Throughout all the history of humanity, there has been this one drumbeat of hope. Like a golden thread of hope weaving its way through all the harsh and blackened tones of life. All forming and leading to one portrait of Jesus Christ as Messiah, King, Redeemer, and Lord over all things. In Him the world was formed and in Him it holds together. Amid all the darkest hours of life, God Accomplishes Redemption, just as He planned from the beginning of time. One Eternal God in three persons carrying out His plan to redeem a people, displaying the depth of His Grace as part of His magnificent glory. Maintaining His perfect righteousness and justice through it all.
Too often, humanity wants to declare their own righteousness apart from Him. But look around you. Look deep into your own heart. There we see dark and bitter thoughts. Desires for power, position, and money. Depravities of heart from jealousy, anger, and insatiable appetites for pleasure. Searching for joy apart from Him. Never realizing He is the only one who can fill our heart with joy. Everyday we are bombarded by stories, agendas, and new flashes attempting to shape our lives. All tending to pull us even further from Him. But there is hope, peace, and joy that can be found in Him.
Focus your eyes upon Him. As we read through these scriptures before us, let us not forget. God Accomplishes Redemption even amid the darkest hours of life here on earth. That is the story of Ruth and the story of David as we shall see.
Cycles of Darkness in Humanity
If there is one recurring theme throughout scripture, it has been the utter depravity of the human heart and the patient merciful grace of God. You or I most likely would have said done, washed our hands of the whole mess, and ended the world in a second of time.
What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with great patience objects of wrath prepared for destruction? 23 And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon objects of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, 24 namely us, whom He also called, not only from among Jews, but also from among Gentiles, 25 as He also says in Hosea:
“I will call those who were not My people, ‘My people,’
And her who was not beloved, ‘beloved.’”
26 “And it shall be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘you are not My people,’
There they shall be called sons of the living God.” Romans 9 (NASB).
We saw in Judges, how God dealt with great mercy. Even those whom He called to save the people were at best men with many flaws. But God used them to His Glory, just as He does flawed men and women today. Demonstrating that it is not by works alone, but His Grace that saves any of us. For all deserve destruction and death. The sooner we realize this truth, the greater our gratitude and responsiveness to Him.
God Accomplishes Redemption Even Amid Darkness, Pain, and Suffering
Now it came about in the days when the judges governed, that there was a famine in the land. And a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to reside in the land of Moab with his wife and his two sons. 2 The name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife, Naomi; and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem in Judah. So they entered the land of Moab and remained there. 3 Then Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left with her two sons. 4 And they took for themselves Moabite women as wives; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other, Ruth. And they lived there about ten years. 5 Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and the woman was left without her two sons and her husband. Ruth 1 (NASB)
Often preachers attempt to say that all this tragedy occurred due to their lack of faith. After all, they sinned by not trusting God, going into Moab to cohabitate and then their sons married Moabite women. All true. But the real story is not their failure. The real story is how God accomplishes redemption even amid all the darkness, pain, suffering, and sin. He not only redeems Naomi, but also Ruth. Now does that mean their sins were not sins? No. Does that mean God couldn’t have accomplished His plan without their sinning? No. It is not ours to consider what God might have, could have, or would have done. Instead, it is ours to see what He did do.
God’s Marvelous Redeeming Grace
Ruth, a Moabite woman, declares her desire to follow after Naomi and to worship God (forsaking all the pagan deities of her people). God sends for her a kinsman redeemer (a portrait of Christ for us) and she becomes the grandmother of King David. As such, she is in the direct line of Christ, along with Rahab the harlot. Oh, such grace, such marvelous grace.
5 Salmon fathered Boaz by Rahab, Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth, and Obed fathered Jesse. 6 Jesse fathered David the king. David fathered Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah.
Who can consider the ways of God? He chooses the weak to confound the powerful. Would we have chosen these? Most likely not. But that is good news for you and for me. I am not His because of anything I possess, or I could do. He chose me and God Accomplishes Redemption in me, in spite of me.
we know that God [causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. Romans 9 (NASB).
One day, I will look like Christ. My heart will love like His does. One day, though at moments that thought seems more than I can understand. But it is true.
I Samuel: God Accomplishes Redemption Amid the Darkness
The book of I Samuel opens with the story of a very sad woman named Hannah. Her despair and deep sorrow lead to her promising the Lord to give Him her first-born son in service to God. Little did she realize that God allowed all this because Samuel was to play a major role as God Accomplishes Redemption amid the darkness. The priest’s sons were very evil and thus, Samuel became the priest whom God used to call Saul to be the first king of Israel. He also was the one who anointed David. All this playing forth, moving forward in time to the birth of Jesus Christ. All working together as God Accomplishes Redemption Amid the Darkness of this world.
Ever part of history whispers hope, as we look to God. He is our Savior, our King to whom we bow forever. He takes our darkest hour and turns it to glory for all who know Him as Lord and Savior. There is no fear. So, let us once more read this in
Psalm 34.
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul will make its boast in the Lord;
The humble will hear it and rejoice.
3 Exalt the Lord with me,
And let’s exalt His name together.4 I sought the Lord and He answered me,
And rescued me from all my fears.
5 They looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces will never be ashamed.
6 This wretched man cried out, and the Lord heard him,
And saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him,
And rescues them.8 Taste and see that the Lord is good;
How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
9 Fear the Lord, you His saints;
For to those who fear Him there is no lack of anything.
10 The young lions do without and suffer hunger;
But they who seek the Lord will not lack any good thing.
11 Come, you children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12 Who is the person who desires life
And loves length of days, that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil
And your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Turn from evil and do good;
Seek peace and pursue it.15 The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous,
And His ears are toward their cry for help.
16 The face of the Lord is against evildoers,
To eliminate the memory of them from the earth.
17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears
And rescues them from all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
And saves those who are [b]crushed in spirit.19 The afflictions of the righteous are many,
Psalm 34
But the Lord rescues him from them all.
20 He protects all his bones,
Not one of them is broken.
21 Evil will bring death to the wicked,
And those who hate the righteous will suffer for their guilt.
22 The Lord redeems the souls of His servants,
And none of those who take refuge in Him will suffer for their guilt.
God Accomplishes Redemption within us in Christ Jesus
Notice the cry of salvation in verses 19 through 22 of Psalm 34. Also note the reference to Christ in verse 20 and then the last verse mirrors the sentiment of Romans 8:1-6
8 Therefore there is now no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who are in accord with the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are in accord with the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,
Finding Hope in Darkness
This world is filled with a lot of darkness, even more as we approach the time of His return. Thank God, our hope does not depend on human intellect, but on God.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, with which He favored us in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our wrongdoings, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight
9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He set forth in Him, 10 regarding His plan of the fullness of the times, to bring all things together in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. 11 In Him we also have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things in accordance with the plan of His will, 12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in the Christ would be to the praise of His glory.
DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.
Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.
For Prayer or Comments
If you have a prayer request feel free to email me by clicking here
Furthermore, if you would like to share your story or thoughts, you can comment here
Previously
DISCLOSURES
©Effie Darlene Barba, 2023
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
Credits
New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Photo licensed through Goodsalt.com