Ruthie's Inspirations

1 Kings 22, 2 Chronicles 18 And the messenger that was gone to call Micaiah spake unto him, saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets declare good unto the king with one mouth: let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak that which is good.     And Micaiah said, As the LORD liveth, what he LORD saith unto me, that will I speak.   1 Kings 22:13-14 Ahab and Jehoshaphat were about to go to war and they wanted to know if they would prevail. A bunch of prophets said that they would win and should go out to battle but God had put a lying spirit in their mouths. Jehoshaphat asked Ahab if there was another prophet of the Lord that they could enquire of. Ahab said there was but he didn't like him because he always prophesied evil against him. He sent for him anyway and the messenger implored Micaiah to just go with the crowd and prophesy good to the king. Micaiah said that he would only speak that which the Lord gave him. Even thoug...

1 Kings 20-21 And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their gods are gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.     And there came a man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the LORD, Because the Syrians have said, The LORD is God of the hills, but he is not the God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the LORD.   1 Kings 20:23,28 The Syrians assumed they had an easy victory over the Israelites because they believed that God was only God of the hills. They obviously didn't know Him very well. Because of that, God sent a man of God to tell the king of Israel that they would have the victory. Are there things in your life that you think God can't do? Do you have a false assumption or view of God that is limiting your faith in Him? God owns ever...

1 Kings 17-19 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.     And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.     And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.     And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.     And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.   1 Kings 19:4-8 Are there days where you feel weighed down with life? Where life just doesn't seem...

1 Kings 16, 2 Chronicles 17 And next him was Amasiah the son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself unto the LORD; and with him two hundred thousand mighty men of valour.   2 Chronicles 17:16 In the list of names there is one that stands out. Amasiah. It says that He willingly offered himself unto the Lord. Do you have to be twisted, forced, bribed, into serving the Lord? Do you do it because you feel guilty or pressured? To serve the Lord is a great thing but God never forces service out of us. He wants you to serve Him willingly. Do you want to serve the Lord? Will you willingly offer yourself to the Lord for Him to use as He pleases? God gave Himself for you. The least you can do is give yourself to Him.

1 Kings 15, 2 Chronicles 13-16 Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon the LORD God of their fathers.   2 Chronicles 13:18 And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded:     And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The LORD is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.     Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law.     But when they in their trouble did turn unto the LORD God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them.     And all Judah rejoiced at the oath: for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire; and he was found of them: and the LORD gave them rest round about....

2 Chronicles 10-12 So the king hearkened not unto the people: for the cause was of God, that the LORD might perform his word, which he spake by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.   2 Chronicles 10:15 There are few things more grievous than a wicked ruler. It's difficult to live under and obey government when they make decisions that go against the word of God. But God is the one who is in control and decides who gets into office. In Proverbs it says that the kings heart is in God's hand. And in the New Testament it says we are to obey and submit ourselves to the authority of our government. It can be difficult to obey and respect the office of someone who is so wicked, or who makes bad decisions against God for the place that they have rule over. But, will you choose to follow God's word and obey those that have the rule over you? Will you trust that the people in charge are the people that God allows and submit to them as unto the Lord?

1 Kings 12-14 And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.     But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying,     Speak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying,     Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is from me. They hearkened therefore to the word of the LORD, and returned to depart, according to the word of the LORD.   1 Kings 12:21-24 Rehoboam was a bad king but when a man of God told him to turn back and go home because the Lord told them not to fight, he obeyed and did as...

Proverbs 30-31 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.     Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.   Proverbs 30:5-6 There is not a single word that you can read In the Bible and it not be true. Every word is pure and can be trusted. If you put your trust in God and His word, He is like a shield and will protect you. There is also a warning that comes with this encouragement. You have to be careful not to add more to the word of God than what it already says because it will be God himself that will reprove you and you will be found a liar. Do you put more pressure on yourself or others to live above and beyond what the word of God says? Do you create rules or responsibilities to add on to the commands of God to try and be a "better Christian" or "more spiritual" in an attempt to win the favor of God and man? According to God's word, you need to obey His commandments if you lov...

