Latest / Eurasia Region Podcast / S1-E92 | Everyday Eurasia | Linda Louw

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S1-E92 | Everyday Eurasia | Linda Louw · Eurasia Region Podcast

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  Hello and welcome to the Everyday Eurasia podcast,
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  Inspiring Faith for Every Day. Each day we are on a journey
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  with Jesus in our churches, our homes, our workplaces, and in so
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  many different places around the world.
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  Is it beautiful that no matter where we are, we can walk with
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  him every single day? Jesus is the one who connects us
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  all and stands at the very center of our lives day after
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  day. Through this podcast, you'll
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  hear voices from across the region sharing devotionals that
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  reminds us of God's presence in our everyday moments.
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  This week we're joined by Linda Law.
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  She has been a missionary for 26 years, a mother of four precious
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  daughters for 37 years, and wife to a strategic and wonderful man
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  for 40 years. She has lived in seven different
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  countries on four different continents.
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  She is a graduate of Point Loma Nazarene University and has at
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  varying times been a full time elementary teacher, mom and
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  pastors wife. Linda is now pursuing ordination
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  as an Elder in the Church of the Nazarene.
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  Her current assignment is Coordinator for Advocacy for
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  Women in Leadership on the Eurasia Region.
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  She's passionately desires that all people, especially women,
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  are provided with opportunities to lead within the Church as.
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  Laypeople. And as ministers.
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  Ruth returns to Naomi, secure in her engagement to Boaz.
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  The two brave women have overcome so many obstacles to
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  reach this point in their lives. Each has taken the initiative to
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  secure the future of the other, Ruth in gleaning the grain and
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  Naomi in orchestrating the circumstances by which Boaz
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  would consider Ruth as his bride and pledging himself to Ruth,
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  promising to spread his wings over her as her Redeemer.
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  Boaz becomes the answer to his own blessings in chapter 2.
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  The Lord under whose Wings you have come to take refuge.
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  Boaz will be that refuge for her, and not just for her, but
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  also to the mother to whom she has pledged her life.
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  There is another kinsman, Redeemer, who is even a closer
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  relative than Boaz, who might claim the right to inherit
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  Naomi's property. He pledges to take care of it
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  for Naomi. Again, we clearly see the hand
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  of God at work, though he is not given the credit for the action.
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  It just so happens that as Boaz comes to the city the next day
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  to resolve the issue of Naomi's inheritance, the kinsman
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  appears. Together they sit at the gate
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  along with 10 elders and a crowd of onlookers.
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  Boaz skilfully makes him and those listening aware that as a
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  near kinsman he has been sadly negligent and attending to the
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  needs of Naomi. The kinsman is given the choice
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  of redeeming the land which Naomi has.
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  However, if the kinsman chooses to redeem the land, it is with
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  the understanding that Boaz intends to marry Ruth the
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  Moabite, and if they have a son, he will be heir to Milan,
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  Naomi's dad's son, claiming back the land the kinsman might
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  choose to redeem. This clouds his chance of an
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  inheritance and so he willingly parts with any right to the
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  land. This all leads to our happily
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  ever after Ruth and Boaz Mary. They have a son and if this was
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  the story of their romance, it would end here.
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  This has never been a story about them.
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  The driving force of the story was about the care of a
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  vulnerable, childless widow. The story began with Naomi and
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  ended with her. Her journey began with emptiness
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  and now ends with her hands full of hope, security, and love.
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  Their son, Obed, is placed in her hands as the grandson she
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  had no hope of having. The same women pitied her when
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  she first returned to Bethlehem. Now bless the Lord for providing
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  for her a Redeemer. And even though we seem to have
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  a happy ending for everyone now, God is not done for.
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  Boaz, the son of a harlot from Jericho, and Ruth, a poor and
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  vulnerable Moabite, become the great grandparents to a boy
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  named David, who will someday become the king Israel does not
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  have in the days of the Judges. Through their line the Messiah
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  would come, the Messiah who would redeem the world because
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  of God's. Hassan is committed devotion to
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  all people, both the Gentile and the chosen seed of Abraham.
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  A Messiah who would fellowship with sinners, be they
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  prostitutes or tax collectors. A Messiah who would give hope
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  and dignity to a hated Samaritan woman living in adultery.
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  So ultimately, the story of Ruth is the story of a God who loves
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  and redeems the Hassad. The living kindness of Naomi,
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  Ruth, and Boaz reflects God's passionate love for us.
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  Love has always embodied an action on behalf of others, and
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  God has chosen us to be agents of his redeeming Hassad.
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  To be like Ruth, who pledges to care for her mother-in-law come
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  what may. To be like Naomi, who is willing
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  to forego her hope for a secure future, to give one to her
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  beloved daughter instead. To be like Boaz, you chose to
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  offer kindness to the stranger and the widow, to care for the
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  vulnerable and marginalized no matter what it cost him.
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  Jesus still calls to all of us to partner with Him in sharing
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  His Father's facade. It does not matter from where we
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  come, but our social standing is whether we are male or female.
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  We are all called to make a difference by showing kindness,
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  love, and mercy. We read in Matthew 22 Then the
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  righteous will answer him, saying, Lord, when did we see
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  you hungry, and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?
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  And when did you we see you a stranger, and welcome you, or
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  naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick, or
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  in prison, and visit you? And the King will answer them.
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  Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these,
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  my brothers, you did it to me. Father, forgive us for the times
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  we should have offered compassion but made excuses and
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  turned away. We give ourselves to you to use
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  for your redeeming purposes as you choose.
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  In a world full of pain, heartache and confusion, give us
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  the wisdom and will to be an agent of hope, restoration and
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  redemption, All men. Thank you for.
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  Listening to the Everyday Eurasia podcast Inspiring Fate
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  for everyday. For more Everyday stories,
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  region, visit our website, eurasiaregion.org.