Dear Church Family,

Hope you experienced some of the rains this week—what a great reminder of God’s grace and provision. We continue to ask for prayer for our Serbia team and later this month, our team going to Columbia. This is a new partnership I am excited about. Some have asked me about the fruit coming from the disciplines from my message Sunday, so here they are— having a quiet time with the LORD each day, being in community with others such as Life Group, using your spiritual gifts to serve the Body of Christ, and sharing your faith. Also, I read another great article by Chad Bird—

‎The little book of Ruth is packed with Hebrew treasures. Here are five of my favorites.

‎1. Chesed (חסד): Steadfast Love
‎When Naomi blesses Ruth and Orpah, she prays that the Lord will show them chesed (Ruth 1:8). No single English word captures its richness. It is steadfast love, covenant faithfulness, mercy, and loving-kindness all wrapped into one. Ultimately, chesed is what God demonstrates in Christ, who is the Father’s steadfast love made flesh.

‎2. Marar (מרר): Bitterness
‎After losing her husband and sons, Naomi says, “Don’t call me Naomi [Pleasant]. Call me Mara [Bitter]” (Ruth ⁦‪1:20‬⁩). She doesn’t hide her pain behind clichés. She laments honestly before God. The Lord who heard Naomi’s bitter cries also hears ours.

‎3. Nakar (נכר): Noticing the Unnoticed
‎Ruth asks Boaz, “Why have you taken notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” (Ruth ⁦‪2:10‬⁩). In Hebrew, there’s a beautiful wordplay. Boaz nakar [נָכַר] the nokri [נָכְרִי]. He notices the unnoticed. That’s exactly what our Redeemer does. He sees those the world overlooks.

‎4. Kanaf (כנף): Spread Your Wing
‎When Ruth asks Boaz to “spread [his] wing” over her (Ruth 3:9), she’s asking him to marry her. The kanaf is both a wing and the corner of a garment. Her bold request points us to Christ, our Redeemer, under whose wings we find refuge, and as his bride, the church, we live.

‎5. Go’el (גאל): Redeemer
‎Boaz is Ruth’s go’el, her kinsman-redeemer. A go’el was a close relative who stepped in to rescue, protect, restore, or redeem a family member in need. Boaz fulfills that role for Ruth, but in doing so he also points beyond himself to Jesus, our true Go’el. Christ has redeemed us, not with silver or gold, but with his own blood, making us part of his family forever.

‎Ruth is more than a love story. It’s a story of chesed, honest lament, surprising grace, bold faith, and the Go’el whose redeeming grace reaches all the way to us.

Press On!

Mark

P.S. I decided to make a P.S. each week to remind you all to ignore any communications that seem to be from me asking for money or gift cards. It is a common scam out there. Also, I invite you to come pray with me every Wednesday at noon in the church prayer room!