“Now it is true that I am a close relative; however, there is a kinsman closer than I. Remain this night, and when morning comes, if he will redeem you, good; let him redeem you. But if he does not wish to redeem you, then I will redeem you, as the Lord lives. Lie down until the morning.”
— Ruth 3:12-13
In spite of our behavior, for some reason we are very sure of ourselves. This self-confidence replaces Christ. We trust in our own ability to follow Christ, thinking that we know how to satisfy Him and how to serve Him. We don’t. Instead, there is a closer kinsman than Christ, someone closer to whom we yield. That is our natural man, who is attempting to please God apart from Christ. By default, our natural man is our closest kinsman.
Adapted from Ruth: Growth Unto Maturity, pages 82-83.
Monday: “‘I Compare You, My Love, to a Mare….'”