Rafael Elizalde

How to Hear God’s Voice - 4 Simple Action Steps 1 Consume: Listen to & read the Protestant Bible 2 Pray: Have two-way conversations with God 3 Write: Jot down what you believe God is or might be telling you 4 Talk: Converse with at least 2 others regularly doing these 4 steps

aspe:

Not long ago, in this galaxy, not far away, someone @amazon introduced Echo Studio with immersive spatial audio & @Dolby Atmos. One could almost hear @AmazonAlexa saying... "Now witness the firepower of this fully armed and operational battle station." youtu.be/g7-tskP0OzI

Many are happy for @taylorswift13 & @tkelce about their engagement. @AppleMusic has a playlist titled 'So, it's gonna be forever' with "her most romantic and hopeful songs." Found myself thinking How can they keep their marriage from going down in flames? teapaw.org/getraf/status/15060422…

Only the lovely are lovable. Yes, at times some are harder to love than others. I've yet to meet a person who's unlovable. Someone is lovable because of who they are; the intrinsic value given to them by their Creator, not because of what they do or fail to do. You are lovely.

Me, texting loved ones to remind them I'm here for them. Superman got noth-ing on me. I'm only one, call away. 👂🎹🎙️

Hey there, "Christian." 👋🏼 Jesus in our true Hero because Jesus saved us. Our Savior is our Hero. Jesus is our Savior. So you like Wes Huff, cool. It's easy to like the guy since he claims to be pursuing Truth in a world that seems to be happy to be bamboozled with confidence alone. And, well, he's proving it with his actions and the way he treats others. He's respectful of others and doesn't appear to be mostly talk. His walk seems to match his talk. Friendly fist bump @WesleyLHuff 👊 That said, remember that Jesus in our Hero. Wes Huff isn't our hero. Neither is someone important, like, say, the Apostle Paul for that matter. A long time ago Paul wrote TO the Corinthians something that is also FOR us today. In 1 Corinthians 3 the Apostle Paul communicated this; "3 Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in Christ. 2 I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready, 3 for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world? 4 When one of you says, “I am a follower of Paul,” and another says, “I follow Apollos,” aren’t you acting just like people of the world? 5 After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. 6 I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. 7 It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. 9 For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building." That was 1 Corinthians 3:1-9 NLT See biblegateway.com/passage/?se… Messengers, planters, people who water, gardeners, and the rest of God's fellow workers are like heroes in that they carry and further The Gospel of the Savior, but let's not confuse them with the true Hero of this, our reality. The true Hero is THE Hero... of this story of reality. In The Story of Reality, Jesus (with a title of Messiah / Christ / Savior) is the Hero of the entire story. We follow Jesus, the Savior. Jesus is our Savior, our Hero! So even if Wes- or anyone of God's workers- get things right or make mistakes anywhere, that's cool either way. These workers do not need to be perfect to point to the Perfect One. It's kinda cool that in the end; imperfection points to perfection anyways, isn't it? I think so. Let's follow our Hero; Jesus. After all, that is who Wes is pointing us towards when he testifies about the Protestant Bible. So instead of saying something like' "I follow Wes Huff," how about we say; "I follow Jesus" and have the things we DO with our lives be the evidence of what we SAY with our words. Peace! 🕊️

God Is Good. God Loves You. Listen to God. Freely, Willingly, Responsibly. TLDR; Don’t give up, instead; listen to God's Voice. Per my understanding of the Protestant Bible… 1) Claiming to be a Christian is not a requirement to Eternal Salvation; believing is. 2) When someone truly believes Jesus, they follow Him. 3) People can see themselves and other people follow Jesus; it is possible. It is possible to know if we're internally (and thus see that we're externally) following Jesus. It is possible to see if others are externally following Jesus (and thus infer they're also likely to be following Jesus internally). Our knowing doesn't have to be perfect to be certain about Truth. We can be certain about Truth if our imperfect knowing is dependent on God's perfect knowing. When we listen to God, we're listening to Perfection, even if we receive Perfection imperfectly; due to the reality of our brokenness. 4) Jesus didn’t ask for perfect followers. Jesus pursued and pursues imperfect people. Jesus wants imperfectly obedient followers. God changes us through the process of following Jesus. 5) Following Jesus inwardly and externally is a sign that someone believes (is with) Jesus. 