Alistair Begg Daily Devotional

Discord and Division

Alistair Begg — Thu, 28 May 2026 06:00:00 -0456

“You must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit.”

Jude 1:17–19

People seeking to cause division were not unique to the first-century church; they have been alive and well throughout the church’s history. Jude’s instruction here is therefore as practical for us today as it was for the believers to whom he first wrote.

Those causing division in the early church shared in a harmful combination of moral and doctrinal error. They were devoid of the Spirit, promoting sensuality and “following their own sinful desires” (Jude 16), yet they had somehow managed to creep in among God’s people. Jude describes them as “hidden reefs” (v 12), which lie just far enough below the water’s surface to go undetected and yet are capable of wreaking absolute havoc if any vessel runs into them. Indeed, those reefs are capable of sinking that vessel.

In response to these charlatans, Jude urged his fellow believers not to forget “the predictions of the apostles,” who had warned that “in the last time”—the time between the ascension and the return of the Lord—there would be those who scoffed at the teaching of Christ and His chosen apostles and who tolerated or even promoted behavior driven by our desires. In God’s providence, the early church was forewarned so as not to be caught off guard by those who in this way would cause divisions—and so, indeed, are we.

Yet God’s word doesn’t just call us to be on the lookout for those who create discord and division; it also directs us to deal mercifully with those struggling with genuine doubt. We are to “have mercy on those who doubt” and “save others by snatching them out of the fire” of error and sin (Jude 22-23), even as we resist the teaching and aims of false teachers. Maintaining such a balance is quite a challenge! And yet Jude does not shy away from the exhortation. Believers who are secure in their faith and doctrine are called to restore the fallen in a spirit of gentleness (see Galatians 6:1) and to intervene in the lives of those who are playing with fire.

Since God has saved and kept you, you are called to be alert to danger and pull others out of the flame, boldly but gently. And you are called to keep yourself in the love of God and to pray diligently (Jude 20), that you would be able to spot error and resist those who would divide God’s church. Then you will be able to stand with your brothers and sisters and say with Jude, “To the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen” (v 25).

Going Deeper: Jude 1:1–25

Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg, published by The Good Book Company, thegoodbook.com. Used by Truth For Life with permission. Copyright © 2021, 2022, The Good Book Company.

Countering Spiritual Laziness

Alistair Begg — Wed, 27 May 2026 06:00:00 -0456

“A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.”

Proverbs 24:33–34

We’ve all seen it. In the worlds of sports, business, and academics, less gifted individuals often go further than those with greater abilities due to one trait: diligence. Such people are willing to take seriously the challenge of laziness and do what they must to overcome its allure. You likely either are one of those people or aspire and work to be one.

But, if we’re honest with ourselves, this same diligence is often lacking in our spiritual lives.

If you and I are to counter spiritual laziness, we’re in need of an assessment of sorts: Do we have any indication of how we’re doing? When we reflect on the past year, have we made any progress? Have we done any Bible memorization recently? Have we used “idle moments” to read or meditate on the word or to pray to our Lord? Or has laziness caused us to do what is easy rather than what is best and prevented us from storing the word of God within our hearts?

When asked to take part in Christian service, how do we respond? Maybe it’s not an outright refusal, but even a hint of reluctance is a dangerous sign. What about in hearing the word of God when it’s preached, when it comes home with power and impact and we know that it demands application and change? Do we take action as doers of the word and not as hearers only (James 1:22)?

Your answers to such questions can help you press on and avoid the slow drip-drip of laziness (a lie-in instead of a morning devotional here, a boxset instead of a prayer meeting or a sports match rather than a conversation about Jesus there), which leads to spiritual poverty. Do not become a master of unfinished spiritual business and unfulfilled good intentions. Often, all the started plans and kind notes, and the many words of repentance and petitions for help, die in our minds while we turn on our beds “as a door turns on its hinges” (Proverbs 26:14). Flee from this behavior and instead run to Christ, asking Him to stir your heart and make you into a man or woman of action.

