All Things New

“He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.”

– Ruth 4:15

Ever had a computer or smartphone that’s infected by a virus or malware? If so, you know that helpless feeling when it crashes, freezes, or slows to a maddening crawl. And soon enough, that once top-of-the-line machine becomes nothing more than an expensive plastic paperweight.

But don’t lose hope. There are expert technicians who can clean out such infections and prevent future performance issues with your device. So, a once-dead phone or computer can often be restored to better-than-new condition. 

Every Christ-follower over the last 2,000 years can relate to this modern-day illustration. Like a reconfigured smartphone that now reboots without hesitation, we become born again once we put our faith in Jesus. And it’s at that point that we start over with a clean slate — ready to do good works to advance God’s kingdom. Think about all the times over the years that we’ve mistreated others, all the lies we’ve told, and all the time we’ve wasted: it’s all forgiven because Jesus paid the penalty we deserve by dying for you and me on the cross. 

Now declared justified in God’s eyes, we can look forward to an eternity of joy with our Creator. But until that day when we meet our Savior face to face, we’re empowered to live restored, fruit-bearing, Spirit-filled lives, which the apostle Paul explains in his letter to the Galatians:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

It's through Jesus — and Jesus alone — that we find our restoration. And it’s through him that all things become new again.

Family of Faith

“Who are you?” he asked.

“I am your servant Ruth,” she said. “Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer of our family.”

– Ruth 3:9

Thanksgiving is just a few short weeks away. And it’s a reminder that the holidays can be either a time of joy and togetherness — or stress and conflict. In fact, stress expert Elizabeth Scott, M.S. comments that "many a happy holiday has been found by groups of people who have decided to celebrate with friends instead of family."

It's a sad commentary on the state of modern society. And in many ways, it's also a reflection of human nature. Whenever families gather, tensions can mount for just about any reason. Sometimes it's because of intrusions into personal space, like when the in-laws spend the night (or week) in a home that's already too close for comfort. There's also that outcast teenager who perceives their older relatives as judgmental, critical, or demanding. And let's not forget those pleasant conversations over Christmas dinner about politics and religion.

If this hits too close to home, you're in good company. Jesus himself — the Son of God — was often misunderstood by those closest to him: 

"A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family," the Savior once told his disciples.

Since even our own families can misinterpret our actions, have you ever wondered if God, our Heavenly Father, really understands all the mundane problems, annoyances, and trials that we face every day? 

He does. 

In fact, Luke's gospel tells us that Jesus was born amidst the poorest of circumstances — with an animal's feeding trough as his first bed. But that’s the way it had to be. From the beginning, our Creator knew that men and women were without hope because of the rebellious ways they lived out their lives. So, his response was to come to Earth in human form to live out the perfect life. That meant living among us through the sin-free Jesus Christ — the only acceptable sacrifice for our countless transgressions. And since the wages of sin is death, he’d pay the price for all of us through his unjust crucifixion between two common criminals.

Jesus fulfilled the soul-saving mission God had planned for him since the foundation of the world. The result was that our sin-debt was paid in full. And 2,000 years later, people around the globe continue to accept the Savior's gracious invitation to join his family of faith.

 

 

Generous Toward God

“May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”

– Ruth 2:12

Compared to most of the world's population, Americans are incredibly rich. When we're hungry for a snack, all we have to do is walk to the kitchen for some fresh fruit — or, more realistically — a bag of chips. And if we're running low on supplies, a quick trip to the supermarket or Walmart fills up the fridge in no time. Even those of us on government assistance are rich by the world's standards. 

As Christ-followers (rich or poor), we're called to be generous with our possessions and resources. That’s because God blesses you and me in a myriad of ways, day in and day out. And since he's also the ultimate giver, and he wants us to be that way, too.

Think about the many blessings from our Creator. They vary, but likely include things like our health, job, home, family, friends, and church. And what about God's ultimate gift: forgiveness of our sins and an eternal relationship with him through our faith in Jesus?

God also wants every Christ-follower to abandon greed. But to do that, we must trust him rather than our riches. After all, bank accounts and retirement funds can shrink overnight through unexpected circumstances and economic uncertainties. Just ask anyone who’s between jobs.

As the apostle Paul explains in 1 Timothy, being generous toward God and his purposes renders much more than a warm feeling of self-satisfaction. Think of it as a guaranteed high-yield investment with dividends that you'll enjoy forever in the world to come. Our Creator challenges us to overturn our preconceived notions about money and possessions. And it's through his design that giving generously becomes getting more:

"By doing that, they will be saving a treasure for themselves as a strong foundation for the future," Paul says. "Then they will be able to have the life that is true life."

It's every Christ-follower's mission to serve as God's hands and feet on earth by feeding the hungry, healing the sick, and housing the homeless. So, by making generosity a spiritual habit, we'll become more like him to help change our world for the better. Jesus sums it up through this reminder to us in Matthew 25:40:

"... 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'"