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Take Us As His Bride- Minister Max Lucado · Max Lucado Daily Sermons

• 0:02
  Speaker 1: Thank you.
• 0:29
  Speaker 2: Two figures crested the horizon of the Judean desert. One
• 0:33
  Speaker 2: an old widow, the other a young one. Wrinkles creviced
• 0:38
  Speaker 2: the face of the first and road dust covered the
• 0:42
  Speaker 2: faces of both. They so huddled together as they walked
• 0:47
  Speaker 2: that an onlooker might mistake them as one person, which
• 0:51
  Speaker 2: was all right with them, for really all they had
• 0:55
  Speaker 2: was each other. Ten years prior, A famine had driven
• 0:59
  Speaker 2: the elder one, Naomi, and her husband out of Bethlehem.
• 1:04
  Speaker 3: And their family had.
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  Speaker 2: Migrated into the enemy territory of Moab. That's where the
• 1:11
  Speaker 2: couple found fertile soil to farm and found girls for
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  Speaker 2: their two sons to marry. But then tragedy struck. Naomi's
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  Speaker 2: husband died. So did her sons. And Naomi resolved to
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  Speaker 2: return to her hometown of Bethlehem.
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  Speaker 3: Ruth, one of her daughters-in-law, resolved to go with her.
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  Speaker 2: And so this pair could have hardly been more pitiful
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  Speaker 2: as they entered the village.
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  Speaker 3: They had no money.
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  Speaker 2: They had no possessions. They had no children to raise.
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  Speaker 2: They had no farm to cultivate. In the 12th century B.C.,
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  Speaker 2: a woman's security was found in her husband, and her
• 1:52
  Speaker 2: future was found in her sons. And these two widows, well,
• 1:57
  Speaker 2: they had neither. They'd be lucky to find a bunk
• 2:00
  Speaker 2: at the Salvation Army. Here's how the elder of the
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  Speaker 2: two women described their circumstance. Perhaps you noticed these words
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  Speaker 2: at the bottom of page 122 in the story or
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  Speaker 2: in Ruth chapter 1 verses 20 through 21. Don't call
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  Speaker 2: me Naomi, she told them. Call me Mara because the
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  Speaker 2: Almighty has made.
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  Speaker 3: My life very bitter.
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  Speaker 2: I went away full But the Lord has brought me
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  Speaker 2: back empty. Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted me.
• 2:35
  Speaker 2: The Almighty has brought misfortune upon me. The name Naomi
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  Speaker 2: means pleasant or sweet. And Naomi was in such a
• 2:47
  Speaker 2: state of despondency that she told her friends in Bethlehem,
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  Speaker 2: Why call me Naomi? Why call me pleasant? Why call
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  Speaker 2: me sweet? Just call me Mara. That means bitter. Her
• 3:00
  Speaker 2: life had turned bitter and her heart was the same.
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  Speaker 2: Maybe you can relate. The woman that I recently met
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  Speaker 2: at one of our church services could relate.
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  Speaker 3: She came forward for prayer during the worship service. Her
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  Speaker 3: face was pale and Awash with tears, she was thin
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  Speaker 3: and she walked and she held.
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  Speaker 2: Herself tight as if her heart would fall if she
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  Speaker 2: did not. She had an unkempt look about her. Jeans
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  Speaker 2: and flip-flops and unwashed hair.
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  Speaker 3: As if just getting to church was enough. Forget cleaning up.
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  Speaker 2: She had been recently diagnosed with lupus and she lives
• 3:50
  Speaker 2: in pain. Unpaid bills had compelled her husband to take
• 3:54
  Speaker 2: a contract job overseas in Turkey. And she and her
• 3:59
  Speaker 2: son have been alone for a year. He's gone dark, gothic.
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  Speaker 2: He seldom talks. But when he does, he talks about
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  Speaker 2: death and devils. He even recently mentioned suicide. This mother
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  Speaker 2: had likely never heard of Naomi or Ruth.
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  Speaker 3: But the story... of these two widows would encourage her.
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  Speaker 2: It would also encourage a man that I met in
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  Speaker 2: a restaurant. He had an NBA basketball player look to him.
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  Speaker 2: My neck actually hurt as I looked up at him,
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  Speaker 2: but he's never played a day of basketball in his life.
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  Speaker 2: He took a job, a sales job, and then the
• 4:42
  Speaker 2: job turned south, and then the recession went south, and Well,
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  Speaker 2: now he's unemployed. He has been for 12 months. He
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  Speaker 2: has an education.