1 Kings 10-11, 2 Chronicles 9 And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,     And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded.   1 Kings 11:9-10 Nothing angers, or hurts God more, or makes him more jealous than when our heart turns from Him to other gods. Solomon married women that weren't pleasing to the Lord and they led his heart away from God and he started worshipping other gods. Because of that, all but one tribe of the kingdom would be taken from his son. God loves you so much and He created you for many reasons. But one of those reasons is to have fellowship with Him. To have a relationship with Him and to love Him. To talk to Him and be faithful in our love and devotion to Him. He longs to have a close, intimate relationship with you and He wants to be your friend. When you trus...

Ecclesiastes 7-12 Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed.   Ecclesiastes 8:1 For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them.     I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.            Ecclesiastes 9:1,11 It's so easy to judge people by what they look like and the way they appear on the outside. We think that we are smart and wise enough to know what people are thinking and feeling. To know their intentions and what's in their hea...

Ecclesiastes 1-6 The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.     Then said I in my heart, as it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.     For there is no remembrance of the wise more than the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool.   Ecclesiastes 2:14-16 Wise men can see where they're going and what they are doing while fools walk in darkness. But just because you have the choice to make wise decisions or foolish decisions, there are circumstances that are beyond human control and they happen to everyone, the wise and the foolish alike. We experience the same creation that God created, we experience life and death like every other person. Eventually, we'll be forgott...

Proverbs 27-29 Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.     As the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so is a man to his praise.              Proverbs 27:2,21 Praise can be a tricky thing. It is something that most desire but cannot give ones self. There is so much pride all around us and the Bible warns that pride is a horrible thing. It is the source of all contention and it causes destruction. To praise ourselves and brag about who we are or what we do is prideful. But here it says to let other people do it. When someone pays you a compliment, you should let them, but your own praise shouldn’t come out of your own mouth and lips. You may have heard it said that you need to be careful praising others so they don't get a big head, or become full of pride. But verse twenty one says that when you praise someone, it's like when gold and si...

Proverbs 25-26 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.   Proverbs 25:2 God gave us His word and made some things very simple to understand. But there are other things that He concealed so that we would have to dig deeper into His word. It is only by the Holy Spirit that we can understand what God is saying to and teaching us. Are there questions you have that don't seem to have a simple answer? Are you willing to dig into God's word to find the truth that you’re searching for? Are you willing to spend the time and the effort to know what it is God wants you to know? On the deeper, more complex subjects it sometimes takes extra study and prayer. Do you consider it an honor to search out the answers to all of life's questions? They're in there, all you have to do is look and ask God for wisdom and understanding to see what He wants you to see and know what He wants you to know. Will you invest the resources needed ...

1 Kings 9, 2 Chronicles 8 And it came to pass, when Solomon had finished building of the house of the LORD, and the king's house, and all Solomon's desire which he was pleased to do,   1 Kings 9:1 When Solomon was done it said that He finished all his desire which he was pleased to do. When you’re doing something for the Lord, what is your attitude? Do you do it happily? Is it your pleasure to do what God wants you to? Do you obey willingly and cheerfully? When God gives you instruction is your response, yes sir and then do your Saviors bidding? Are you surrendered to do whatever it is He asks of you? Sometimes God asks you to yield your thinking, surrender your attitude and do what's right even when you've been wronged. Sometimes He asks you to trust Him through a trial knowing that you will come out on the other side for the better. Sometimes He asks you to do a task or to change your ways. Do you love Him so much that you consider it a pleasure to serve your King...

Psalm 134,146-150 Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.     Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.     Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.     Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.     Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.     Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.   Psalm 150 We often have heard it said that we need to praise the Lord. But sometimes it's hard to know how or where to begin. Psalm 150 gives a good list of ideas of for what, how, and where we can praise Him! It starts by saying we need to praise the Lord and follows it up with where. In His sanctuary. When you’re at church and singing and talking with you...

