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Rev. Paul Jeyachandran leads the Intentional Disciple Making Church (IDMC) Movement, which is all about calling churches back to its disciplemaking roots. Visit us at idmcmovement.com
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0:00 Shall we give the Lord a clap offering church? Hallelujah. What a joy and a privilege to greet each and every 1 of you through this video. We're continuing in our sermon series on the book of Ruth.0:12 Today is part 3, and we are I'm titling today's sermon, attracting God's favor. How do we walk in the favor of the Lord? Praise0:24 God. Let's look to the Lord in prayer. Thank you, Jesus.0:29 Thy loving kindness is better than life. Thy loving kindness is0:41 better than life. My lips shall praise thee, thus will I bless thee. Thy0:53 loving kindness is better than life. Join me. Thy loving kindness is better1:04 than life. Thy loving kindness is better than life. My lips shall1:16 praise thee, thus will I bless thee. Thy loving kindness is better than1:27 life.1:29 Hallelujah. How many of you would say this morning that his loving kindness is better than life? Heavenly father, we come before you, and we thank you for your goodness, your grace, and your1:40 glory that is available for us. Thank you for your favor, mighty God. And we pray like Moses prayed, we establish us in your favor. May the favor of the Lord be upon us, and1:52 establish us in your loving kindness. We thank you. We praise you, mighty God. Open our eyes and give us listening ears and holy spirit be our teacher in Jesus' precious name. And the people of God said,2:05 amen and amen. Hallelujah. Today, we are continuing our sermon series on the book of Ruth, and today is part 3. I'm titling today's sermon, attracting2:16 God's favor. Today, we're gonna be studying on Ruth chapter 2. I want you to read Ruth chapter 2 and verse 1 with me. In Ruth chapter 2 and verse 1, the Bible says,2:28 now Naomi had a relative of her husbands, a worthy man of the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. The writer introduces us to2:40 a new character. His name is Boaz. See, in Ruth chapter 1, the story ends like this. Naomi and Ruth returned back to Bethlehem, and2:52 when they came back to Bethlehem, Naomi was in a state of distress. She called herself bitter. Bitter. Why? Because her experience in life had been so3:04 bitter. And the Bible says, she came back empty. She declared, I went away full, I came back empty. So in Ruth chapter 2, you find Ruth and3:15 Naomi now empty, but by the end of chapter 2, you find them full and satisfied. What changed? The introduction of Boaz.3:27 God brings Boaz into their path. Is it not a coincidence? No, it's not a coincidence. It is a divine appointment. God brings through his providence a kinsman redeemer3:39 by the name of Boaz. Boaz is a relative of Naomi, but Naomi had forgotten about Boaz. But this beautiful partnership is what we are gonna study in the3:51 next 2 sermons. So today, I wanna talk about attracting God's favor. I told you earlier that the names in the Bible has meaning. The name4:03 Boaz means, in him is strength. In other words, in God is my strength. Boaz is a picture of Christ. Just like we, as a church, we4:15 find our strength in Jesus Christ. Naomi means pleasant or delight. Even though Naomi did not want to be called pleasant or4:26 delight, she called herself bitter, but yet her name means pleasant and delight. Ruth, on the other hand, means beautiful friend. So in Ruth chapter 2, you see these 34:38 characters and the and the way the Holy Spirit weaves the story, you'll find that Ruth is a beautiful friend to Naomi. And Boaz, just true to his name, he brings4:50 strength and hope into a hopeless situation. When the Bible says Boaz is a worthy man, I want you to pay attention to that word, worthy man. It's the Hebrew word called5:02 qail. Qail can be applied to a man or a woman. In fact, the Bible in the book of Ruth actually mentions the word qail both to Boaz and5:13 to Ruth. Look at this. In Ruth chapter 2 and verse 1, the Bible says, Boaz is a worthy man. Look at this in verse chapter 3 and verse 11. The Bible says, the whole town5:25 know that you are a worthy woman. Boaz says about Ruth that she's a worthy woman. So what is this word worthy? It's the word qail in Hebrew, and it can5:37 apply to both men and women. So for men, it means this, that they are valiant. That means they are strong and mighty. Secondly, it also means that they are wealthy and they are a man of5:49 substance. You know, it describes Jesus Christ to us. He's strong. He can deliver us. He's he's wealthy. In other words, he has the means. He has the resources to be able to execute6:01 all that we need for his for our deliverance. Hallelujah. That's the word kail. He's a man of substance. In other words, he's a man of character. The same thing, the Bible says Ruth is a6:12 woman of character. The woman Ruth is actually a virtuous woman. The Bible says in Proverbs, who can find a virtuous woman? In fact, Boaz did. You know,6:24 before Ruth came into Boaz's life, Boaz was ruthless. That's just a joke. In other words, he was Ruth was virtuous woman,6:36 a woman of character. What a beautiful picture the Holy Spirit is weaving here. And the Bible says here, when Boaz came into the scene, the first words that Boaz mentions is6:48 in verse 4. Verse 4 says, and behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and