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Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman. And Eli said to her, “How long will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you.” 1 Samuel 1:13-14 I’m sure some people had their suspicions about…
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And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the LORD had closed her womb. 1 Samuel 1:6 While on a summer job once during my college years, I worked with an older woman who had a deep raspy voice from years of smoking. I did a pretty good impression of her,…
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Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse. Ruth 4:16 Recently, I found myself recounting the story of the day the DEA showed up in my life, demanding that I surrender my license to prescribe controlled substances. I’d been caught diverting opioids for my own use, and it…
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Then the redeemer said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I impair my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it.” Ruth 4:6 My son’s first word wasn’t “Mommy” or “Daddy”, but “Hot”. When he was a toddler, we had a wood burning stove, which he really wanted to…
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She replied, “Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out, for the man will not rest but will settle the matter today.” Ruth 3:18 Like most of us, when properly motivated, I can be persistent, not letting up until I accomplish what I set out to do. This can be for good…
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Remain tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the LORD lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning.” Ruth 3:13 I write often enough about my self-destructive nature, that anyone reading may think that…
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He said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer.” Ruth 3:9 When I first met my wife, I was immediately in love. She was not. I knew from the beginning that she was the woman I wanted to marry, but…
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Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, should I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you?” Ruth 3:1 I’ve always loved being a parent. It’s defined much of who I am and has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. Many times, as my kids…
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And Naomi said to Ruth, her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, lest in another field you be assaulted.” Ruth 2:22 It’s late winter in Minnesota and though we haven’t had a ton of snow, we’ve had our share of cold and ice, which means patients slipping,…
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When she rose to glean, Boaz instructed his young men, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her. And also pull out some from the bundles for her and leave it for her to glean, and do not rebuke her.” Ruth 2:15-16 The other day, my wife asked me if…
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