"The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord...under whose wings you have come to take refuge." Ruth 2:12

As a young child I enjoyed having pastors, missionaries, and evangelists autograph my Bible. They were my heroes. One particular signature was very meaningful to me: that of Evangelist Don Brown, who was preaching the revival during which I accepted Christ. He signed with a flourish and added "Ruth 2:12". From that moment on, it was a favorite verse of mine. And yet, as a 10-year old girl, I could not possibly understand the full meaning. Now in my middle adult years, I'm starting to comprehend the awesome power of those words.

In the book of Ruth, we read of Naomi who lost her husband and two sons. According to her view, God had dealt bitterly with her. Her daughter-in-law, Ruth, though mourning her own loss stayed by her side. Perhaps they were able to comfort one another in their grief. But such great, life-changing tragedy did not mean God had forgotten them. He was there all the time and His plan was to bless in a way they could never imagine. Boaz took notice of Ruth, and the rest of the story is that she became an important link in the ancestral line of David through which Christ was born.

I also have felt the bitter pain of loneliness and loss. With sometimes faltering faith, I have run under the refuge of the Lord's wings, praying for strength to make it through another day, another month. Those strong wings have comforted me and God has not forgotten the times I pushed myself to reach out to others in spite of my own weakness. Now, wounds not so fresh and a little more healed, God lifts me gently up and says "Child, I have a plan for you that you never could have imagined." When least expected, God stirred the heart and someone took notice. He didn't forget me. He won't forget you.

"But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever. Amen." 2 Peter 3:18

It's been almost 3 months since I discovered that my pineapple plant of 6 years was actually producing fruit. Many people have asked me how it is doing, so I took a picture today. You can see it's doing quite well! It is growing so well I realized the pot it was planted in was not going to be adequate in another month or two. So I purchased a larger pot and had fun transferring it to a bigger spot to grow. I only ended up with a few scratches in the process. (Those leaves are very thorny!)

Adequate soil, water, and sunshine seems to be the magic for growing a pineapple. Thinking on this, my mind was drawn to the book of 2 Peter. Chapter three is packed full of growth principles for Christians:

• vs 2 Be mindful of the words spoken before by the holy prophets (study the bible!)
• vs 8-9 Be not ignorant of God's promises concerning his coming
  
• vs 11 Be holy in your daily living
• vs 17 Beware that you re not led astray by error and fall from your own stedfastness
• vs 18 Grow in grace
• vs 18 Grow in knowledge of Jesus

How are you growing?

More about Jesus would I know
More of His grace to others show
More of His saving fullness see
More of His love who died for me

More about Jesus let me learn
More of His holy will discern
Spirit of God, my teacher be
Showing the things of Christ to me

More, more about Jesus
More, more about Jesus
More of His saving fullness see
More of His love who died for me

(Hymn: More About Jesus by J.R. Sweney)

Labels: pineapple, spiritual growth