6) While it is not always perfectly possible for us to tell who’s a Jesus follower or not, it is possible for us to know who is a Jesus follower with the Holy Spirit’s help. 7) Don’t give up, instead; listen to God's Voice. God's Voice leads you to the Truth, which is to also say; to clarity, to Freedom, and to Fulfillment. In this life God (Elohim, the God of the Israelites) can reveal things to you and me (us) or to you or me (individuals) that He can’t or won’t reveal to others for a number of reasons. God has secrets and He's willing to reveal some of them to you. If you want some of God's secret revelations, for your life and maybe even the lives of others, yes, you can have them. That said, know that God can’t reveal some things because He freely and willingly limited His power when He made us in His image. God often won’t reveal some things, no matter how much He wants to reveal them, because He respects the freedom of choice He gave us. He won’t violate His own design; He got it right the first time. What design? Nature. Us. His Creation. Just because things are (Creation is) broken now doesn't mean He broke them. We did that. That's part of the story of Reality that Christians believe; in the beginning, He made things, and He made them perfect. Then we (humanity) broke things and He faced a choice. In his Grace and Mercy, He chose to make all things new. He's still doing that. This can be hard for us to experience, live out, and understand. One of the hardest things about all of this for us is simply choosing to focus on God’s voice in our lives above all the other voices. In this life, although Victory is already assured, there IS a competition for you and me. A competition that in His infinite Grace and Mercy, God allows. A competition for our hearts, our wills, our affections (attention, focus). A competition because we're valuable. No more valuable than God; valuable because He made us in His image. He set our worth then and it continues to this moment. Amazingly we get to freely and willingly pick sides; to side with the True Victor (because that competition has already been won), or with another who sometimes seems to have the appearance of victory. Appearances; such tricky things. Darkness attempts to shade (hide) lies (itself). Darkness wants to alter the truth and it cannot so it lies to you to try and get you to believe it was and is successful. Light illuminates (exposes) lies and the darkness. It preserves the truth. Light is clarity. The darkness I'm talking about here leads to death and destruction. Light leads to itself as embodied in the Life of and from the God-Man some call their King: Jesus (The Prince of Peace). You feel that tension, don't you? Between darkness and light? Yeah, it's there. That tension is the equivalent of death and life. It's a tension because of their temporary and eternal appeals to us. This is not like the ying and yang; Jesus' teachings don't (thus the Christian worldview doesn't) equate them. One really is more powerful than the other and are separate. A thought on power will come in a moment. A lot of people in the dark believe they can see clearly because they aren't using God's measures; they're using their own or someone else's measures. They're willingly or unwillingly lowering the bar, if you will; God's high standards (as compared to our own standards). If God is Good, if He is truly Loving, then His Standard is, and His Standards are, the Truth (which is to say; Reality). And what does God's Voice lead you and I (us) to? The Truth. God's Voice leads us to Reality. But what does that matter, some say? Some live for power (force), not truth (clarity). That's a challenge for us, isn't it? We can get our thoughts so twisted up: 'clarity can be forced' or 'force is clarity' (those are examples of our twisted thinking; or stinkin' thinkin') Really? Where did those thoughts and ideas come from? I wonder what God's Voice says about all that. Yeah, we're back to that. We always get back to this if we care about Truth enough that we want to make it Supreme in our lives. Why come back to God's Voice? Because of God's Grace and Mercy. I'm in awe of Him. His attributes and gifts are of such high quality. But each has to learn that for him or herself; even if it is true for all. Someone told me all of those good things originate from Him, and that all things live and exist through Him, and that all things are directed to Him. Oh yeah, I think that was God's Voice. 😉 Who's voice are you seeking 👀 and listening 👂 to right now? Remember; God's Voice leads you to Truth, Clarity, Freedom, Fulfillment, Peace, and more good things. It'll even lead you to True Power; Ultimate Power. We were made in God's image and God chooses for Himself and those He Loves so, like Him, we must choose for ourselves and those we claim to love also. He's not forcing us to pick or choose anything. God's design for us was and still is that we freely, willingly, and responsibly choose. God is Good. God Loves you. Listen to God. Wanna look into how and what it's like to listen to God? Check this out... teapaw.org/getraf/status/14788764…

