Christ PCA Temecula

Last Sunday we left Naomi for the first time in a long time, a good word to say about the Lord. The famine is behind them, but Ruth still has no husband, Naomi still has no future. So Naomi devises a plan that sends Ruth to the threshing floor at night, puts a worthy man to the test, and runs straight into an obstacle. Join us Sunday as we walk through Ruth 3 and see poor counsel, character proven, and the Redeemer's commitment.

The fields of Bethlehem are brimming with barley, but their pantry is bare. Naomi is convinced her life is running on empty. God begins filling Naomi's emptiness, not with a miracle or a voice from heaven, but through a woman gleaning in a field, a worthy man showing her kindness, and a string of advantageous happenstances. Ruth 2 shows us how hope gleans, hope favors, and how hope is found in God's happenstances.

Last Sunday we left Naomi in Moab after ten years, three graves, and seemingly little reason to hope. But then word came that the LORD had visited his people and given them food. What follows is a remarkable journey as Naomi and Ruth go to Bethlehem and consider what it means to find our way home again.

We begin a new sermon series through the Book of Ruth. It's a riveting story that begins amid incredible sorrow, as a pleasant life is flipped upside down. Life for Naomi proves hard, God seems quiet, and yet, underneath it all, the Lord our God is at work in the hearts and lives of ordinary people.

What raises up a man brought low? Psalm 8 brings us to a tired man who by every right ought to be asleep, but is out under the stars. But in the quiet of a starry night, David looks up and marvels at the majesty of the God whose glory fills the heavens and the earth, and then wonders why such a God would be mindful of little ol' us.

What do we do when our name is dragged through the mud?? Psalm 7 is sung by a man accused of evils he did not commit. David does not first argue his case publicly, he runs first to the LORD, surrendering his name and reputation and trusts that God will be his refuge and warrior.

What do we do when trouble piles up, our strength gives way, and our God seemingly gets the slows? Psalm 6 gives us words for such days. With worn-down body and soul, surrounded by enemies, and weary from waiting, David does not bury his grief or clean himself or his sorrows up before praying to the Lord. Instead, he cries out for grace, appealing not to what he deserves but to the steadfast love of the Lord.

Some mornings begin with trouble already waiting for us. Psalm 5 gives us David's prayer for such a morning. Before facing his enemies or whatever else the day might hold, David brings his words and even his groanings before the Lord. He remembers who God is, asks to be led in God's way, and waits expectantly for him.

Psalm 4 is a song for the dark, restless nights when fear, anger, and uncertainty feel overwhelming. David refuses to let those voices have the final word. Instead, he turns to the Lord: God hears his people, sets them apart, and the light of countenance shines upon them. Psalm 4 shows that faith doesn’t require our circumstances to change before we can have joy and peace.

Message from Rev. Joel Fitzpatrick on