Do you want to be useful to God? Do you long to make a difference: to reach people on the seas of life in all their trouble and emptiness and to be part of the means by which God builds His church? Do not neglect your souls by giving room to laziness. Without diligence in your relationship with God, you will grow no true fruit in your life. “Tomorrow” is the devil’s favorite word. “Now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2, emphasis added). Be useful to God now.

Going Deeper: Proverbs 24:27–34

God’s Unchanging Word

Alistair Begg — Tue, 26 May 2026 06:00:00 -0456

“By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.””

Hebrews 11:17–18

Life can feel overwhelming. Every day brings new challenges even as old ones continue without resolution. It’s easy to allow our faith to trip on the stumbling block of our own lack of understanding of our circumstances—to take the baton of faith, as it were, and toss it to the ground, saying, “I’m finished. I can’t run any further.” In those moments, God’s word encourages us to remember that Christian faith is an enduring faith that remains resolute. It is possible to remain obedient to God’s commands even when everything around us seems to contradict what He has promised.

Until the cross, perhaps nowhere in Scripture do we find a more overwhelming moment than in the life of Abraham. It was a moment that occurred entirely at the instigation of God: “[God] said, ‘Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you’ … When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son” (Genesis 22:2, 9-10). God’s command to Abraham was clear—and yet it seemed to contradict God’s promise that through Abraham’s offspring “all the nations of the earth” would “be blessed” and that “through Isaac shall your offspring be named” (Genesis 22:18; 21:12). The fulfillment of God’s promises depended upon Isaac’s survival. If Isaac was to die, how could the promise be fulfilled?

Yet Abraham still obeyed. Even though his circumstances could have led him to doubt and question God’s word, by faith Abraham said, God has a plan in this. His promise is that through Isaac all the nations of the earth will be blessed. Therefore, He must be going to resurrect him—to raise him up from the dead (Hebrews 11:19). This is why earlier, as Abraham had left to perform the commanded sacrifice, he had said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you” (Genesis 22:5, emphasis added). What an expression of faith! Do not miss this: when the command was given to Abraham, he obeyed it. Although it seemed to directly contradict the promises God had made, Abraham did his business, and he determined to let God do His.

We can do so too. Do not allow your circumstances, however daunting they may be, to lessen your obedience or cause you to call God’s promises into question. Centuries after Abraham and Isaac climbed up, and down, this mountain, God’s own Son rose from the grave on the side of that same mountain, as the ultimate testimony to the truth that God keeps His promises. So you can face whatever today brings confidently, hopefully, and prayerfully, saying, “I can keep going. I’m not finished. God will do His part, and so I can do mine.”

Going Deeper: Genesis 22:1–19

Preparing for Death

Alistair Begg — Mon, 25 May 2026 06:00:00 -0456

“Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?””

John 11:21–26

None of us know what a day will bring. Indeed, we all live with a measure of uncertainty; we cannot be prepared for every trial that comes our way. In fact, as many have pointed out, the only certainty of life is that it will end. We live in a fallen world, and we know “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Dying, therefore, is one reality for which we must prepare.

Any consideration of death and dying that doesn’t pay careful attention to Jesus’ words is incomplete. A great place to start, then, is the solid instruction that Jesus provided just after his friend Lazarus died.

Understandably, Lazarus’s mourning sisters were deeply concerned about what had happened to their brother. In response, Jesus said that Lazarus was going to rise again. Martha, not fully understanding this declaration, said, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” At that point, Jesus took the conversation one step further, saying, “I am the resurrection and the life.”

And then came the challenge for Martha: “Do you believe this?”

Your answer to that question affects both how you live and how you deal with death. Jesus has not only conquered death but also made a way for you to conquer death too. Even though your physical frame will fail you, when you believe Jesus is the resurrection and the life, death simply becomes a transition, a passing from one realm of life into another.

