Welcome to this daily encouragement from the Our Daily Bread devotional. Our meditation, titled Simple Acts of Kindness, was written by Allison Keita. When my mom was in hospice and nearing her last days on earth, I was touched by the genuine kindness of a nursing home caregiver. After gently lifting my frail mother from her chair and tucking her into bed, the nursing assistant caressed mom's head while leaning over her to say, you are so sweet.
Then she asked how I was doing. Her kindness moved me to tears then and still does today. Hers was a simple act of kindness, but it was just what I needed in that moment.
It helped me to cope, knowing that in this woman's eyes, my mom wasn't just a patient. She cared for and saw her as a person of great worth. In the book of Ruth, when Naomi and Ruth were bereft after the loss of their husbands, Boaz showed kindness to Ruth by allowing her to glean leftover grain behind the harvesters.
He even ordered the male harvesters to leave her alone. His kindness was prompted by Ruth's care for Naomi. I've been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, he said. He saw her not as a foreigner or widow, but as a woman in need. God wants us to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
As God helps us, our simple acts of kindness can cheer hearts, bring hope and inspire kindness in others. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Ruth chapter 2 verses 1 through 2 and 5 through 11. Now Naomi had a relative on her husband's side, a man of standing from the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor. Naomi said to her, Go ahead, my daughter. Now picking up at verse 5, Boaz asked the overseer of his harvesters, Who does that young woman belong to? The overseer replied, She is the Moabite who came back from Moab with Naomi. She said, Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters. She came into the field and has remained here from morning till now, except for a short rest in the shelter. So Boaz said to Ruth, My daughter, listen to me.
Don't go and glean in another field and don't go away from here. Stay here with the women who work for me. Watch the field where the men are harvesting and follow along after the women. I have told the men not to lay a hand on you, and whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled. At this she bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked him, Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me, a foreigner? Boaz replied, I've been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with the people you did not know before. Let's pray. Dear God, thank you for the example of Boaz's kindness to Ruth, which reflects your own love and care for us. Help us to show such kindness to others today. May our simple acts of kindness bring others cheer, hope and inspiration. Thank you, Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Thanks for listening today. I'm Rochelle Traube, and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.
Whisper: medium.en / 2024-10-13 20:11:20 / 2024-10-13 20:13:11 / 2