he said to the reapers in other words, he must be a man who owns lot of land because he's a wealthy man, and those land7:00 are being cultivated, and because this is the season of barley. It's the barley harvest, the beginning of barley harvest. The reapers are there working in the field, and Boaz comes in and he says, the7:11 Lord be with you. The first words that come out of the mouth of Boaz, who's a picture of Christ, is this, the Lord be with you. In other words, the Lord bless7:23 you. It is the same ironic blessing that the Lord commanded Aaron to speak over Israel. It's the same blessing I give you every Sunday. The Lord bless you and keep7:35 you. The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. In other words, this is a promise. It is a blessing. It's a priestly blessing that Boaz gives to his workers. And the workers in return, the Bible7:47 says, they say, we bless you. The lord bless you. That means he must have treated his workers right for them to be able to say, the lord bless you. Otherwise, most workers7:59 will say, the lord curse you the way you are making us work. Can you see the picture? In other words, here's a man who is a worthy man, the Bible says, and this worthy man is now8:11 entering the story. Hallelujah. I want you to read verse 1 to verse 3 so that we understand the context. Now Naomi had a relative of her husband, a worthy man of the clan of Elimelech8:23 whose name was Boaz, and Ruth the Moabite. See, I want you to circle that. Why? Because the Holy Spirit keep highlighting that this Ruth is a8:35 Moabite. Said to Naomi, let me go to the field and glean among the years of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor. And she said to8:46 her, go, my daughter. So she set out and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers, and she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to8:58 Boaz, who was of the clan of Elimelech. I wanna highlight just a few things now, maybe 1 by 1. Number 1, look at that word, I want to glean in the field after the reapers.9:10 In other words, Ruth is now taking initiative. She doesn't want to sit at home idle and pity party and and think about what we don't have. She wants to take actions. She want to be decisive and and9:22 she wants to take a decisive action. So she steps out and she goes out to the field to glean. So why is this important for us to understand that Ruth being a9:34 Moabites can still go to the field and she can glean. What does that word glean means? I want you to read with me Leviticus chapter 19 and verse9:45 9 and verse 10. It says this, this is the Lord's command to all the landowners. He says this, when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to9:57 its edge. In other words, this is the field. Don't reap all the way to the edges. That means don't take everything. Leave some. Leave some in the margins.10:09 Right? You shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings. What are the gleanings? These are the things that fall. You know, when the reapers are gathering things, they will there10:20 are some things that will fall that are left behind in the field. Don't go back and take everything back. Why does the Lord say that? Because in the next verse, he says in verse 10, you shall not10:32 strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. Why? You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner. In other words, you leave them for the10:44 poor and for the foreigner who comes to live in your land. I am the Lord your God. In other words, the Lord guarantees harvest for the people who own land,10:56 and the Lord has given you the harvest. So now the Lord expects you not to be so filled with scarcity mindset. I gotta take everything. You know, in these days, we call it the11:08 fear of missing out. In Singapore, they have a term for it, kiasu. Kiasu means you're so concerned that you will you will somehow you miss out, that you go take everything.11:20 The Bible says, no. No. No. Leave the margins for the marginalized. That's the principle I want you to capture. Leave the margins for the marginalized. In other words, God was concerned about the11:32 foreigner. God had concern for the poor in the land. Pay attention to this. This is the principle. Set aside a portion for the poor. In other words, God was11:43 mindful that there will be poor in the land, and they needed to be looked after. What a glorious God we have. The Bible says, not only she went out to glean, the Bible says in11:55 verse 3, she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz. In other words, she could have gone to so many fields in Bethlehem, but the Bible notes it12:07 like this, she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz. I want you to pay attention to that word, she happened. You know, when good things happen to12:19 God's people, sometimes they don't know who to thank. They think it's coincidence. They think it's luck. They think that somehow they engineered12:30 it, they made it happen. Can I humbly say this? You cannot make yourself to be in the right place at the right time to meet the right people. I want you to listen to me. There is a God in heaven who12:42 orchestrates all this. This is what we call a divine appointment arranged by the God of providence. I want you to think about this. It12:54 is a divine appointment. How how did she happened to come into the field of Boaz? It is God who takes responsibility for us. He