Today’s readings.. (Ruth 3,4), (Isaiah 45), (Revelation 1,2)

First, we read today of the climax to the life of Naomi and her Moabite daughter-in-law Ruth, an example of how tragedy can turn out, in the end, to be a blessing and become one of the building blocks, as it were, as part of God’s overall plan and purpose – and so Ruth became the great grandmother of David.  God oversees human life and, “for those who love God all things work together for good” [Romans 8 v.28];  essentially this is for the good of his purpose.

In our Isaiah reading we see how the Almighty stresses he is the originator of all that exists – and has an ultimate purpose in view. “I am the LORD and there is no other.  I form the light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity.  I am the LORD who does all these things.” [45 v.6,7]  We also noted that he says, “it was my hands that stretched out the heavens” [v.12] and nearly all scientists are now agreed that everything spread out, apparently to infinity, from a big bang! But most think it was by ‘chance’!

We noted in particular v.15, “Truly you are a God who hides yourself”  We have to apply our minds to realize there must be a Creator, an utterly incredible designer.  The efforts over the last 150 years to prove beyond doubt that Darwinian evolution is true – have ended in dismal failure – although not all are honest enough to admit this – but a surprising number are. 

The question in v.9 is so interesting, so appropriate for God to ask – “Woe to him (or her) who strives with him who formed him, a pot among earthen pots!  Does the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ or ‘Your work has no handles’? “ We know that God’s work has “handles” – we mentally grasp them the more diligently we read the Bible!  How good is your grasp?  We all need to work at getting a really firm grip on the true meaning of life – and then to feel inspired by our heart-felt awareness of what God is making – and the utterly awesome wonders to come when his work is complete, described to us, largely in symbolic language, as we read on in the book of Revelation.