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  Speaker 3: He has a family.
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  Speaker 2: But he also has an appointment to stand in the
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  Speaker 2: unemployment line, a place he never thought he would stand.
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  Speaker 3: His life turned bitter. Hope the size of a splinter.
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  Speaker 2: Solutions as scarce as sunlight and an Alaskan January. And
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  Speaker 2: we wonder, does God have an answer? Does God have
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  Speaker 2: an involvement there? Does God have a solution for times
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  Speaker 2: like these? Days of drought and doubt and debt and disease.
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  Speaker 2: Does God show up in places like this? In the
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  Speaker 2: world of sick moms or unemployed dads or penniless widows
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  Speaker 2: walking in from Moab.
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  Speaker 3: Maybe you're wondering.
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  Speaker 2: If so, then the story of Ruth is a story
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  Speaker 2: for you. Now, according to the first verse of the
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  Speaker 2: book of Ruth. The story of Ruth took place in
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  Speaker 2: the days of the judges. Now the days of the
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  Speaker 2: judges occupies about 400 years in between the days of
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  Speaker 2: Joshua and the days of Saul. So we're right around
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  Speaker 2: 1300 BC there a take.
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  Speaker 3: This was a difficult time.
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  Speaker 2: The days of judges were days of irregular leadership and
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  Speaker 2: inconsistent faith for the Hebrew people. Ruth found herself, this
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  Speaker 2: widow of Moab, entering the city of Bethlehem during a
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  Speaker 2: dark time for the children of Israel.
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  Speaker 3: This book of Ruth is a brief book.
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  Speaker 2: It's only four chapters, but it gives us a glimpse
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  Speaker 2: into the way God helps the hurting heart During Dark Times.
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  Speaker 2: It's a beautiful book. In his commentary on the book
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  Speaker 2: of Ruth, F.B. Huey called it the most beautiful short
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  Speaker 2: story ever written. It's a 3,000-year-old love story full of
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  Speaker 2: heart-stopping moments. Again, the characters, Naomi, the mother-in-law, Ruth, the daughter-in-law,
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  Speaker 2: and then there's a man by the name of Boaz.
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  Speaker 2: And the story is set in the ancient version of Bethlehem.
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  Speaker 3: Yes, Bethlehem.
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  Speaker 2: Long before Bethlehem was known for its manger and magi,
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  Speaker 2: and long before it became the home of a young
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  Speaker 2: shepherd boy by the name of David, Bethlehem was known
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  Speaker 2: as the stage for the Bible's best-known story of romance
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  Speaker 2: and redemption. It seems to me that the book of
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  Speaker 2: Ruth or the story of Ruth divides itself into scenes
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  Speaker 2: and scene number one would be called it was love
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  Speaker 2: at first sight. The women shuffled into the village and
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  Speaker 2: they set about to find sustenance and Ruth went to
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  Speaker 2: a nearby field to scavenge enough grain for bread. Enter
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  Speaker 2: stage right Boaz. Just for the fun of it let's
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  Speaker 2: picture Boaz as a fellow with a square jaw and
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  Speaker 2: wavy hair and biceps that flex and pecs that pop
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  Speaker 2: and teeth that sparkle and pockets that jingle his education
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  Speaker 2: was ivy his jet was private his farm was profitable
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  Speaker 2: and his house was sprawling and paid for he had
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  Speaker 2: no intention of interrupting his charmed life with marriage he
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  Speaker 2: was a happy bachelor But then he saw Ruth. Now,
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  Speaker 2: she wasn't the first immigrant to forage grain out of
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  Speaker 2: his farm, but she was the first to steal his heart.
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  Speaker 2: Her glance caught his. And when he saw her, that
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  Speaker 2: was all it took. Eyes the shape of almonds, hair
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  Speaker 2: the color of chocolate, face just foreign enough to enchant him.
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  Speaker 2: In a blush just bashful enough to intrigue, his heart
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  Speaker 2: began to pound like a kettle drum and his knees
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  Speaker 2: turned into jelly. And as fast as you can turn
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  Speaker 2: the page in the Bible, Boaz learned her name, her story,
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  Speaker 2: and her Facebook status. He upgraded her workstation. He made
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  Speaker 2: sure that she had a good supper. And he told
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  Speaker 2: his overseers.
