My Book Report (Chapter 16): Every Day A Friday

Overcoming Discouragement

It's truly is a time to rejoice when you can look at your life and see the many times a picture of “Overcoming Discouragement” become a display of beauty for all to see.

Chapter sixteen of Joel Osteen's Every Day A Friday is chocked full of such portraits of beauty.


I want to share one with you. It's in the Book of Ruth, and it took place during a time where many people that once followed God were now following their own ways that were leading to great hurt, struggle and pain (does it sound familiar?)


There was a woman named Naomi. She and her husband left their homeland as things weren't to well there in search of another place to stay. Naomi was certainly a blessed woman. Both her and her husband faithfully followed the Lord. They had two sons. 

Eventually those two boys married. But then a season of great hurt, pain and struggle came to Naomi. Not because of a desire to not follow the Lord, but because there are things that happen that we simply do not have understanding over. 

Naomi's husband died and later both her sons died. Naomi was left with her two daughter-in-laws; Orpah and Ruth. After some time Naomi filled with great sadness and bitterness decided to return to her homeland a childless widow, in which would've been disastrous as in those times widows were despised. They had no inheritance as it was left to the sons and most certainly she'd end up a poor woman “out on the street.”

But Naomi wasn't aware of the plan that God was already unfolding. A plan of overcoming discouragement in a tough time. 


As Naomi walked back with her daughter-in-laws to Bethlehem, she told them to return back home where they could certainly remarry and be blessed with children and not cursed with becoming destitute as she saw herself as. It was a sad moment in all their lives. After they all cried and embraced one another, Orpah listened to her mother-in-law's suggestion yet Ruth with an even greater desire to remain faithfully and obediently by her mother-in-law's side although her future seemed bleak as a childless widow just like Naomi, she continued on with her.

Ruth went on to say words that went down in history as a declaration of true faith-in-action. Here's Ruth's Words:

But Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me."

Through such determination ,what would unfold, none of them could have seen or imagined. Ruth went onto marry a rich and influential man. Naomi gained a new perspective on life, and none of them ended up destitute. But that is the least of blessings that came to them from God.

God had even greater plans for their future. Naomi & Ruth, and Ruth's husband (Boaz) would unknowingly take part in History's greatest love story ever told. 

Ruth's son (Obed), would be part of the Bloodline that would unveil the Messiah; the Promised King, which is Jesus. As Obed, would be the father of Jesse, who was the father of King David, who received the promise that the Messiah (Savior) would come from his royal Bloodline. Amen!

So you see beloved, although things may look bleak outwardly, and times of sadness, trouble, bitterness and despair may come upon us all. If we will stay in faith, blessings of abundance will follow. Amen Lord Jesus! 



My Takeaway:

God is faithful. God is good. Even when we can't see that bright side in life, it's faith that will cause us to rise to the occasion and in doing so, what God had started He will finish and we will reap the blessings through it. Amen.

Beloved, if you find yourself going through or you have gone through such perilous times such as Naomi, Ruth and Orpah. Let your faith shine like the dawning of a new day like Ruth, and declare that no matter what! You will stay in faith and continue to follow what the Lord is leading you through, and I believe and declare in Jesus name, your blessings in the end will far outweigh your blessings in the beginning. Amen!

As always...YOU ARE LOVED.