One challenge which faces believers regarding death is not simply to prepare ourselves for its imminence but also to learn how to help others face it. No matter the situation, though, Jesus’ words provide the foundation for loving counsel. We are to speak both biblically and honestly, explaining the reality of eternity and the hope that is found in Him. Our words, echoing Christ’s own, should not be abrupt or unfeeling but filled with wisdom and grace.

You cannot know how to live until you’ve settled the question of how to die. Tomorrow is not promised to any of us, but eternity is guaranteed to every follower of the one who is the resurrection and the life. You can prepare yourself—and your friends and loved ones—to meet the day of death with calm and confidence rather than with fear and uncertainty by holding these precious words close: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” Yes, we believe this.

Going Deeper: John 11:1–44

Casting All Your Cares

Alistair Begg — Sun, 24 May 2026 06:00:00 -0456

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”

1 Peter 5:6–7

Anxiety can creep up at times when we least expect it and quickly overwhelm us. Or it can take up unwelcome and apparently permanent residence in our lives. Few people do not experience it; it may take on different faces, and it may be propelled by different circumstances, but the issue itself is remarkably common.

When we face anxiety, we often try to ignore it by distracting our minds: “Let me listen to some music. Let me go for a drive. Let me run a mile. Let me do something… just let me run away!”

Notice, though, that in this verse, Peter does not say we are to deny, ignore, or flee from anxiety. Instead, we should be “casting all [our] anxieties on him.” The Greek word for “cast” here is a decisive, energetic action word. It could be used to describe throwing out a bag of trash. We don’t put painstaking effort into moving it; we simply grab it and hurl it into the bin. Likewise, instead of going through our days pressed down by the burden of anxiety, we are to throw it, hurl it, upon the Lord.

To do this requires us to give up our pride—our desire to control and triumph over circumstances. Being humble is what enables us to give our worries to God: humility’s presence leads to anxiety’s absence. When we attempt to take matters into our own hands through too much worry, we indicate an absence of humility; we’re more concerned with ourselves than with our heavenly Father, or we’re more determined to navigate our own course than to leave it to Him.

There will always be a circumstance that can make us anxious. Peter doesn’t address any specific circumstances, though; rather, he addresses the anxiety produced by the circumstances. Our anxiety itself is what we cast upon the Lord, doing exactly what the Bible says to do: humbling ourselves under God’s hand, saying, “My Father knows best. He cares for me better than I can care for myself.” When worries weigh us down, we can refuse to be burdened by them by calling to mind the Lord’s willingness to help.

You might be struggling through today, wondering how you’re going to make it to tomorrow. Perhaps it’s been a long time since you knelt beside your bed and truly cast your burden upon the only one who is able to carry it, saying, “God, I cannot live my life with this burden on my back. Take it. It’s Yours.”

If that’s you, don’t hesitate any longer. Cast your anxieties into the loving arms of your heavenly Father and experience the freedom and peace only He can provide.

Going Deeper: Luke 12:22–34

I Want to See

Alistair Begg — Sat, 23 May 2026 06:00:00 -0456

“He began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.””

Mark 10:47–49

All around the blind man, the Passover was approaching, and the crowd was building. There was a great sense of anticipation. For most in the crowd, there was no time for stopping—certainly not for the ever-present beggars that lay around at the city gates. They were always there, known well to the people on the outskirts of Jericho. Many of the crowd likely would have seen this blind man, Bartimaeus, so often that they didn’t even notice him anymore.

The crowd was so consumed with Jesus that Bartimaeus was probably regarded as a dreadful inconvenience. Their reaction to his cries for mercy—to rebuke him and attempt to silence him—suggests that they thought this marginalized member of society clearly could make no useful contribution to what Jesus was doing. But in seeking to quieten him, they became a barrier to the mission of Jesus—to the very one they claimed to be following and the very cause they claimed to be pursuing.

