April 02, 2020
Where do you go to find help? When you are overwhelmed, where do you turn? When your way is unclear, whose guidance do you seek? When your resources are depleted, where do you go to find more than yourself?
Some have never even considered these questions. They simply plow forward, relying on the best human abilities they can muster. But every man has limits. We are not all-powerful and our resources are small. We are certainly not all-knowing, so our vision is short-sighted.
We don’t think this is so, believing that we are gods unto ourselves. But a tragedy—like we are experiencing now—can bring this arrogance crashing down. Sadly, this has been man’s great mistake since the beginning.
What Satan put into the heads of our remote ancestors was the idea that they could “be like gods”—could set up on their own as if they had created themselves—be their own masters—invent some sort of happiness for themselves outside God, apart from God. And out of that hopeless attempt has come nearly all that we call human history—money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery—the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.
God made us: invented us as a man invents an engine. A car is made to run on petrol, and it would not run properly on anything else. Now God designed the human machine to run on Himself. He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other. (C.S. Lewis, “Mere Christianity”)
RUNNING TO HIM
The story of Ruth is one of the most beautiful in Scripture, nestled in just four short chapters. Ruth was the daughter-in-law of Naomi, who had lost her husband and both sons, one of which was Ruth’s husband. As Naomi returned back to Israel, Ruth decided to go with her to help her. And, in Ruth’s need, she sought help from God.
In amazing ways, God supplied Ruth’s needs and through her, the needs of Naomi. Boaz, who would later become Ruth’s husband, made an observation about Ruth. He realized that she was successful because she had come to seek refuge “under (God’s) wings.”
Boaz replied to her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband has been fully reported to me, and how you left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and came to a people that you did not previously know. May the Lord reward your work, and your wages be full from the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge.” (Ruth 2:11-12)
The picture is profound and moving. Like a young bird nestled under the wings of her mother, Ruth had run to God and was secure underneath His omnipotent care.
She had come to the right place, for there was no one else who could provide for her like God. There was no safer place than under His wings.
REAL STRENGTH
It is not a sign of weakness to seek shelter there. The humble are there, who realize the limits of their human abilities. The wise are there, understanding that no one can live successfully without God’s protecting care. The well-adjusted are there, relying upon their God to handle their fears. The joyful are there, experiencing the total sufficiency of the Almighty.
And those who love greatly are there, for they understand the greatest command is to draw near and love the Lord with all their heart and mind and soul and strength. And the grateful are there, for they have experienced the absolute stability of God’s faithfulness.
The question is: are you there?
Precious, protecting Father, thank You for making Yourself available to us. Thank You that there is never a moment when we draw near that You do not cover us with Your wings. Praise You for surrounding us with Yourself and that underneath are Your ever-lasting arms. You never sleep nor slumber. You never grow weary or faint. There is never a shortage in heaven’s supply. And You will always be there as we run unto You and seek refuge.
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