knows the need that we have, and he13:05 prepares the path for us, and he brings us to that place so naturally natural that we don't think it is supernatural. But it is a supernatural God working himself13:17 out. But the Bible doesn't say the Lord brought her there. Right? I want you to pay attention to this because there are 2 hands of God that I want you to capture. When you study the Bible, you13:29 will find that the Lord reveals his hand at the same time there is a hidden hand of God. There are 2 hands. The Bible says in Deuteronomy chapter 5 and verse 15, you13:41 shall remember that you were slave in the land of Egypt and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand. In other words, it's a God's hand that was revealed and an outstretched13:52 arm. That means God was deliberate. He he he openly did the miracles. People could people could not deny the hand of God at work. Even14:04 Pharaoh had to bow down to this God. Why? Because God's mighty hand, outstretched arm, his revealed hand did mighty deeds and mighty acts. But in the book of14:16 Esther, you will never see the name of God mentioned. But you know that Esther was promoted by God, Esther was elevated to the position of queen, and Esther accomplished14:28 a mighty deliverance for the Jewish people, all because God was working out his purposes, but the name of God is not mentioned in the book of Esther. Interesting, isn't it? Why?14:40 Because the hand of God was not revealed like this, outstretched, but it was hidden. In the same manner, in the book of Ruth in chapter 2, she happened to go into that field14:52 that belonged to Boaz. Who orchestrated it? The hidden hand of God. But I want you to think about this. Why would God do this? The reason why15:04 God did this is because in Ruth chapter 1 verse 8, Naomi prayed. What did she pray for her daughter-in-law? She said, may the Lord deal with you kindly. In other15:16 words, may the Lord show compassion. May the Lord show loving kindness to you. And the moment she prayed that, the Lord heard and here the Lord is answering it. Not only that, in15:27 Ruth chapter 1 and verse 16, Ruth made a commitment. She said, wherever you go, I will go. Where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your15:39 God, my God. When she made that commitment to Naomi that I'm not leaving you, and Ruth, bible says, clung to Naomi, she not only clung to Naomi, she clung to the15:51 God of Naomi. And God of Naomi paid attention to that. And the Bible says here, God's hand, a hidden hand of God, is now orchestrating affairs.16:03 This is what we will call the providence of God. You know, many people don't understand the word providence, so let me explain. Providence is 2 words, providence.16:15 Pro video. In other words, to see beforehand. In other words, God sees beforehand what you would need, and therefore, to meet your need, he16:27 unengineers circumstances. He orchestrates those divine appointments so that he can meet your needs by his grace, though through those divine16:39 appointments. And that's the God of providence that you and I worship. So therefore, learn this principle. There are no accidents in God. There are no accidents in God.16:50 What is there? It is only a divine appointment arranged by the God of providence. Hallelujah. Shall we give the Lord a clap offering? How many of you can boldly testify that God17:02 of providence has orchestrated lots and lots of divine appointments in your life? I can testify again and again how God's gracious hand, not only his revealed17:14 hand, but even his hidden hand, how he had orchestrated divine appointments in my life to get me to where I am today to do what I'm called to do. It is the grace of God. We don't deserve17:26 it, but it is because of his favor. The next thing that I want you to pick up from verse 2 is this. Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, let me go to the field and glean among the years17:38 of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor. I want you to circle that word favor. Why? Because this17:49 favor appears 3 times in this passage. That word favor will appear 3 times in the book of Ruth. And I wanna take this whole sermon just to study about18:01 favor. So let me define what is favor. Favor is undeserved, unmerited, unearned blessing of God. In other words, it's undeserved.18:14 You cannot qualify for it. It's unmerited. It's not based on what you have done or who you are. It is unearned, a blessing of the Lord. So what is favor?18:26 Favor is activated by God's grace. The grace of God. In other words, it's an undeserved, unearned, unmerited favor when the grace of God is the 1 that18:37 activates favor in our lives. But what is favor? Let me give you another 1. Favor is seen when we are given something that we do not deserve or have not earned. I18:49 want you to pause there, and I want you to lift up your hands and say, Father, I thank you for your favor. I thank you for your favor that is activated in my life because of the grace of God. I have not earned it.19:01 I don't deserve it, but you have graciously given me your favor. Hallelujah. How many of you would testify to the favor of God in your life? You know, I want you to catch this principle.19:13 1 day of his favor is better than thousand days of our own labor. We can labor all we want, but when God moves into our lives with 1 day of19:25 favor, just a moment of favor, So many things that had been stuck, so many things