#Conforming

It is hard to imagine what a widow's life was like four thousands years ago. Today, we have Social Security Insurance and phones and grocery stores around the corner. Back in the day when Naomi became a widow while living in a foreign country, she became almost destitute.There was no government assistance. She was alone with no income. Her two sons had died also and she was left with two daughters-in-law and no grandchildren. Her only thought was to get back to her homeland. It would be a long, dangerous walk.

One daughter-in-law committed to walking back with her. Ruth was demonstrating extreme loving-kindness by doing this. She was willing to leave her own country and family and friends to befriend her mother-in-law. The Book of Ruth in the Old Testament tells the story of these two women and how God worked in their lives. This book is filled with the word 'Hesed'. Hesed means loving-kindness, loyalty, mercy, steadfastness. The story brings in Boaz who also demonstrated hesed to Ruth and Naomi. It is almost a fairy tale with a happy ending.

This hesed life is a way of life that is willing to go the extra mile in meeting other's needs. This kind of life is what God wants for each of His children. The salvation Jesus bought for us by His extreme loving-kindness and quickening our spirits with His Spirit is to be worked out in our lives. His perfect life is placed in us and it is up to us to let it all hang out. There are people all around us that are needy. The only question we should go to God over is 'how' He thinks we should help. We should always be willing to extend loving-kindness.

God is always working to conform each of us into the image of His First Born Son. He will bring all sorts of circumstances and all sorts of people into your life and as you cooperate with Him, you will be conformed into a real son (or daughter) of God and your life will be an 'Hesed' way of life.