Ruth 4:11-12

Then the elders and all the people at the gate said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. Through the offspring the Lord gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.” - Ruth 4:11-12

Dear Lord,

You gave Boaz, Naomi, and Ruth good friends who supported them and encouraged them with prayers and positive words.  They were risking lots of things by living as servant leaders.  The blessing of their friends must have helped their world make sense to them.  Give me friends who will encourage and pray for me.  Make me the kind of friend that encourages others and really prays for them too. Also, I see in this verse how you started to show your hand that it's not just a story but it also shows us how you were protecting the ancestral line of your Son, our Savior.  Thank you for showing your hand.  It encourages our faith in your Saving work and redemptive heart. 

AMEN

Pastor Don Patterson

An encouraging friend is a rare gem ornamenting the committed life of any servant.