Devotional Thoughts

Ruth 1:14-17     "And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.  (15)  And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.  (16)  And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:  (17)  Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me." The book of Ruth is a wonderful love story in the Bible. It begins with a struggle in the homeland of Elimelech and Naomi. "There was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons." The beginning of this story reminds me of the movie, "Grapes of Wrath,"...

Matthew 14:9-13     " And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath's sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her.   And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison.  And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother.  And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.  When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities."   Herod (the king under consideration) learned a difficult lesson. It is one that we would do well to heed. Herod was having a good time being celebrated, and it had gone to his head. Without any consideration for the consequences, he made a very public promise to his stepdaughter that she could have anything she wanted as a reward for entertaining him and his guests. It did not matter that he was sorr...