Daily Devotionals for Women - Today's Encouraging Word from Scripture

STARTING OVER
Jaime Wyrtzen Lauze´

And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, "Please let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after one in whose sight I may find favor." And she said to her, "Go, my daughter." Ruth 2:2

It's humbling to have to start over. And it happens to all of us for one reason or another.

Life is all about starting over. Every big life-change ushers in a time of stress and learning. Every August, my kids begin a new grade in school with new classrooms, teachers, students, and rules. The commonality in all change is having to learn something new. In these situations, we are faced with a choice. We can humble ourselves, knowing that we need help and have much to learn, or we can be stubborn and make life harder for ourselves and our loved ones.

When Ruth stepped over the line into Israel, she lost all rights that she may have had in Moab. She had to start over again. And now, she had her mother-in-law to look after. If she didn't find food, they wouldn't eat. Naomi directed Ruth to go the field of a kinsman to glean grain. Israel had a protocol from Leviticus 19 that allowed poor people to collect whatever grain was left during a reaping. Workers were not allowed to reap to the corners of their fields so that there would be grain left over. Israel's God had compassion on the poor, the weak, the widow, the orphan, and the stranger. But here's the catch. The poor, the weak, the widow, the orphan, and the stranger had to admit what they were.

In New Testament-speak, we have to admit we are sinners and can't always do everything on our own. Sometimes we need help. The awesome thing is that we have Jesus, our Savior, our awesome big brother. If you are at a crossroads, just know that you aren't alone. Reach out to Jesus. You will find that His arms have been open and ready for you all this time.

Heavenly Father, I praise You for knowing what I need before I know it myself. I willingly humble myself and ask that You would help me as I face every challenge that comes into my life, both new and old. In Your Precious Name, Amen.

For more from Christine Wyrtzen and Jaime Wyrtzen Lauze, please visit www.daughtersofpromise.org