The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous The Twelve Steps are outlined in the book Alcoholics Anonymous. They can be found at the beginning of the chapter “How It Works.” Essays on the Steps can be read in the book Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions. 1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol — that our lives had become unmanageable. 2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. 3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him. 4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. 5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. 6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. 7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings. 8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all. 9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. 10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it. 11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out. 12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs. A one-sided, single-page, PDF version of The Twelve Steps of AA can be found at the following web address... aa.org/the-twelve-steps

Scripture Journal Entry for Ruth 4 Hey everybody. Welcome. Rafael here. Last year in December 2023 I read through and Scripture Journaled through the Book of Ruth in the English Protestant Bible. I never did publish my Scripture Journal for the last chapter in the Book; Ruth 4, so here it is. I enjoyed Scripture Journaling through Ruth. I walked away with so much every time I sat down to go through a chapter and write down my thoughts. I don't always share my entries in public like I did this time around, but I'm glad I did because others have been telling me they've been getting a lot out of what I've shared. One gentleman commented saying the way I write causes him to dwell on Scripture a bit more and to see it differently. Another lady messaged me to say that finally she's found someone who writes the way her brain thinks and that it's a refreshing read. She encouraged me to keep being bold. I created these Scripture Journal entries originally for myself, because I need them, the for family and close friends, but I'm glad it's turned into something others are also finding to be useful. I hope this is a blessing to you too. In my last Scripture Journal entry, Naomi and Ruth had just hatched and executed a plan for Ruth and Boaz to get engaged. We saw towards the end of the chapter that Naomi said to Ruth; “Just be patient, my daughter, until we hear what happens. The man won’t rest until he has settled things today.” (Chapter 3, Verse 18, NLT) The women had done their part. Now it was time for God to do His. It was time... for them to wait. In this Scripture Journal entry, Elohim blows their socks off. 🧦 Did these people even like, use socks back then? 🩴 Or was it sandals all the way? 😆 The story of Ruth concludes today with a redemptive marriage and the birth of a famous son. A question we've been asking ourselves all along this narrative is; How is God involved in the day-to-day joys and hardships of our lives? Some of the themes we've seen in this story include 1) human devotion to God and neighbor, 2) kindness and generosity bringinging life, and 3) a reversal of fates from bad to good. We begin today's section of Scripture with a smart and shrewd man looking to sit down and have a talk. This is a man with a plan and a goal on his mind; getting the girl. So we find him walking towards town, bumping Taylor Swift's ‘How You Get The Girl’ with his AirPods Max. 🎧 (Taylor's Version), of course. 🎶 “Boaz went to the town gate and took a seat there. Just then the family redeemer he had mentioned came by, so Boaz called out to him, “Come over here and sit down, friend. I want to talk to you.” So they sat down together. Then Boaz called ten leaders from the town and asked them to sit as witnesses.” (v1-2 NLT) Calm witnesses. Right away I'm noticing a calm in all of this. Boaz was 1) showing up, 2) waiting, 3) inviting 4) a friend to 5) sit down and 6) talk. Then he called a bunch of leaders from the town, 7) asking them to 8) be witnesses. This all just seems so natural. Earlier in the story we learned that Boaz was a man of wealth and influence. Well, doesn't it just make sense that he... invited and asked others, instead of ordering them around? That's a takeaway for me right there. It's almost like a formula that can be followed and repeated. 1) Show up 2) Wait 3) Invite 4) Be a Friend 5) Sit down (slow down, be chill) 6) Talk 7) Ask primarily to learn, not to make points (not that points can't or shouldn't be made) 8) Have witnesses around It's all just, so calm. To me it seems that some people in life just can't make decisions without decision-making drama. Well, doesn't this just show that it's possible to make decisions without constant drama? I mean, maybe if we want to be wealthy and influential like this man, perhaps it makes sense to learn Boaz's modus operandi and move in the world like he does. Now pay close attention to this next part, because it really shows how Boaz was smart and shrewd. “And Boaz said to the family redeemer, “You know Naomi, who came back from Moab. She is selling the land that belonged to our relative Elimelech. I thought I should speak to you about it so that you can redeem it if you wish. If you want the land, then buy it here in the presence of these witnesses. But if you don’t want it, let me know right away, because I am next in line to redeem it after you.”” (v3-4) Stop! 🛑 In the name of love. ❤️ A heart beating is almost palpable here. 