2 Chronicles 6-7, Psalm 136 Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.     For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.   2 Chronicles 7:15-16 After Solomon finished building God's house, He prayed and asked God to bless it and to answer the prayers of His people from His house, or if the children of Israel were facing toward it. This is part of God's reply to Solomon. God says that He won't only watch and listen to the prayers of the people made in that place, but He said that He chose and sanctified it! And, that His name, eyes, and heart would be there for ever! Do you put an importance on the house of God like He does? Do you choose to be where God is when it's time to meet together? The Bible also says that we are the temple of the Holy Ghost. Do you put an importance on meeting with Him every day? Do y...

1 Kings 8, 2 Chronicles 5 The LORD our God be with us, as he was with our fathers: let him not leave us, nor forsake us:     That he may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, which he commanded our fathers.     Let your heart therefore be perfect with the LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.   1 Kings 8:57-58, 61 Do you want the Lord to be with you to draw you to Himself and teach you the way in which you should walk? It is a comfort to know that you will always have the Lord with you. But will you allow Him to work in your life and show you what it is He wants you to do? Once you know what is right, do you obey? Is your heart perfect with the Lord your God? God has given you His word to read and study and learn about his ways, commandments, statutes, and judgments and He will always be with you to lead a...

1 Kings 7, 2 Chronicles 4 And Huram made the pots, and the shovels, and the basons. And Huram finished the work that he was to make for king Solomon for the house of God;     And Solomon made all the vessels that were for the house of God, the golden altar also, and the tables whereon the shewbread was set;   2 Chronicles 4:11,19 What do you spend your time and talents on? What are you investing them in? Huram and Solomon used their talents to build things for the house of God. They also invested a lot of time. There were some precise measurements and intricate details that had to be done carefully but they were willing to work hard to get the house of God built the way God wanted it. Are you willing to work hard for the Lord? Are you willing to invest whatever it takes to see that God's work is done in God's way? Are you willing to invest time and patience so it gets done in God's timing, no matter how long it takes? Are you willing to give God your ta...

1 Kings 5-6, 2 Chronicles 2-3 And the word of the LORD came to Solomon, saying,     Concerning this house which thou art in building, if thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I perform my word with thee, which I spake unto David thy father:      And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and I will not forsake my people Israel.   1 Kings 6:11-13 When in a position of authority, your actions affect not only you but also those that are in your care. Your actions can have a negative or a positive affect. If you do what's wrong, others watching you may use it as an excuse to do what's wrong in their life. But God may choose to bless someone else's life by you choosing to follow God and do what's right. Whether you like it or not, there is always someone watching you. Will you follow the Lord and obey His commandments and His will for your life? Will you l...

Proverbs 22-24 He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.   Proverbs 22:9 How do you see the resources that you have? Do you view what you have as little? So much so that you become stingy? Your perspective makes a huge difference in how you live your life and how God will bless and provide. If you view what you have, whether money, or time, or food, or whatever is able to be shared as little and not enough to share with others, you keep things for yourself and worry if you'll even have enough. You turn to fear rather than faith and trusting God to provide for your needs. But, when you view what you have as bountiful with plenty to share, you will give what you have to those in need and in return will be blessed by God. God never intends us to hoard what He gives us. It is to share with and give to others and back to Him. Then He will provide what we need and we will get a blessing and He will get the glory! It is more blessed to...

Proverbs 19-21 It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling.     Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee.   Proverbs 20:3,22 To cease from strife and forgo revenge is not easy to do. But it is what God asks of you. It should be your honor to cease from strife. But if you choose to continue it or get in the middle of everything, you are a fool. Even when you are not in the wrong, you are to cease from strife and choose not to recompense evil. Instead of taking things into your own hands, you need to wait on the Lord and He will save you. Not always does God execute revenge on those who have wronged me right away or take care of the problem. He also doesn't promise it won't happen again but it does say He will save you. There are many things that He can save you from. Including yourself. By waiting on the Lord and giving Him your problems, He can save you from anger, anxiety, bi...