This particular blind man didn’t have merely a minor interest in Jesus, though, so he continued crying out to Him. Mark’s narrative demonstrates Christ’s perfect compassion with a simple phrase: “Jesus stopped”—two words of grace. Can you imagine the crowd’s reaction when Jesus said to the people who had been rebuking the man, “Call him”? That surely brought a measure of deserved embarrassment!

Perhaps there are people in your life for whom you struggle to pray. Maybe there are some you just want to rebuke or ignore. Maybe you just don’t want to deal with the inconvenience. It can seem like such a nuisance to invite somebody to church, sit with them, eat with them, and be involved in their lives. It is messy, and it demands time and effort. We’d rather such people heard the gospel from someone else. It is so easy to slip into this way of thinking without really noticing; but when we do, we become just like the crowd: a barrier to people meeting their Savior. Jesus says to us, Don’t rebuke them. Call them. This is precisely why I came.

May God forgive us when we, like the crowd, are full of indignation at the interference to our plans and inconvenience to our preferences caused by those who are crying out for His mercy. Christ alone does the work of opening blind eyes, but He has entrusted us with the responsibility and privilege of proclaiming these words: “Take heart … he is calling you.”

Going Deeper: Mark 10:35–45

Alienation Crucified

Alistair Begg — Fri, 22 May 2026 06:00:00 -0456

“You were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked.”

Ephesians 2:1–2

Stark though it may sound, confrontational though it may be, the Bible compares the unredeemed to the walking dead. Outside of Jesus Christ, men and women are “dead” in their trespasses and sins.

The Bible’s picture of mankind ought to temper our expectations for what life can look like outside of God’s kingdom. Education is vitally important. Legislation is clearly necessary. But neither one, nor both of them together, is able to deal with the basic issues of the human heart. Worldly remedies only take us so far because they cannot address the greatest problem: that our natural condition is that of being “dead in the trespasses and sins in which [we] once walked … by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind” (Ephesians 2:1, 3).

The alienation that marks humanity outside of Christ is primarily vertical: an alienation from God. Yet the effects spill over in other directions. Paul goes on in his letter to the Ephesians to describe how this vertical alienation had affected horizontal relations between Jews and Gentiles (Ephesians 2:11-12). The deep-seated hostility between Jew and Gentile in the ancient world was caused by nothing less profound than human sin. Both were separated from God, as represented by the curtain that hung in the temple, and both were separated from one another by the metaphorical wall that existed between them (v 14).

The truth is that such hostilities are bound to continue apart from Christ. Though it is good to invest in our communities and to labor for real change in our society and for the good of our neighbors (and indeed, God directs His people to do so—see, for example, Jeremiah 29:7), this is not where a Christian ultimately focuses their primary energy in ministry or places their hope for renewal. In Jesus, and only in Jesus, God has created and is still creating a new society where divisive barriers are broken down by grace. God has provided in the authentic local church “the genetic blueprint” for “a broken world remade.”[1] When people encounter churches where that blueprint is seen, they will experience a taste of what God is planning to do when sin and tears and sorrow are no more, when in a new heaven and in a new earth all He has purposed will be completed.

Alienation—both vertical and horizontal—is inevitable apart from Christ. But in Christ, and in the society He is building and of which He is the head, such alienation has been crucified. Taking the reality of sin seriously means that you and I will invest in whatever way we can in our local church in order to ensure that it is a place where grace has torn down barriers and the blueprint of God’s future kingdom is plain to see. Until we get there, we have the opportunity to work for, and enjoy, the foretaste now.

Going Deeper: 2 John 1

Footnotes:

[1] Christopher Ash, Remaking a Broken World: The Heart of the Bible Story (The Good Book Company, 2019), p 163.

Entering God’s Kingdom

Alistair Begg — Thu, 21 May 2026 06:00:00 -0456

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”

John 3:5

When we read the Gospels, we discover that a large part of Jesus’ ministry involved preaching the good news of God’s kingdom. He traveled through towns and villages telling people, essentially, There is a kingdom, and I’m the King. You’re not in the kingdom yet—but if you’ll follow Me, you will be the King’s subject and a citizen of the kingdom.