🫀 What do you notice? Remember this is a man with a goal on his mind; getting the girl. So... all Boaz presented here is that Naomi is selling the land that belonged to her husband Elimelech. Boaz was communicating he wanted to be a perfect gentleman, deferring to proper order, making sure the family redeemer knew he had first dibs on the land. Where's the mention of the girl? 🧍‍♀️ Oh, there's a reason Boaz is wealthy and influential. He didn't get there being dumb. So what is going on here? The answer is, he's being strategic. He wants to win the war, not just the battle. This man is boxing and he knows how to jab, cross, hook, and uppercut while being respectful. 🥊 Boaz... is flanking. What is flanking? If you enter “flanking definition” without the quotes into the Google search engine, we learn it's a word that's used as a verb. It's when someone ‘guards or strengthens (a military force or position) from the side’. See google.com/search?q=flanking… It's a move, and a strategic one at that. Now watch what happens. “The man replied, “All right, I’ll redeem it.”” (v4) Hum... okay. So the family redeemer wants the land. Here comes the next move. 💪🏼 “Then Boaz told him, “Of course, your purchase of the land from Naomi also requires that you marry Ruth, the Moabite widow. That way she can have children who will carry on her husband’s name and keep the land in the family.”” (v5) This is the moment of truth you guys! Boaz is making his move. He's being strategic in the way he goes about it. He wants the girl, remember? Now he wants to know if the family redeemer with first dibs wants her too. 😀 Boaz is covering all his bases. (⚾️ 🧢 A baseball reference; sometimes I mix metaphors like I mix vegetables 🥕🥦🌽). Boaz is thinking ahead. Not just to his next step on the journey, but all the way around the baseball diamond back to homeplate. Boaz was like a Chess Grandmaster and the other dude didn't realize he was gonna be checked in the next move. ♟️ The brilliant thing about the way Boaz went about this was that the check was a super respectful one. If you know what to look for, you can see what he's doing, but mutual respect for the other and for another's boundaries is there. Boaz's move gave his opponent a way out. It was simply a healthy option that was rightfully the opponent's choice to begin with; take it or leave it. This is the part in the story where the truth; everyone’s priorities, and values, come out. ““Then I can’t redeem it,” the family redeemer replied, “because this might endanger my own estate. You redeem the land; I cannot do it.”” (v6) Hook, line and sinker. 🎣 (😆, A fishing reference, just can’t stop mixing metaphors.) The family redeemer was clear, without hesitation or reservation. For whatever reason, maybe not even for bad reasons, he was more interested in property at that moment than he was in people. He wanted the property, only if it didn't come with people, or with HER specifically. And no, we're not talking about H.E.R. although you are having almost everything revealed at the moment. (Oh, how I hope you got that musical reference, dear reader.) Could it be that Ruth not being a Hebrew woman mattered here? That she was an outsider, a Moabite widow? Well, why else would this smart man Boaz mention that detail about Ruth at this time? Because yes, Boaz knew that detail mattered to the family redeemer. Boaz knew it mattered to the family redeemer; a lot. Boaz was in the know, remember? And Boaz, well, this smart man was more interested in people at that moment than he was interested in property. In this era, though people sometimes came with property, and though some treated other people as property, Boaz knew the difference between people, and property. Earlier in the story we learned that Boaz knew the value of a hardworking woman. Ruth was exactly that; a hard working woman with noble character. “Now in those days it was the custom in Israel for anyone transferring a right of purchase to remove his sandal and hand it to the other party. This publicly validated the transaction. So the other family redeemer drew off his sandal as he said to Boaz, “You buy the land.”” (v7-8) Now, ladies and gentlemen, dear readers… Was this Judo? Aikido? 🥋 While “the objective of competitive judo is to throw an opponent, immobilize them with a pin, or force an opponent to submit with a joint lock or a choke.” See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judo “the primary goal in the practice of aikido is to overcome oneself instead of cultivating violence or aggressiveness.” Aikido's fundamental principles include “movements that redirect the opponent's attack momentum.” See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aikido Does it feel like anyone is attacking anyone here? No, and that's what's so amazing about what's going down here. These were some slick moves, that's for sure. Dear reader, this life that we live isn't a game, but it is war. And every once in a while someone comes along, like Hamas, and forces you to pick sides when they force your choices to be a dichotomy; you or them. War requires moves. Now, here's the thing. You don't have to pay THEIR game. Executing God's strategies and tactics are always an option. Usually there are options beyond the ones you can see with the naked eye. 