Special Feature - Ruth

I'm at it again not starting my A-Z at A but this time with an R. This is longer than normal as it is a special one.

I will start from A next week but wanted my first one to be about one of my favourite female characters of the bible Ruth. It just so happens that I have made a wonderful close friend called Ruth  in the last year and she is also very kind and loyal.

RUTH 2:12

    
The story of Ruth confirms the sovereignty of God and how Romans 8:28 fits well with this story. It is incredible how God worked to move Naomi and Ruth on after the death of their spouses to a place they were welcomed. Not only that but Ruth showed her obedience and loyalty to God by following the instructions Naomi gave her with regards to Boaz.

It occurs to me that if Ruth had followed the same path as Orpah or had not followed Naomi's instructions with Boaz then  the line of Jesus would not have come about in this way. Again, more proof of God's sovereignty and the fact that this was his plan from the foundation of the world. How thankful I am for this story as I think it is a very important event in the line of Jesus.

This book and the character of Ruth shows me that God works in the most unlikely of situations and if we remain obedient to his word he will reward us.

John 15:7  "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you."
  
God is so amazing the way he works as God brought Ruth and I together as friends and sisters in Christ in the most incredible way. 

Ruth on the left, me on the right. 

 
Being of the Reformed position Lance and I have had many struggles finding a like minded church in our local area. For many years we have been looking for one. Read the talks section in coming weeks to find out more about this. On my search I happened across Stockton Reformed Presbyterian Church and set about contacting them. Unfortunately this church is at the other end of the UK to us but we were keen to visit there.

It has now been a year since our first visit where it was arranged for us to spend the Lord's day afternoon with a couple called Ruth and Simon. We had never met them, never spoken to them and did not really know anything about each other.

God's providence prevailed and this was the start of a great friendship and a close bond. It is amazing how much the four of us have in common and how like minded we are. We now joke that they are to the north what we are to the south of the country.

Despite the geographical distance we set about skyping every week in order to keep the fellowship going. This weekly fellowship and friendship means a great deal to me and is the first time that I have met a female of a similar age to me that I have clicked so easily with.

Ruth is very kind, quiet and humble - in some ways quite the opposite to me😃 but it appears  these minor differences make the relationship work even better.   

I hope and pray that this relationship will now continue in this life and in to the next. I thank God that Lance and I have found such great friends in Ruth & Simon..