that had been a lack in our life, when the favor of God is19:36 activated, it is filled. I'm so thankful. I can give you testimony after testimony of how God's goodness and grace and glory had been activated in my life because of the favor of19:48 God. Nothing that I could say that I deserved or earned or merited it because of his favor. Hallelujah. I mentioned to you earlier in this Ruth chapter 2, 320:00 times the writer mentions the word favor. And all 3 times the favor is found in the lips of Ruth. You know Ruth is a very virtuous woman, the Bible says, and20:12 she appreciates the favor that God has given her. So I want you to read all these 3 verses and then we're gonna meditate. In Ruth chapter 2 and verse 2, he says, in whose sight I shall find favor.20:25 Then in verse 10, then she fell on her face bowing to the ground and said to him, why have I found favor in your eyes that you should take notice of me since I am a foreigner?20:37 And then in verse 13, then she said, I have found favor in your eyes, my Lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to me, your servant, though I am20:49 not 1 of your servants. All these times, Ruth confesses that she is receiving the blessing of the Lord because of God's21:01 favor. Hallelujah. I want to examine for the rest of the time that we have in this sermon just this 1 question. How do we attract the favor of the21:13 Lord? You know, there is a TV show called x factor. In other words, they they examine what is the x factor. In fact, businesses, you can see why some business thrive and another business21:24 doesn't thrive. There's an x factor. Why some marriages flourish and another marriage doesn't. Why some things work and some things don't work. There is an x factor, but can I humbly say this?21:37 The x factor in a life of a believer is the favor of God. There are 4 principles that we can glean from Ruth that attracts the favor of God in our lives.21:48 Let's look at it 1 by 1. The first principle is develop a submissive spirit. In Ruth chapter 2 and verse 2, you find that Ruth approached Naomi and submitted22:00 to her and said, I want to do this. And the Bible says, Naomi replied to her, Go, my daughter. And then Ruth ventures out into the fields. Now22:12 why I want you to pay attention to this is because favor happens when there is a spirit of submission. Naomi had nothing to offer to Ruth. Naomi22:24 is completely lost. She's bitter and she has nothing to offer to Ruth And yet, Ruth submitted to the godly authority that was placed over her in22:36 Naomi. Favor happens when there is a spirit of submission. You know, in the book of Esther, you find Esther was in the harem. All these22:47 girls are from all over the world, miss India, miss Persia, all these beautiful girls. And Esther was in competition with all of them. But there was nothing going for Esther. Esther22:59 is a poor Jewish girl raised by her uncle. She's orphan. But the Bible says something about her. It's not that the Bible says that she was very pretty to look at.23:11 No. The Bible actually says that the king showed her favor. In other words, she's had received favor in the eyes of the king. How did that happen?23:24 Long before she met the king, she had to learn to submit to a eunuch that was overseeing the harem. The Bible says in, Ruth, in Esther chapter 2,23:36 and look at verse 15. It says, she asked for nothing except what Haggai, the king's eunuch who had charge of the woman,23:48 advised. Now Esther was winning favor in the eyes of all who saw her. What a beautiful picture. In other words, Esther, long before she meets the king, she learned to submit to a23:59 king's eunuch. Now eunuch is a man whose reproductive organ has been removed so that he can be in charge of the king's harem. And the Bible says,24:12 Esther submitted to this eunuch. She only put on her body or she only did whatever this eunuch advised. See, she knew24:24 better that the eunuch would know the king's taste, but she learned to submit to a man whose others may not have submitted to. And in that posture of24:35 submission, in that spirit of submission, grace and favor is activated. Esther obeyed a man that was what many would consider24:47 half a man. He was eunuch, not even a complete man. But yet, the Bible says she submitted. Can I give you the principle? Submission begins with the ability to deny ourselves.24:59 In other words, sometimes we want our own way. I believe the other girls in the harem will be demanding their way. They want this, they want that because they want the best. But you know what? She put25:11 aside her own perceived ambitions, her own personal rights. She learns to submit. Now why this is so important? Because many times people actually would say, you know, I would25:23 submit when I like it. I don't want to submit because I don't like it. I if I like it, I would submit. But can I humbly give you this principle? If you only submit to what you like, it is no longer25:35 submission but self worship, and that is idolatry. In other words, if I only submit when things go my way, then you're not actually submitting, you're just worshiping25:46 yourself, and that is an idolatry. Submission is only seen when there is a disagreement and yet you're willing to go down that posture and submit. When25:58 everything within you is revolting, wanting to react, but yet you respond with grace and humility and love, you submit. You know, this is26:10 seen even within the