👁️ You can be like; “How about BOTH of us? You AND me?” Dear reader; you and I- we- can do what God wants us to do, first. His ways are usually best. Think about what just happened here between Boaz and the family redeemer. The family redeemer is offering Boaz exactly what Boaz wanted. And, by the way, let it be known that Boaz was in a position to purchase and finance the transaction, but more in that later. I can totally picture a business guru up on a stage trying to sell you his course, book, a mastermind, some conference, business event, or retreat experience, promising that if you do what he or she says you should do, then your opponents will then give you what YOU want. “How great would it be if other people offered you what you wanted?” The guru says. “What if you could get others to do exactly what you want?” Well, dear reader, YOU can't. You don't control other people. But do you know who does have the ability to powerfully sway the people around you? Elohim; The True God of the Israelites revealed through the Protestant Bible. And He has specific instructions and guidance for you. Somehow I doubt that Boaz was this smart or this shrewd all on his own. Boaz was able to pull moves like this- helping others offer him exactly what he wanted- precisely because he was the kind of man that deeply internalized statements like the one he made a few chapters ago; “May the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully for what you have done.”” That was Boaz, talking with Ruth in chapter 2 verse 12. Boaz was a godly man, remember? He draws attention to Elohim- the God of Israel- His Lord, more than he does to himself. He's able to see other people who've taken refuge under God's wings precisely because he himself is under God's covering. Dear reader, are you sure you are under God’s covering? It's easier to see who's in the room, when you're in it. 💡 Are you in the room? 🚪 Have you walked through that door? I guess this is all a long way of saying, do you want to be a wise, knowledgable person, as shrewd as Boaz in this part of story? Then, maybe take refuge under the wings of the Lord, the God of Israel, by learning from Him what He has for you, including His guidance and instructions for you. I was recently reading in Job chapter 28, verses 23 through 28, NLT, this; “God alone understands the way to wisdom; he knows where it can be found, for he looks throughout the whole earth and sees everything under the heavens. He decided how hard the winds should blow and how much rain should fall. He made the laws for the rain and laid out a path for the lightning. Then he saw wisdom and evaluated it. He set it in place and examined it thoroughly. And this is what he says to all humanity: ‘The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.’” Job is a book about 10 books past Ruth in a typical Protestant Bible. Elohim- the God of Israel- described in Job is no different than the God orchestrating things in the book of Ruth. Selah. What might be happening right now is... YOUR understanding of this True and Magnificent God is expanding. You're now seeing and experiencing Him in a way you never have before. Now, remember, Elohim is eternal. He doesn't live inside of time that He might change. Change is an attribute associated with time. God invented the timeline you and I live in. Elohim lives outside of time, therefore He doesn’t change. Boaz knows this Magnificent, Awe-Inspiring God. He's got a relationship with Elohim that brought him to THIS point. The point where this family redeemer is giving Boaz exactly what Boaz wants. And Boaz didn't have to manipulate the family redeemer or anyone else into giving him what he wanted. Nope. He was following Godly principles that we are learning about right here, right now. Let’s continue reading the chapter. “Then Boaz said to the elders and to the crowd standing around, “You are witnesses that today I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelech, Kilion, and Mahlon. And with the land I have acquired Ruth, the Moabite widow of Mahlon, to be my wife. This way she can have a son to carry on the family name of her dead husband and to inherit the family property here in his hometown. You are all witnesses today.”” (v9-10) So, Boaz is marrying Ruth after all. And through this process, both she and her mother-in-law Naomi are being redeemed by a man who is able to redeem because he himself is under God's protection and provision. Prosperity and Fame... “Then the elders and all the people standing in the gate replied, “We are witnesses! May the Lord make this woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, from whom all the nation of Israel descended! May you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem.” (v11) Have you ever heard the aphorism “the rich get richer and the poor get poorer?” It's attributed to Percy Bysshe Shelley, a Brittish writer and English Romantic Poet. It's a reference to Matthew 25 in the New Testament where Jesus tells a story some call “The Parable of the Talents” (ESV) or “The Parable of the Bags of Gold” (NIV) or “Parable of the Three Servants” (NLT) “To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.” Matthew 25:29, NLT See biblegateway.com/passage/?se… Boaz's part to play in this story is proof that this is true. That often the rich really do get richer and the poor really do get poorer. But a good question to ask here is; why? Why do the