12.15.24 Willisburg Bulletin
NOT GETTING BOOGED DOWN
A couple Wednesdays ago we had a lesson on Ruth and something stuck out to me in the last chapter. When Boaz went to the city gate to talk with Ruth’s closest relative and it came to be that the relative was only going to take the land couldn’t take care of Ruth, Boaz did not let that stop him. Instead of getting mad, he actually was calm about it and was willing to pay for both the land and Ruth. He didn’t let the relative not being able to pay stop him from his duty as a godly man. He continue to fulfill his role. It got me thinking about other examples that didn’t let one thing that was supposed to be or supposed to happen stop them from continuing to be the godly example.
PAUL
I immediately thought about Paul’s thorn in the flesh, how it was something he didn’t want, yet he didn’t let it stop him. He let it be a driver for him to continue preaching the Word showing Christ’s power and His grace was sufficient.
JOSEPH
His brothers sold him to slavery, but he rose to be in a leader’s position. Then when a famine hit the land, he didn’t let his past with his brothers stop him from fulfilling his duty to help. He fed them and forgave them of the evil.
JESUS
Ultimately, Jesus is the best example in everything. He prayed several times to have the cup pass from Him, but in the end He completely trusted the Father’s will and said, “but let your will be done.” He didn’t let the physical death on the cross stop Him, He made it the way of our salvation.
——
In every example we point out about something not happening as we humans wish it to be, it always worked out for God’s good as He promised in Romans 8:28. It’s clearly evident that even the things Satan and other people mean for evil, God will use it for good, just as Joseph said when his brothers sent him off in Genesis 50:20. So think about your life… has there every been a time something was supposed to happen, but it didn’t and something even better came from it or maybe something wasn’t supposed to happen and it did, but it ended up working out? God works in mysterious ways, especially in those situations, but when you look back on it, it’s evident God was working. We can see in Joseph’s life the way God used his sufferings and rejection to save many people. Can you see how God uses your sufferings and rejections to save people? Have your children become faithful? Have you had friends turn to the Lord? Have you served along side your spouse? Have you seen a tragedy become a turning point for someone causing them to seek the Lord? There is always blessings that come from situations we as humans have negative connotations attached to. We cannot allow one bad circumstance hold us back and keep us in the past. We must move forward. Think about Paul and all he endured. If he let any of the tribulations and hardships stop him, the gospel may not have spread in some of those areas. Think of the impact he had. In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul lists just some of the instances he had to push through… “in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.” I would venture to say we have not endured not even an inkling of what he went through and we see what the result of it was. The gospel was spread immeasurably and had a great impact. Let’s seek to find God working in our life through every facet – in sufferings, in joy, in tears and sorrow, in smiles and happiness, in tragedy and loss, in celebrations and births, in our family and in our own life, in the way we talk and walk, etc. Everything about us should reflect that God is working through us. We are light of the world (Matt 5:16), let it shine.