Our Daily Bread 31 October 2017 Devotional – Ruth’s Story

Topic: Ruth’s Story — Tuesday October 31, 2017.

Read: Romans 10:1–13, Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 22–23; Titus 1

Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Romans 10:13

Ruth cannot tell her story without tears. In her mid-eighties and unable to get around much anymore, Ruth may not appear to be a central figure in our church’s life. She depends on others for rides, and because she lives alone she doesn’t have a huge circle of influence.

But when she tells us her story of salvation—as she does often—Ruth stands out as a remarkable example of God’s grace. Back when she was in her thirties, a friend invited her to go to a meeting one night. Ruth didn’t know she was going to hear a preacher. “I wouldn’t have gone if I knew,” she says. She already had “religion,” and it wasn’t doing her any good. But go she did. And she heard the good news about Jesus that night.

Now, more than fifty years later, she cries tears of joy when she talks of how Jesus transformed her life. That evening, she became a child of God. Her story never grows old.

It doesn’t matter if our story is similar to Ruth’s or not. What does matter is that we take the simple step of putting our faith in Jesus and His death and resurrection. The apostle Paul said, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom. 10:9).

That’s what Ruth did. You can do that too. Jesus redeems, transforms, and gives us new life.

Belonging to Christ is not rehabilitation; it’s re-creation.

Insight:

The redemption provided by Christ is the only basis for receiving eternal life. Why is it impossible to be saved through our own good works?

This message was written By Dave Branon [Our Daily Bread Ministries.]