rich get richer and the poor get poorer? And a good point might be; it's not always because of injustice. Sometimes it's because of justice. It's just to do right and get right. It's just to do wrong and get wrong. It is Just; that is fair. A lot of people complain about life being unfair. We want a fair life, right? All the time? Or only when “fairness” benefits us? Fair is only fair when it is fair all the time, not just sometimes. Boaz was doing right. No injustice is taking place here. No sorrow is coming to anyone here. Boaz is behaving correctly. He was already wealthy and influential, and we see him literally prospering even more in both of those ways in this part of the story. That prosperity and influence allows him to redeem others because he is behaving correctly in the world, which gives him more prosperity and influence. It's a virtuous cycle. A cycle Boaz is in because he's under Elohim's care. When people in this world often say “the rich get richer and the poor get poorer,” they are often complaining about injustice. As a result, many believe that it's wrong for “the rich get richer and the poor get poorer,” but the reality is actually something different. See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_ri… We continue. “And may the Lord give you descendants by this young woman who will be like those of our ancestor Perez, the son of Tamar and Judah.”” (v12) Oh! Here’s the part about a famous son. 👶🏼 “So Boaz took Ruth into his home, and she became his wife. When he slept with her, the Lord enabled her to become pregnant, and she gave birth to a son.” (v13) How cool is it that there's an obvious nod to God in this verse? I mean, while Boaz slept with Ruth, and I'm sure they had a great time, wink, wink, ahem, it was “the Lord” that “enabled her to become pregnant.” So many people take credit for making babies. But the truth is that they can't. Life comes from Life and through life. Mind the capitalization there. Life, as in God, creates new life. We may be alive, and we may mingle, but that doesn't mean we can create life from scratch. What we can do is allow ourselves to remix; to be used by God- Life- to create new life. Many people enjoy the pleasures of sex and love-making without creating new life. Creating life is not up to us, it's up to Him; look up. ☝🏼 Life doesn’t come from us, it comes through us; we remix the Life God creates. “Then the women of the town said to Naomi, “Praise the Lord, who has now provided a redeemer for your family! May this child be famous in Israel. May he restore your youth and care for you in your old age. For he is the son of your daughter-in-law who loves you and has been better to you than seven sons!”” (v14-15) Ruth and Boaz's brand new son is born! “Naomi took the baby and cuddled him to her breast. And she cared for him as if he were her own.” (v16) Naomi gave birth through the gift that was Ruth. Ladies, YOUR child doesn't have to come through your body. God can and often does use other people to give you gifts. “The neighbor women said, “Now at last Naomi has a son again!” And they named him Obed. He became the father of Jesse and the grandfather of David.” (v17) His name is Obed. Obed, the grandfather of King David. King David, the one who's bloodline on earth brought us Jesus. That's what the genealogical record in verses 18 through 22 of this chapter show us. And so, Elohim blows all our socks off. 🧦 Through the story of Ruth, we got to see how God was involved in the day-to-day joys and hardships of these character's lives. And because God is Eternal, because He doesn't change, through this story, we can see how God is involved in the day-to-day joys and hardships of OUR lives, when we work with Him. Dear reader, Are you working with, or against Elohim? Why? Did you know He is for you? See teapaw.org/getraf/status/14… . About the Author: Hey guys, I introduced myself as Rafael in my last Scripture Journal. 😃 When I was four I decided to trust what some people were showing and telling me about the way the world is, because the way they saw things and communicated their beliefs made the most sense to me. Since then I've benefitted a lot from holding a compass orienting True North. Eventually I learned that compass is a Who, and His name is Jesus; the God-Man claiming to be the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Now I create, make better, destroy, and practice living with an aim of less regrets for those I love like my children, sisters, parents, extended family, and friends. You're welcome to come along! Let's go. 🫶 🫵 . Links To see parallel translations for Ruth 4 in the ESV / NIV / NLT try this: biblegateway.com/passage/?se… This Scripture Journal completes series 1 for Ruth. There are four entries, one for each chapter. Scripture Journals in this series: Ruth 4 (this one) - getraf.blog/scripture-journa… Ruth 3 - getraf.blog/scripture-journa… Ruth 2 - getraf.blog/scripture-journa… Ruth 1 - getraf.blog/scripture-journa… . That's it for now dear reader. Thanks for joining me on this adventurous journey towards Truth. You're the best. This is Rafael signing off from Northern Virginia, December 2023. Initially published on my Twitter / X timeline March of 2024 because I live IRL, not just online. God Loves you!