When we pray “Your kingdom come” (Luke 11:2), therefore, our desire should be that men and women would be brought into Christ’s kingdom by new birth—that they would become committed followers of Jesus. We pray for those who live in rebellion against God to be “delivered … from the domain of darkness and transferred … to the kingdom of his beloved Son” (Colossians 1:13). Jesus made it perfectly clear that the only way to enter into His kingdom is by this new birth.

Jesus’ encounter with Nicodemus in John 3 underscores this truth. Nicodemus was a religious man, a man of authority and influence—and yet he was still restless, still seeking. As he engaged Jesus in conversation, Jesus pointed out the necessary prerequisite for both seeing and entering His kingdom: to be born again by the Spirit. This new birth is brought about, He said, not by nature but as a result of God’s Spirit working a miracle in the human heart. No one is able to enter the kingdom without Him working in them; no one is too far away from the kingdom for Him to work in them.

When we pray for God’s kingdom to come, we are asking for eyes to be opened and ears to be unstopped so that men and women may be born again. The King is coming to usher in His everlasting kingdom, and the King is at work today by His Spirit to bring men and women into that kingdom. Until the day of our King’s return, may your awareness of the way people enter Christ’s kingdom produce increasing wonder over your own conversion and a burning passion to pray that the Spirit would do what only He can in the hearts of the lost.

Going Deeper: John 3:1–15

Inescapable Grace

Alistair Begg — Wed, 20 May 2026 06:00:00 -0456

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us.”

Ephesians 1:7–8

The grace of God for His people knows no bounds and remains within no limits. To know the truth of this, we need look to nowhere else than the cross of Christ, by which “we have redemption through his blood.”

In the book of Exodus, God instituted the Passover, which painted a picture of freedom bought at a price. He instructed the Israelites to sacrifice a family lamb and spread its blood across their doorposts to prevent a visit from the angel of death as he passed through Egypt. The residents of each of those faithful households avoided God’s judgment of the death of the firstborn son only because a lamb had died in his place (Exodus 12:3-13).

The Israelites were enslaved to Pharaoh. Similarly, all of us enter this world as slaves to sin and death. The price of our forgiveness was the very blood of Christ, who accomplished redemption as the great Passover Lamb for all who might believe in Him. It is His blood that frees us from death, for life, eternally. Christ did not come to earth to tell us how to make ourselves Christians. He did not come to tell us what we have to do to save ourselves. He came to do what we could not—to save us. He acted on our behalf, offering forgiveness that is free to us but costly to God. We dare not think that God simply decided to overlook our sin; rather, Christ’s death on the cross absorbed the judgment that you and I deserve. God’s holiness requires sin’s penalty to be paid—and His Son provided the payment.

As he considers this, Paul is moved to exclaim, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!” (Ephesians 1:3). Considering God’s grace should always move us to praise. But notice the phrase Paul uses in verses 7-8: “the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us.” God’s grace is torrential. It is overwhelming. He has poured it out over each one of His children, holding nothing back. And He will continue to do so for eternity.

Imagine you have just finished your meal in a high-end restaurant and someone picks up your check, saying, “I’ve got you covered—I’ll pay.” That’s what God has said to you on the grandest scale imaginable. He isn’t saying there is no payment to be made. He’s saying He has already made the payment. God’s grace is beyond all limits, extending further than the eye can see or the heart can grasp. So, although as you look back on the last day or week, you will know that you are sinful, you can also know this: you cannot sin as much as God can forgive, and you can be confident that He who began a good work in us will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6). You will enjoy the experience of grace upon grace upon grace for all eternity.

‘Twas grace that brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.[1]

Going Deeper: Hosea 3

Footnotes:

[1] John Newton, “Amazing Grace” (1779).

Welcome at His Table

Alistair Begg — Tue, 19 May 2026 06:00:00 -0456

“At mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here and eat some bread and dip your morsel in the wine.” So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed to her roasted grain. And she ate until she was satisfied, and she had some left over.”