church. I have seen families that are that have activated the grace of God, the favor of God upon their life, and I've seen people who are talented and gifted, but there's no favor upon26:22 their life. There is a difference between obedience and submission. There are people who obey, but not necessarily they would submit. You know, you will see this in the life of your26:33 children. Sometimes when your children are naughty and you tell them, don't do it, and they keep on doing it, then you bring correction. You say, I want you to go stand on that corner, and the person just26:45 refuses to move. What is that? That's insubordination. In other words, I don't want to do what you asked me to do. So that's not submission, isn't it? But then you say, go there and sit go26:57 there and sit down. So they go there and they sit down, but yet within themselves there is a smirk. What is that smirk? It means that even though I'm sitting down27:09 externally, internally I'm still standing up. In other words, I have obeyed you because of the threat of punishment, but inside the attitude has not changed. So can27:21 I humbly say this? Obedience is an action, but submission is an attitude. We need both, and God looks for the spirit of submission in the27:32 heart of his people. How do you activate favor in your life? The only way you activate favor is when you take the posture of submission. You know, I have seen over the27:44 years when there's disagreement between 2 believers. When there's disagreement between 2 believers, they usually take it as a disagreement in principle, but then they go 1 step27:56 further and they become disagreeable with the person. I want you to listen to me. You can dialogue and disagree on principles, but never become disagreeable and don't make it a28:08 personality clash. I can say, I love you, but I don't like what you are thinking. I don't like what you are saying, but I love you, but I don't like what you're saying, because that28:19 we can actually dialogue around. Because that is about your thinking, your belief, your conviction, we can dialogue around. But if you make it, I don't like you, then now it becomes28:31 disagreeable with the person. It's now become a personality clash. So when there is disagreement between 2, who should give way to the who should give28:43 in first? Who should take the humble posture? Usually, if it's a disagreement with me, I will always take the humble posture. I will submit to people. Why? The reason I will take28:54 that posture of submission is because I want to live in the favor of God. Listen to me carefully. Yes, there are times that people are unreasonable. Yes, there are times when the thinking is faulty, but29:06 yet you need to learn to submit even to the immaturity of people. That's the spirit of submission. If you only submit when things you like, then it's just29:17 idol worship. You're just worshiping yourself. So 1 is a spirit of submission. The spirit of submission activates favor. The second thing is, know and29:29 stay in your place. The Bible says in Ruth chapter 2 and verse 2, Ruth the Moabite. Whenever Ruth is mentioned, the Holy Spirit writes Ruth the Moabite.29:41 Ruth, the Moabite. Why? Because that is who she is. In Deuteronomy chapter 23 and verse 3, it says, no Ammonite or Moabite may enter the assembly of the Lord, even to the tenth29:53 generation, and none of them may enter the assembly of the Lord forever. This is a command of the Lord. But yet, the Bible says, Ruth knows this. Ruth has30:05 heard about this, but yet she clung to Naomi and to the God of Israel. And the Bible says God took pity on her. See, she had never, she could never30:16 change who she is, but God can show her favor. That's why she approached him knowing who she is, and she stayed in that place. She didn't come in30:28 demanding, I need this. I deserve this. No. She came in a posture of humility. You know, between, Ruth and Boaz, there was a beautiful dialogue that I want you to read30:40 from verse 8 to verse 13. And in that verse 8 to verse 13, whenever Boaz showed her favor, Ruth knew that she doesn't deserve it. She says she's a foreigner.30:52 And look at this in verse 13, she says, I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your servant, though I am not 1 of your servants.31:05 You know, she continues to know her place and she takes her place. You know, that's a that's the place of favor. When you know that you don't deserve it.31:17 You know, many times, I don't know why, there are people who think much of themselves. They make much of themselves. In other words, they try to portray a picture of31:28 grandeur about their own life. They try to exalt themselves. They try to promote themselves. You know, they try to act bigger than what they are. Can I humbly say this?31:40 Know your place and stay your place. That's the place where favor of God is activated. You know, in the gospels, there is an illustration. A woman approached Jesus. The Bible says31:52 she's a Canaanite woman, and she came to Jesus and said, my daughter needs to be healed. Would you please heal her? And you know what Jesus actually replied to her? This is what he said. He answered her,32:04 I was only sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. In other words, I'm not here for you, I'm only here for the Jewish people. But then she came back and knelt before him saying, Lord, help32:15 me. She didn't get offended. She comes before God and she