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  Speaker 3: To protect her. In a word, He gave her grace.
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  Speaker 2: At least, that's the word that Ruth used. I'm reading
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  Speaker 2: now from a version of the Bible called The Message.
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  Speaker 2: Ruth chapter 2 and verse 13. She said, oh sir,
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  Speaker 2: such grace, such kindness. I don't deserve it. you've touched
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  Speaker 2: my heart treating me like one of your own and
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  Speaker 2: I don't even belong here Ruth went home that day
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  Speaker 2: with a 30 pound sack of grain and a smile
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  Speaker 2: she couldn't wipe off of her face and Naomi heard
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  Speaker 2: the story and recognized the name.
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  Speaker 3: Then the opportunity. Boaz. She thought, Boaz. I know that name.
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  Speaker 2: And then it dawned on her. Boaz was the kid
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  Speaker 2: that used to show up at the family reunion. Boaz
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  Speaker 2: was Rahab's boy. She was related to him. So Naomi's
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  Speaker 2: head began to spin with possibilities. This being harvest season,
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  Speaker 2: Boaz would be spending the night on the threshing floor
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  Speaker 2: with his workers to protect the crop from intruders. So
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  Speaker 2: here's the instruction Naomi gave Ruth. Wash, put on perfume,
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  Speaker 2: and get dressed in your best clothes. Then go down
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  Speaker 2: to the threshing floor, but don't let him know you
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  Speaker 2: are there until he has finished eating and drinking. When
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  Speaker 2: he lies down, note the place where he is lying,
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  Speaker 2: then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He
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  Speaker 2: will tell you what to do. Now you're going to
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  Speaker 2: have to excuse me while I fan myself for just
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  Speaker 2: a minute. What in the world is this story doing
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  Speaker 2: in the Bible? It's a story of Moabite seduction. Boaz,
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  Speaker 2: full-bellied and sleepy, Ruth is bathed and perfumed.
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  Speaker 3: She's told to uncover his feet. and lie down.
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  Speaker 2: What in the world was Naomi thinking? Well, a couple
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  Speaker 2: of answers. She may have been thinking it was time
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  Speaker 2: for Ruth to get on with her life. The phrase
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  Speaker 2: that she uses when she tells Ruth to put on
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  Speaker 2: her clothes and to get cleaned up, it's an interesting
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  Speaker 2: phrase that's found elsewhere in ancient literature to describe removing
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  Speaker 2: the clothing of mourning You see, she was still mourning
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  Speaker 2: the death of her husband. And as long as Ruth
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  Speaker 2: was dressed in black, a respectable man like Boaz, well,
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  Speaker 2: he wouldn't have anything to do with her out of respect.
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  Speaker 2: And so maybe Naomi was saying, Ruth, it's time to
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  Speaker 2: move on. Also, there's no doubt that Naomi was thinking
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  Speaker 2: about the law of the kinsman redeemer. Now, In the
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  Speaker 2: translation we use in the story, it's called the law
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  Speaker 2: of the guardian redeemer. I kind of like the phrase
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  Speaker 2: kinsman redeemer because it tells us how the kinsmen.
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  Speaker 3: Were to be loyal to their family.
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  Speaker 2: The law is a bit complex, but if you had
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  Speaker 2: to reduce it down to a paragraph or two, it
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  Speaker 2: would read like this. If a man died without children,
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  Speaker 2: his property was transferred not to his wife, but to
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  Speaker 2: his brother. This practice kept the land in the clan,
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  Speaker 2: but it also left the widow vulnerable. So to protect her,
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  Speaker 2: the law required the brother of the deceased man to
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  Speaker 2: marry the childless widow. Now if the deceased husband had
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  Speaker 2: no brother, his nearest male relative was to provide for
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  Speaker 2: the widow, but he didn't necessarily have to marry her. Again,
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  Speaker 2: this law kept the property and the family And it
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  Speaker 2: gave the widow some protection and possibly a husband. The
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  Speaker 2: law of the kinsman redeemer. So while Naomi and Ruth
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  Speaker 2: had no living children, they did have a cousin named
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  Speaker 2: Boaz who had already been kind to them once.
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  Speaker 3: Maybe he would again.
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  Speaker 2: At least it was worth the gamble. So scene number
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  Speaker 2: two would be called this. Cover me with your coat.
