Everyone has some kind of inheritance. It could be as simple as a sacred picture, a journal, or as grand as an IRA account or a home. What ever the case, it is something that has been gifted to us. In the Kingdom of God, our inheritance is the most precious gift of the Holy Spirit. God has graced the church in Christ with all things through the seal of the Holy Spirit. He continues to carry on the work of our Lord and Savior and writes the power of the gospel on the tablet of our heart through all of life. As we become like helpless little children, the Spirit helps us to believe when we cannot see and understand what we do not know. How beautiful are God’s mysteries that we should be in his grand plan of revealing his glory through his precious ones!

My dear mom and dad are greatly missed. Upon their homegoing, our inheritance did involve some material things, but we siblings agree that the greatest legacy of all passed down for generations to come was the beauty and simplicity of knowing Jesus. No frills, accolades, or accomplishments concerned my parents, but only empowering and equipping us with gospel for daily living to be fleshed out by the Holy Spirit. Everything in our lives flowed from this. What inheritance have you passed down to your children or grands? To work hard, to persevere, to accomplish great things, or to teach and admonish them in the ways of Jesus? As we enter the final chapter of Ruth, I am amazed at God’s infinite and abundant glory! What then shall we say? How God takes an “outsider,” as we might say, and weaves her into the tapestry of Christ, a partaker of our rich inheritance. Only the Creator of the universe could arrange such events.

Boaz fulfilled the customs of Israel to obtain Ruth’s inheritance and hand in marriage along with the witnesses at the gate. They all blessed this union of God’s redemption. Boaz redeems and restores Ruth’s life with God’s full reward. Ruth becomes the great-grandmother of King David. Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer and may his name be renowned in Israel! He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is worth more than seven sons has given birth to him” (Ruth 4: 14). Ruth left everything just to gain her beautiful inheritance in the Kingdom of God. Ruth became a woman of rest: She became a covenant child; she found her kinsmen Redeemer and received her full reward through her willingness to say yes to God. Psalm 34:10 tells us, “Those who trust in the Lord will never lack for any good thing.” God’s grace rests upon this family lineage and from whom might be the least likely. Our inheritance is not about the things we gain, but solely dependent upon Christ’s work. As we rest in him and walk by faith, we too, shall receive our full inheritance.

During one of my fathers’ retirement celebrations from pastoral ministry, I had the opportunity to close the sharing on behalf of everyone there. I remarked to the people of how glad we were that many years ago my father made the choice to answer the call to Jesus Christ and go into ministry. His other option was becoming a professional golfer. He said that all he ever wanted to do was to sit on the side of the road and become a friend to man, just like the Good Samaritan. His heart was wide open to Jesus. When he first entered the Kingdom of God at the age of thirteen, he longed to experience more of the Holy Spirit, so that he could spread the love of Jesus to all. He did just that throughout his journey in life. From being the forerunner of Intervarsity, to evangelism work, to becoming a pastor of a church, my daddy never looked back. Even during the lean years of ministry, he never questioned if he made the right decision to go into ministry, because he always felt the loving arms of God over his life. This was the beginning of a new and exciting journey for my dear parents. One step at a time, God’s plan always unfolds. Today, my dear daddy is secured in his Father’s rest and fully satisfied for the journey that he encountered on this earth. May we all go and spread the beauty of our inheritance in Christ.

In Jesus name,

Amen!

Blessings

Dr. Caroline