kneels down before Jesus and says, Lord, help me. She knows she doesn't deserve this. And he answered, it is not right to take the32:27 children's bread and throw it to the dogs. Now Jesus is actually saying something that could easily offend her. In other words, he said, how can I take the32:39 children's bread? The bread is healing. How can I take the health and healing, which is children's bread, and throw it to the dogs? You know what she said? She said, yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the32:51 crumbs that fall from the master's table. She didn't say, who do you think you are? Why do you call me a dog? No, she didn't. Instead, says, Lord, even a dog will eat33:03 the crumbs that fall from the master's table. I know I don't deserve to sit in the table and eat the bread of the children, but I'm a dog, but I will eat the crumbs that fall. You know what33:14 Jesus answered? Oh, woman, great is your faith. Be it done for you as you desire. And her daughter was healed instantly. In other words, when you submit yourself, favor is33:26 activated. When you know your place and stay your place, favor of God is activated. But I've seen 1 too many times this, people push themselves33:38 to be something, members trying to act like pastors, you know, children trying to act like parents, and parents not taking responsibility, and workers trying to be bosses, and33:50 wives trying to be husbands, and men wanting to be women. I want you to listen to me. In other words, know your place and stay your place. That is where you activate the favor34:02 of God in your life. If you come humbly before God and you say this, Lord, I cannot see, then he will give you his sight. I cannot understand,34:13 then He will be your wisdom. I cannot do it, then He will be your strength. I cannot overcome, then He will help you overcome. I am sick, then he will be34:25 your healer. In other words, know your place and take your place and say, Lord, I depend upon you, and the favor of God is activated. The third 1 is34:37 show kindness and grace to others. In this chapter 2, how did Ruth attract Boaz's attention towards her? The Bible34:48 says it was something that Boaz heard about Ruth. In verse 11, the Bible says, Boaz answered her, All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been35:00 fully told to me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. Wow. In other words, here's a woman who35:12 has been quietly serving her mother-in-law. She's been showing her kindness. She has been showing her grace. And she would have thought that nobody paid attention to that. But the Bible says,35:24 people have noticed, and it has reached the years of Boaz. I want you to learn this principle, graciousness begets graciousness. In other words, the more you show35:36 grace, more grace will be shown to you. What you sow is what you will reap. I want you to listen to me carefully. When you have the35:48 opportunity to show love to somebody, show it. When you have the opportunity to show grace to somebody, do it, especially when they are offending you. Can I humbly say this? I'll give you36:00 this principle, take it down. Never react. Instead, respond with grace, humility, and love. In other words, never react.36:12 Why? When you are reacting, you react with anger, you react with frustration, and you take matters in your own hand and you want to punch them back. But can I36:24 humbly say this? Never react. Instead, respond. Response means that you're calculating. How can I show grace here? How can I show humility here? How can I show love here?36:36 When you take time to think through things and respond with a gracious and loving and humble manner, you take the posture that activates the favor of36:48 God. The last 1 I want you to meditate is this, take refuge under his wings. The Bible says in verse 12, The Lord repay you37:00 for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge. Boaz here uses a37:11 metaphor of an eagle, and how the eagle spreads its wings. And then, the same manner, God has spread his wings and Ruth37:23 has come under his wings to take refuge. What a beautiful picture. Ruth is undeserving. Ruth can never earn her place in the kingdom of37:34 God. But yet the Bible says, because she called upon God and said, your God will be my God, she made a faith commitment to follow God.37:46 God took note and the Bible says she had come under his wings to take refuge. Now, wings of God always speaks of a place of37:58 refuge, a place of rest, a place of protection, a place of hope, a place of refreshment, and what a glorious picture that is. You know, there is a verse in Psalm, in38:10 Psalm 36 verse 7 and 8, the Bible actually gives you a mental picture of what it what it's like to take refuge under the wings of God. It says, how precious is your steadfast38:22 love, oh God, the children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of38:33 your delights. Beautiful passage, isn't it? It says when you take refuge under God's wings, it's like you'll be feasting on the abundance of his house. Not only38:45 that, you will drink from the rivers of his delight. Hallelujah. In other words, you are abundantly feasting on what he has provided for you, and what he has38:57 provided for you is rivers of delight. What a glorious picture. Church, you can do much more with the favor of God. I pray that God's favor willShow more
Paul Jeyachandran
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