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  Speaker 2: Picking up on page 125 in the story, Ruth chapter 3,
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  Speaker 2: verses 6 and 7. So she, speaking of Ruth, went
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  Speaker 2: down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law
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  Speaker 2: told her to do. When Boaz had finished eating and
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  Speaker 2: drinking and was in good spirits, he went over to
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  Speaker 2: lie down at the far end of the grain pile.
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  Speaker 2: It's about this time Ruth is lingering in the shadows,
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  Speaker 2: watching the men as they sit around the fire and
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  Speaker 2: finish their meals. She notices how one by one they
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  Speaker 2: stand off and disappear into the.
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  Speaker 3: Darkness to go to sleep.
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  Speaker 2: Laughter and chatter gave way to snores, and soon the threshing.
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  Speaker 3: Floor was quiet. And so by the light of the
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  Speaker 3: still popping fire, Ruth made her move.
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  Speaker 2: She crept between the lumps of sleeping men in the
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  Speaker 2: direction of Boaz, and upon reaching him, look what she did.
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  Speaker 2: She uncovered his feet and lay down. In the middle
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  Speaker 2: of the night, something startled the man. He turned and
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  Speaker 2: there was a woman lying at his feet.
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  Speaker 3: Startled indeed.
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  Speaker 2: This gesture was roughly the equivalent of giving an engagement ring.
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  Speaker 2: This was a proposal from Ruth to him. She said,
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  Speaker 2: I am your servant, Ruth. Spread the corner of your
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  Speaker 2: garment over me since you are the guardian redeemer, the
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  Speaker 2: kinsman redeemer of our family. Now, Boaz was related to
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  Speaker 2: to the family of Naomi and Ruth. He was not
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  Speaker 2: in any, he had no obligation to marry either one
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  Speaker 2: of them.
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  Speaker 3: He was a relative. He wasn't a brother.
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  Speaker 2: She was a foreigner. He was a prominent landowner. She
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  Speaker 2: was a destitute alien. He was a local power broker.
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  Speaker 3: He was unknown.
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  Speaker 2: She was well known, but still Ruth made the request.
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  Speaker 2: He said, will you cover us? And boy, did Boaz smile.
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  Speaker 3: He didn't have to be asked twice.
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  Speaker 2: He kicked into action he convened a meeting of the
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  Speaker 2: ten city leaders and he summoned a man who as
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  Speaker 2: it turns out was a closer relative to Naomi than
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  Speaker 2: he possibly the late husband of Naomi had sold their
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  Speaker 2: property to a non-relative as he fled the famine we
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  Speaker 2: don't know for sure but we do know that when
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  Speaker 2: Boaz told the nearer relative about the property the man
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  Speaker 2: said he would exercise his rights and and purchase it
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  Speaker 2: but then Boaz gave him the fine print two-thirds of
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  Speaker 2: the way down and on page 126 or Ruth chapter
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  Speaker 2: 4 and verse 5 he said on the day you
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  Speaker 2: buy the land from Naomi you also acquire Ruth the
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  Speaker 2: Moabite the dead man's widow in order to maintain the
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  Speaker 2: name of the dead with the property the land in
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  Speaker 2: other words it comes with two ladies that you're responsible
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  Speaker 2: and you got to take care of them well the
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  Speaker 2: relative balked at the offer and I kind of have
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  Speaker 2: a feeling that Boaz knew he would and as soon
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  Speaker 2: as the other kinsmen declined Boaz grabbed Ruth by the
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  Speaker 2: hand and they scurried off to the wedding chapel in
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  Speaker 2: the end Boaz had what he wanted an opportunity to
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  Speaker 2: marry Ruth Ruth had what she had never imagined.
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  Speaker 3: A man who went to bat for her.
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  Speaker 2: Now perhaps you've noticed that Your story is a lot
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  Speaker 2: like Ruth's.
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  Speaker 3: We, too, are poor. Spiritually, for sure. Monetarily, perhaps.
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  Speaker 2: And we wear the robes of death. She had buried
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  Speaker 2: her husband. What have you buried? Maybe your dreams. Maybe
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  Speaker 2: your aspirations. Maybe your desires. Maybe someone you love. Like
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  Speaker 2: the mother with lupus or the businessman in the unemployment line,
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  Speaker 2: we're out of options. But our Boaz has taken notice
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  Speaker 2: of us. And just as the landowner approached Ruth, our Boaz,
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  Speaker 2: our kinsman redeemer, Jesus Christ, he came to us while
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  Speaker 2: we were still sinners.
