Death

Death has been weighing heavily on my heart lately. Yesterday, I got word that my friend's baby girl passed away. She was 7 months old and had a severe asthma attack & a collapsed lung. I've been thinking- why? Why her? It doesn't seem fair. I know though that God has a plan.
In Psalm 139:16, "Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." This is comforting to me, knowing that God has every day written out for us. No amount of worrying, or anything can change that.
We have to know and trust that God has a greater plan for us. God's plan is the best plan. We may not like the things He does, but He knows best. We have to trust in God. Even when times are tough. Even when we feel like He's not "there". He always is.. and he always will be.
Reading: Psalm 139:16; Psalm 147:3; John 14:1-3
Reflecting:
-How do you feel knowing that there is nothing about you that is not written out in God's book?
-When tragedy strikes, do you feel comfort knowing that God is in control?
-When something bad happens, do you take comfort in knowing that God is there? Or do you feel like God "disappeared"?

The Power of Friendship

To be honest with you I don't have very many friends. I have my family and then a handful of people I keep close. I am 18 years old and many kids my age are still concerned with being popular and well-known. This just isn't a concern to me because I know that that handful of people will be there for me through and through and they have proven this time and time again. In the old testament the book of Ruth is such a powerful statement of friendship and family bonds.

In Ruth a woman, Naomi, loses her husband and then two sons and is left only with her daughter in-laws. Naomi decides she is going to go back to her hometown because there is nothing there for her anymore. Her two daughter in-laws protest but Naomi insisted that they go back to where they came from. One girl agrees to go but Ruth insists on staying with her mother in law. This was a huge deal in these Bible days because then a God was considered to rule only over one geographical region. A Moabite (what Ruth and her sister Orpah were) were going to be a disadvantage in Israel and Naomi didn't expect them to believe in her God. Pay special attention to verses 1:16-18 because these show a huge sacrifice. Ruth is willing to leave her own God no matter what it cost her to be with her mother in law. How many people do you know that would do this for you?

Reading:

Ruth 1.

Reflection:

-Do you surround yourself with people like Ruth who are willing to sacrifice everything, including the wrath of God for you?

-Are you a loving enough person to do this for anyone?

-Who knows what Ruth would have done had the circumstances been different. How much would it take for you to do this for someone? Death, sickness, or that they're just plain lonely?