Morning Devotional

Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever.

Prayer for the Morning

Oh Lord, most heavenly Father, Almighty and everlasting God, who has safely brought me to the beginning of this day; I give you thanks for my creation, preservation, and all the blessings of my life. Grant that this day I fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger; but that all my doings, being governed by your will, may be righteous in your sight. Through Christ our Lord, I pray.

Prayer for Grace and Strength

Lord God, I pray that you will fill my heart with the blessing of your Holy Spirit. Grant me this day the strength to be temperate in all things, diligent in my duties, and patient under my afflictions. Direct me in all my ways. Give me grace to be just and upright in all my dealings; quiet and peaceable; full of compassion; and ready to do good to all people, according to my abilities and opportunities. For the sake of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,

Community of Prayer

Heavenly Lord, I know I am not alone saying these prayers or reading your Word this morning, but many people unknown to me, from all stations of life, have joined together in this brief moment of devotion. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be among the community of all who pray in the name of Christ this morning, and remain among us always.

Psalm 102:24-27

Ruth 4:13-16

The Story of Ruth (part 8 of 8) -- The Genealogy of David

So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. Then he went to her, and the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son.

The women said to Naomi: "Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth."

Then Naomi took the child, laid him in her lap and cared for him. The women living there said, "Naomi has a son." And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

Notes on the Scripture

We learn that Ruth's faithfulness will pay a dividend far greater than comfort and possessions during her lifetime. She gives birth to Jesse -- who is fittingly born in Bethlehem and who will be the father of King David, and thus the direct ancestor of Jesus Christ.

Jesse's primary role in the Bible is as the founder of the line of David and Jesus. Isaiah 11, the great prophecy that foretold the coming of Christ, begins with the line: "And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots".

The imagery of Isaish 11, with Jesse as the root of a branch that would end with Christ, was adopted by painters and became the formal subject of dozens of paintings. These paintings are usually titled "the Jesse Tree" and depict Christ's lineage beginning with Jesse, a sort of family tree with Jesse at the bottom — "the roots" — and Christ on the top branch. One example of a Jesse Tree painting is shown below.

Tree of Jesse by a great Flemish illustrator, known only as the "Master of James IV of Scotland", circa 1500. Jesse can be seen lying at the bottom; at the top is the infant Jesus held by Mary.