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  Speaker 3: He spotted us in need. And he made the first move.
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  Speaker 2: And just as Boaz protected Ruth, your Jesus protects you.
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  Speaker 2: Just as Boaz was able to meet their needs, your
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  Speaker 2: Jesus is able to meet yours.
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  Speaker 3: And just as.
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  Speaker 2: Boaz took Naomi and Ruth from bitterness to joy, your
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  Speaker 2: Jesus can do the same for you. You see, Jesus
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  Speaker 2: is your kinsman redeemer. He spotted you in the field,
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  Speaker 2: ramshackled by hurt, and He resolved to romance your heart
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  Speaker 2: through sunsets, through the kindness of a Boaz, through providence,
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  Speaker 2: through the whispers of Scripture, through the book of Ruth,
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  Speaker 2: even through a sermon by Max. He is determined to
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  Speaker 2: win your affection. Now, you may feel like you're marginalized.
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  Speaker 2: You may feel like you've been discarded. But God sees
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  Speaker 2: in you a masterpiece. That is about to happen. So
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  Speaker 2: he covers you. But he covers you not with a coat.
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  Speaker 2: But he covers you with him. Some years ago, there
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  Speaker 2: was a flight from Orlando, Florida to Atlanta, Georgia, carrying
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  Speaker 2: mainly businessmen. There were briefcases and designer suits and newspapers.
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  Speaker 2: With only one exception, this was a It was a
• 20:10
  Speaker 2: gray flannel flight. But that one exception was notable. A
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  Speaker 2: mother was traveling with her four-year-old daughter. And so while
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  Speaker 2: all the men were taking out their briefcases or their computers,
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  Speaker 2: she was pulling out the crayons and the coloring book.
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  Speaker 2: And everybody sat back for what they assumed would be
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  Speaker 2: an uneventful flight. But just a few moments into the flight,
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  Speaker 2: they realized that This was not an uneventful flight.
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  Speaker 3: The plane jerked to the left and right and it
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  Speaker 3: bounced up and down.
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  Speaker 2: The pilot announced that a hydraulic system was failing and
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  Speaker 2: they began dumping fuel and passengers were told to prepare
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  Speaker 2: for a rough landing in Orlando.
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  Speaker 3: Fear flooded the cabin.
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  Speaker 2: Stoic businessmen turned white with fear. Everybody lost their composure.
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  Speaker 2: Some of the men began crying out. But the one
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  Speaker 2: person who was calm was the mother.
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  Speaker 3: Of the little girl.
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  Speaker 2: One businessman later wrote how he heard her voice, her calm,
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  Speaker 2: reassuring voice. He turned to see her talking to her child.
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  Speaker 2: Over and over, he heard the mother say, I love you.
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  Speaker 3: I love you so much. Do you know that I
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  Speaker 3: love you more than anything? Yes, mommy, the little girl said.
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  Speaker 3: And remember, no matter what happens, I love you always.
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  Speaker 2: And that you're a good girl and sometimes things happen
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  Speaker 2: that are not your fault and you're still a good
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  Speaker 2: girl and my love will always be with you. At
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  Speaker 2: some point, the mother put her body over the daughters
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  Speaker 2: and she strapped the seatbelt over them both and they
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  Speaker 2: prepared to crash. The plane never did crash. The landing
• 22:05
  Speaker 2: gear dislodged and the crisis was averted.
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  Speaker 3: But don't you know that little girl never forgot?
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  Speaker 2: She never forgot that demonstration of love the day that
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  Speaker 2: her mother covered her in hopes of protecting her from tragedy.
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  Speaker 2: That's the kind of love your Heavenly Father has for you,
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  Speaker 2: my friend. The kind of love that engraves your name
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  Speaker 2: on his hands the kind of love that chooses to
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  Speaker 2: die so you can live God does this God enters
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  Speaker 2: the dusty Bethlehems of our lives and he brings hope
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  Speaker 2: believe this will you believe this just receive it receive
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  Speaker 2: it down deep in the part of your life that
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  Speaker 2: has never received love before playing like a barnacle.
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  Speaker 3: To every hope and covenant. Imitate Ruth and get busy.
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  Speaker 3: Maybe it's time for you to throw off the morning clothes.
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  Speaker 3: Maybe it's time for you to go to the field.
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  Speaker 2: Make yourself available where you can receive a blessing from God.
