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One day at school the history teacher told the class that the couple they were studying would have been great ex- cept for their huge ego problem. Sherwood did not hear another word that the teacher said after that. He had no idea what an “ego problem” was. -
lem” was. He had never heard of such a thing and he won- dered if it was something like a tummy problem or a hear- ing problem. So as soon as mom got home from teaching at school he would ask her. Surely she would know. When he asked her if “ego problems” hurt badly,
she laughed. “No, Sherwood,” she said, “ego problems don’t hurt the ones that have them, they annoy everybody else. The thing you will notice is that when they have an ‘ego problem,’ they really think too well of themselves, and so they think less of everybody else.” She told him that it reminded her of verses from the
book of James in the Bible where James spoke to his beloved brothers. “Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” It’s good advice. She said, “First, be quick to hear, to listen to what God is teaching you in His Word. Don’t
settle for only what the world is telling you. Second, remember the old saying that God gave you two ears and one mouth, so use your ears twice as much as your mouth. People with ‘ego problems’ appear to love the sound of their own words and simply don’t care much for the words of anyone else. It’s hard to listen and talk at the same time. Third, the person who has the ‘ego problem’ needs to practice meekness instead of meanness. The person who does not have a meek spirit has no room in his heart to respect the words of others, even the Word of God, when it does not suit him and so is in danger."
A Future and a Hope A Future and a Hope By Mary Drew Bult with Illustrations by Anna Campbell Bult
Have you experienced a time in your life when obeying God was challenging or even scary? It is not always easy to do the right thing. Often, following God can seem risky, and you
may wonder if it is even worth the cost. Does God truly know what is best? Does He truly use every aspect of life – even the trials – for the good of His people? Answers to these questions can be found in the Biblical story of Ruth. When widowed Naomi determined to return to her hometown of Bethlehem, her young
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daughter-in-law, Ruth, insisted on accompanying her. Having been born in Moab, Ruth had never visited the humble farming community of Bethlehem, but if she had any doubts about leaving her lifelong home, she did not show them – her love for Naomi overcame them all. Your people shall be my people and your God my God” (Ruth1:16). How did Ruth show such courage when her future seemed so uncertain? Ruth had faith. Sure, she was traveling to an unfamiliar land where unfamiliar people lived. Sure, she and Naomi were poor widows with few practical ways of providing for themselves. Regardless of her circumstances, Ruth did the right thing, trusting that God had a plan and that He would provide. If you are familiar with the rest of Ruth’s story, you know that God did indeed provide abundantly for His two widowed daughters. After Ruth and Naomi arrived in Bethlehem, God put a kindhearted man in their path named Boaz. Graciously Boaz supplied food for the two women and assured their safety. Before long Ruth and Boaz were married, and eventually the two were blessed with a healthy baby boy whom they named Obed. Obed would become the grandfather of King David and the forebearer of our Savior, Jesus Christ, the greatest King of all. How quickly Ruth and Naomi’s futures had brightened! How grateful Ruth was that she had obeyed God’s call to follow her mother-in-law to Bethlehem! Loving and faithful, God had given Ruth a new home, restored Naomi’s broken family, and presented the two with a beautiful reason to praise Him for the rest of their days. Are you struggling to obey God by doing the right thing? Does your future seem uncertain? Are you unsure if you can trust God? Be encour-
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aged by Ruth’s story. Remember that “for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His pur- pose” (Romans 8:28). As the masterful storywriter of the Universe, God has a plan for you. He loves you; you are safe in His hand. Obey Him. Do the right thing. Trust Him to carry you through the future. He will abundantly bless you! “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” – Jeremiah 29:11
16 The Associate Reformed Presbyterian
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