Proverbs 16-18 Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.     He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he.   Proverbs 16:3,20 Do you have trouble with your thought life? Everyone does at some point whether it's bad thoughts, or anxious thoughts, or just trouble keeping their thoughts together. Do you find your thoughts filled with worry or fear and in a downward spiral about yourself, others, or life? The solution is to commit your works to the Lord. When your works are committed to the Lord then that's where your focus will be, therefore establishing your thoughts. It will be easier to focus on what God wants you to do when your thoughts are established. You can use common sense and clear thinking to be able to make wise decisions and to wisely handle any matter. When you do that, you will find good and happiness comes from trusting God. When you trust God completely, there i...

Proverbs 13-15 The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.     The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul: but it is abomination to fools to depart from evil.     The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul: but the belly of the wicked shall want.   Proverbs 13:4,19,25 The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain.   Proverbs 15:19 When all you have is desire without doing anything to change things to accomplish that desire, then all you have is the desire without actually getting what it is that you want. Are you lazy? Do you have desires that you want fulfilled, changes you want to see in your life? What actions are you taking to make those changes? If you work hard, your desire will be accomplished and it will be sweet to your soul. And the only way to have food to eat is to be diligent and work hard for...

Proverbs 10-12 Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.     He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth slander is a fool.   Proverbs 10:12,18 An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbor: but through knowledge shall the just be delivered.     He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbor: but a man of understanding holdeth his peace.     A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.   Proverbs 11:9,12-13 A fool's wrath is presently known: but a prudent man covereth shame.   Proverbs 12:16 The words that you speak matter. What is in your heart matters even more because what's on the inside will often come out on the outside. If you’re filled with hate, you'll cause strife and make trouble for everyone. But if you’re filled with love, you can let things go and keep the peace. What's even worse than having h...

Proverbs 7-9 The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.     I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.     When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water.     Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth:     While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world.     When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth:     When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep:     When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth:     Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was ...

Proverbs 4-6 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.     Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.     Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.   Proverbs 4:5-7 Two of the most important tools for life. Wisdom and understanding. These are two things that we are instructed to obtain. When you get wisdom she will preserve you if you don't forsake her. It is so easy in a moment of fun or absent mindedness to do or say something foolish. But if you love wisdom, she will keep you. You won't be as likely to act or talk foolishly. Wisdom is the principal thing which means it is the most important thing, in the highest position. It outranks all else. Wisdom is often referred to as the application of knowledge. While you are getting wisdom, you are to also get understanding. It does no good to do or ...

Proverbs 1-3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:     So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.   Proverbs 3:3-4 There are those that emphasize mercy. They're always kind but also passive about truth and what is right. Then there are  those who emphasize truth. Always telling the truth no matter the cost. Not thinking about how it is said or to whom they are speaking. Often not caring about others feelings or opinions and trampling them with their words. Either way, there is one side being left out and if one side is being emphasized more than the other we will more than likely make people upset and hinder the cause of Christ. These verses say that we are not to let either mercy or truth forsake you. They are to be second nature to you and to balance each other out in your dealings with people and just in your life at all times. It is only then ...

  Song of Solomon 1-8 He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.     Song of Solomon 2:4 God has always provided for the needs of His children above and beyond what can be imagined. When you need food He will provide a banquet. Both physical and spiritual food. When you go to His word hungry to know what He wants for you, or needing help and answers, He will fill you to overflowing and you can leave satisfied with so much more than you need. If you need help in trouble, you not only will get answers, but also peace and comfort and assurance of God's presence with you always. He’ll always take care of you far better than you can imagine and it is because of His love for you! He loves and has great affection for you and thus takes care of you. Will you return His love? Will you accept His help and do His will out of your love for Him?

2 Chronicles 1, Psalm 72 Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things.               Psalm 72:18 God only does wondrous things. Is that how you view what He has done? How many times do you take for granted the great things that God has done for you? How many times have you come to even expect God to do things? Without even giving it a thought, do you just watch God's handiwork, or accept His blessings, or watch His judgment on your enemies and never marvel or are in awe of what He can do? Do you thank Him or bless Him? He is to be blessed and it is His children who are to bless Him. Do His praises come out of your mouth? Do you bless Him with your mouth? He deserves blessing because He only doeth wondrous things!