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  Speaker 2: This is no time for inactivity. This is no time
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  Speaker 2: for you to retreat. This is a time for you
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  Speaker 2: to step out, step into the sunlight, Step into the
• 23:30
  Speaker 2: place where Boaz will find you and spot you. Take
• 23:35
  Speaker 2: some chances. Take the initiative. You never know, you might
• 23:40
  Speaker 2: have a role in bringing Christ into the world.
• 23:43
  Speaker 3: Ruth did.
• 23:46
  Speaker 2: As you read the end of the story of Ruth,
• 23:49
  Speaker 2: you find this remarkable detail. The last glance of the
• 23:54
  Speaker 2: life of Ruth has Boaz, Ruth, and Naomi together. posing
• 23:59
  Speaker 2: for a family photo with their brand new baby boy.
• 24:04
  Speaker 2: Boaz wanted to name him Little Bo, but Ruth preferred Obed.
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  Speaker 3: So Obed it was.
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  Speaker 2: Obed went on to raise a son named Jesse, who
• 24:16
  Speaker 2: fathered David, the second most famous king.
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  Speaker 3: To ever be born in Bethlehem.
• 24:22
  Speaker 2: And you know the most famous king to ever be
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  Speaker 2: born in Bethlehem, right? Jesus Christ.
• 24:28
  Speaker 3: Your kinsman redeemer. Who would have ever thought.
• 24:32
  Speaker 2: That Naomi and Ruth would have a role in bringing
• 24:36
  Speaker 2: Jesus Christ into the world? What was bitter became better
• 24:43
  Speaker 2: and resulted in hope. It happened to them. It will
• 24:48
  Speaker 2: happen to you. Just trust God and he'll bring it about.
• 24:54
  Speaker 2: Let's pray together. And so, Heavenly Father, we offer a
• 24:58
  Speaker 2: special prayer today for any person who can immediately relate
• 25:03
  Speaker 2: and connect to the stories of Naomi and Ruth, how
• 25:08
  Speaker 2: you used them, how you rescued them, how you romanced them,
• 25:13
  Speaker 2: how you redeemed them.
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  Speaker 3: Thank you, Lord. And what you did for them, may
• 25:18
  Speaker 3: you do still in our lives today. This is our
• 25:21
  Speaker 3: prayer through Jesus Christ.
• 25:24
  Speaker 2: Amen.
• 25:25
  Speaker 1: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. so so.
• 28:34
  Speaker 4: Everything I used to live for Faded slowly out of
• 28:39
  Speaker 4: sight Now my days just circle around you Like I'm
• 28:45
  Speaker 4: lost without.
• 28:46
  Speaker 5: A light All the noise just turns to silence when
• 28:51
  Speaker 5: your memory comes through. And the world I once was
• 28:56
  Speaker 5: chasing now feels small and shaped like you.
• 29:03
  Speaker 6: My whole world is only you Every thought keeps breaking
• 29:09
  Speaker 6: through You're so close inside my mind But so far
• 29:15
  Speaker 6: in real.
• 29:16
  Speaker 7: Life I can feel you everywhere In the things we
• 29:21
  Speaker 7: never shared All this love I'm going.
• 29:26
  Speaker 6: Through Never reaches you.
• 29:34
  Speaker 5: Every image feels so real now Like you're standing next
• 29:39
  Speaker 5: to me.
• 29:41
  Speaker 4: But the truth is in.
• 29:42
  Speaker 5: The silence you were never meant to see.
• 29:48
  Speaker 6: My whole world is on me. Every thought keeps breaking
• 29:55
  Speaker 6: through You're so close inside my mind But so far
• 30:02
  Speaker 6: in real life I can feel you everywhere In the
• 30:07
  Speaker 6: things we never shared All this love I'm going through
• 30:14
  Speaker 6: Never reaches you If you felt it for a moment
• 30:21
  Speaker 6: Would it change the way you stayed.
• 30:24
  Speaker 4: Or would I still be the shadow that just fades away?
• 30:31
  Speaker 8: My whole world is only you But your world's a
• 30:48
  Speaker 8: different view.
• 30:51
  Speaker 6: I'm just someone passing by In your open sky Still
• 30:57
  Speaker 6: I hold on to what's true Every heartbeat calls for
• 31:02
  Speaker 6: you All this love I always knew Will never reach
• 31:08
  Speaker 6: you Ooh
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  Speaker 8: Ooh