God With Us...

The Thanksgiving meal has been enjoyed and the children sent home with Darling daughter and Dear son-in-love to help them move over the weekend.  I spend the evening rereading and preparing for Advent.  I print, cut-out, glue, and tie knots getting the Jesse Tree tags ready.  

Wednesday night ladies Bible study has been on the book of Ruth.  I’ve read the words from the book of Ruth, as well as the study author¹, and with new eyes have felt drawn to the King's Table during the time of Thanksgiving.  Now as Advent begins I read the words of Boaz with fresh eyes.

The first words Boaz speaks rings through history, which is only fitting as Boaz becomes an ancestor for the the Messiah, 

“The Lord be with you!”.  

His words continue to ring as God gives Isaiah a prophecy and later an angel of the Lord appears to Joseph and confirms, “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:  “The virgin will be child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him 

Immanuel – which means “God with us.”

Should we ever have cause to doubt or lose hope, Jesus gives comfort of His presence before He returns to heaven, “And surely 

I am with you always, 

to the very end of the age.”  

We light the candles, hang the ornaments, and read the words of Advent – anticipating the celebration of Jesus first coming.  My mind is stuck on the coming of Boaz who foreshadowed the coming of The Redeemer.  The first coming of Jesus that brought redemption through His blood.   My mind is remains with the fact that He is with me, He will always be with me.
These words persist and lead me to Jesus second coming and John’s vision as written in the book of Revelation - which is drawing to a close in chapter 21.  “From the throne a loud voice says,

“Now the dwelling of God is with men and

he will live with them. 

They will be his people, and

God himself will be with them

and be their God.”

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¹ Ruth: loss, love, & legacy by Kelly Minter
Photo of our Jesse Tree. I have been using A Jesus Advent Celebration; Jesse Tree Journey by Ann Voskamp.