her her vineyards
and make the Valley of Achor5 a door of hope.
And there she shall answer gas in the days of her youth,
as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt.
16“And hin that day, declares the Lord, you will call me ‘My Husband,’ and no longer will you call me ‘My Baal.’ 17For iI will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, and they shall be remembered by name no more. 18And jI will make for them a covenant on that day with the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the creeping things of the ground. And kI will abolish6 the bow, the sword, and war from the land, and I will make you lie down in lsafety. 19And I will betroth you to me mforever. nI will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. 20nI will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And oyou shall know the Lord.
21“And pin that day qI will answer, declares the Lord,
I will answer the heavens,
and they shall answer the earth,
22and the earth shall answer the grain, the wine, and the oil,
and they shall answer rJezreel,7
23and sI will sow her for myself in the land.
And tI uwill have mercy on No Mercy,8
and vI will say to Not My People,9 w‘You are my people’;
and he shall say, ‘You are my God.’”
Mem
97Oh how xI love your law!
It is my ymeditation all the day.
98Your commandment makes me zwiser than my enemies,
for it is ever with me.
99I have more understanding than all my teachers,
for ayour testimonies are my meditation.
100I understand more than bthe aged,8
for I ckeep your precepts.
101I dhold back my feet from every evil way,
in order to keep your word.
102I do not turn aside from your rules,
for you have taught me.
103How esweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
104Through your precepts I get understanding;
therefore fI hate every false way.
Nun
105gYour word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
106I have hsworn an oath and confirmed it,
to keep your irighteous rules.
107I am severely jafflicted;
kgive me life, O Lord, according to your word!
108Accept lmy freewill offerings of praise, O Lord,
and mteach me your rules.
109I hold my life nin my hand continually,
but I do not oforget your law.
110The wicked have laid pa snare for me,
but qI do not stray from your precepts.
111Your testimonies are rmy heritage forever,
for they are sthe joy of my heart.
112I tincline my heart to perform your statutes
Samekh
113I hate vthe double-minded,
but I love wyour law.
114You are my xhiding place and my yshield;
I zhope in your word.
115aDepart from me, you evildoers,
that I may bkeep the commandments of my God.
116Uphold me caccording to your promise, that I may live,
and let me not be dput to shame in my ehope!
117fHold me up, that I may be safe
and have regard for your statutes continually!
118You gspurn all who hgo astray from your statutes,
for their cunning is in vain.
119All the wicked of the earth you discard like idross,
therefore jI love your testimonies.
120My flesh ktrembles for fear of you,
and I am afraid of your judgments.
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