RUTH DAY SIX
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[start with a moment to step out of your thoughts and life and into the presence of God]
Lord, as I enter your presence now I take a moment to pause and to be still….
….to breath slowly and to re-centre my scattered thoughts and senses upon You.
…. Speak to me I pray, and fill me with your Holy Spirit afresh this day.
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Take time to read through and reflect on the passage. Don’t rush it but be open to God speaking to you as you read.
What did God say to you through this passage? Why don’t you pop it in the chat to encourage others?
Devotional reflection: “Don’t call me Naomi”, “Call me Mara”.
Naomi means “pleasant” and Mara means “bitter”. Naomi couldn’t accept that people would look at her and refer to her as “pleasant”. She literally changed her own name. The famine and loss of her husband and sons had affected her so much that she could only see her life as bitter and empty.
I may not be as overt as Naomi but certain situations in my life can make me name myself something different to who I am. Perhaps sometimes I call myself “bitter” or “not good enough” or “stupid” or “not worthy of love” or worse.
As I look in the mirror today who do I see? What name do I give myself? Perhaps we should not look to our feelings to name ourselves but instead look to God. As I look at the mirror today what name would God give me?
“Highly favoured”, “Capable”, “Loved”, “Precious”, “Strong”, “Brave” or better.
As we read on in the book of Ruth, Naomi’s situation goes from being bitter to blessed, from desperate to pleasant. Naomi may have named herself “bitter” but God named her “pleasant”. God’s name for Naomi wasn’t based on who she was and what she was capable of doing but instead it was based on God and His abilities.
What would God’s name for me be today? How does He see you?
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Prayerfully reflect how this passages applies to your life. Ask God to speak to you now
GROW people prayer:
God, I can’t always see the big picture. Sometimes my situations get the better of me and I lower my thoughts about myself to what is in front of me. Today help me to align my thoughts with Your thoughts. Help me to see myself as you see me and to adjust my thinking and my way of living to Yours.
GO People prayer:
Lord, I don’t always see the God-given potential in others. Often the names I have for others don’t align with how you see them. Help me to see others as You do and name them as You name them today.
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Take a look at the passage again. Take time to see if there is a word or phrase that the Holy Spirit reveals to you as a focus for your day today.
What has the Lord revealed to you? What will you take into your day today? What action is He asking you to take? Take a moment to pray a yielding prayer along these lines to the Lord today.
Prayer for today: Lord, thank you for speaking to me to day. Give me courage to obey your word and yield to your Holy Spirit. I take seriously your leading today and seek to put your word into practice in my life through action today. Amen.