December Devotions and Doodles – Day 4
December Devotions and Doodles – Day 4 (December 4)
Scripture Reading: Ruth 4:13-22
13 Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. He slept with her, and the Lord granted conception to her, and she gave birth to a son. 14 The women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you without a family redeemer today. May his name become well known in Israel. 15 He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. Indeed, your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” 16 Naomi took the child, placed him on her lap, and became his nanny. 17 The neighbor women said, “A son has been born to Naomi,” and they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.
18 Now these are the family records of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron, 19 Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab, 20 Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon, 21 Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed, 22 Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.
December 4 Devotional: The Importance of Family
You may think that a passage from the Book of Ruth is a strange choice for a Christmas devotional series. The connection might not be immediately clear, but it is so powerful.
I love this particular section of Ruth. When Boaz marries Ruth and they have a baby, Grandma Naomi is included in this beautiful, ordinary, blended family.
Grandma = Nanny
After my husband and I had my son, I needed to go back to work part-time. We moved to be closer to my in-laws and my mother-in-law kept Judah while I was at work. She was like a second mother to both my kids.
Then, this summer, we moved into a new home with my in-laws. It has a large walk-out basement which is basically a second home in the same house for them. I love it! I love that my kids are getting to spend so much time with their grandparents and that we are so close.
We Can’t See the Future
While we live this ordinary life, we can’t see what the future holds, but I already realize what a treasure it is that their grandparents are a big part of their lives. They get to see and hear their grandparents praying and faithfully attending church. They reap the benefits of watching mature spiritual reactions to problems that arise and how we never stop studying the Word of God and learning more about Him.
The Sweetest Part is Yet to Come
The sweetest part is the part we can’t possibly foresee. How will this blessing of family affect the children and grandchildren and great grandchildren of my own children?
Boaz was a faithful and responsible relative to marry the widowed Ruth. Ruth was in desperate need and Boaz was a kind and generous answer to her problems. Naomi brought them together to keep starvation and homelessness at bay.
They had no idea that their family was designed by God for the most incredible purpose in history.
Of the House and Family Line of David
The second section of today’s scripture passage tells us that Boaz and Ruth’s son was named Obed. Obed had a son named Jesse. Jesse had a son named David. This is the David who became King David and the direct ancestor of Jesus.
4 Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David, 5 to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him and was pregnant. Luke 2:4-5
This ordinary family that was formed out of need and generosity led to the birth of the Savior of the world.
December 4 – Action Step:
Our families today are important. We have no idea how important they are because we cannot see the future. If there is a rift in your family, take the time today (December 4) to reach out and make amends. It may not have been your fault, but you can be the one who is responsible enough to make the first attempt to repair the relationship.
How good and pleasant it is
when brothers live together in harmony! Psalm 133:1
Prayer:
Dear God, thank you that you see so much farther into the future than we ever could. Thank you for our families that you have put together. Help us to live in unity with them, passing on our love for you from generation to generation. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Drawing Tutorial – December 4: How to Draw a Gingerbread Family
- The basic gingerbread person shape starts with a circle for a head.
- Imagine tearing a loaf of french bread in half and draw one half on one side of the circle and the other half on the other side.
- Add a line down on each side that slopes out slightly at the bottom.
- Draw half an oval with an elongated side on the bottom. Connect the two ends with shape of a slice of pizza.
- Two triangles and a square make a bow tie. Three circles adds buttons.
- Finish up with icing loop-de-loops on the arms and legs
***Feel free to play around with different embellishments to change up each member of your gingerbread family, such as putting the bowtie on top of the head for a hairbow. You can also change the size for a father, mother, and children.
Click here to check out other posts in this series: December Devotions and Doodles!