Ruth 2:14

You and I are called to be bridges that span the gap between the experience of isolation and a life of divine acceptance.

For Ruth, Boaz was that bridge. In the middle of a long workday, Boaz invited his workers to enjoy a meal. He also welcomed Ruth to eat among the established harvesters. It is easy to miss the significance of this. Ruth was a stranger, a foreigner, and a woman. Boaz’s actions were unexpected and culturally counterintuitive. They were Christlike.

Boaz is an example of someone whose actions were the bridge between isolation and the acceptance God offers. As a Moabite, Ruth would have looked and acted differently from those in Bethlehem. Additionally, the widowed status of Ruth and Naomi would have isolated them in many social circles. But because God’s love had filled his heart, Boaz disregarded any hint of prejudice he might have had and welcomed Ruth to his table.

Boaz didn’t stop at making sure Ruth felt comfortable by his actions alone. No, he also made sure the other workers were treating Ruth with acceptance and kindness, and he didn’t leave her to struggle as she learned the skills of her new trade (Ruth 2:15-16). He went above and beyond to provide and care for her.

Do we do the same for unbelievers, new believers, or visitors at our churches? A Christian is by definition a recipient of God’s covenant love. So a Christian ought to be the first one to include the outcast—the first one to say, “You’re welcome here! We’re glad you’re here! Please participate! Will you join me?” We are called to stand against the tide of all-too-common selfish exclusivity and the equally pernicious habit of only spending time with and extending welcome to those who are like us.

We find the bravery required to be a bridge and not a barrier when we look to our own acceptance by God in Christ. Boaz’s inclusion of Ruth—despite her race, social standing, and lack of work experience—points to the eternal story of God’s greatest welcome. The holy God called across the boundaries between Jew and Gentile, enslaved and free, saying to sinners, “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth!” (Isaiah 45:22). We must turn our gaze afresh to the cross, for there we learn what it means to be loved and welcomed by God. Only then will we be able to truly love and welcome others.

So, look at how God in Christ welcomes you to His table, and then ask yourself: “How is His Spirit prompting me to step over a divide? Who is He calling me to make welcome at my table?”

Going Deeper: James 2:1–13

Favor and Provision

Alistair Begg — Mon, 18 May 2026 06:00:00 -0456

“Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner.””

Ruth 2:10

Only a heart that knows it is unworthy of grace will be appropriately amazed by receiving it.

Ruth was a hard worker. In many ways, as she gleaned for corn behind the workers in Boaz’s field, she exemplified the apostle Paul’s later exhortation to the Thessalonians: “Aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands … so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one” (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12).

Despite being widowed in a foreign land with a widowed mother-in-law, Ruth did not sit around wallowing in self-pity and waiting for some dramatic intervention. Instead, she seized the opportunity at hand—to go into the fields to glean leftovers—in order to support herself and Naomi. She not only took responsibility to provide but also approached her task, which was filled with long hours and few breaks, with a strong, persistent work ethic (Ruth 2:7).

In all of these things, Ruth neither insisted on recognition nor felt she deserved favor. Instead of congratulating herself for her endeavors or taking credit for deciding to work in Boaz’s field, she considered her labors to be nothing more than her duty. Therefore, when Boaz favored and blessed her (Ruth 2:8-9), she responded with amazement and gratitude. She knew she was not entitled to anything from him, and so received it as a gift.

Humility and thankfulness sleep in the same bed. A thankless heart pairs with pride, but a humble heart will always be thankful.

Boaz’s favor and protection foreshadowed the eternal favor and protection that God offers us through Boaz’s greater descendant, Jesus Christ. Like Ruth, we too can be humbled as we see echoes of our eternal story in her story. As Boaz offers Ruth food and water (Ruth 2:9, 14), we may see their faces transform into the faces of another man and woman—Jesus and a woman at a well in Samaria, where the Son of God offered eternal water that would quench her spiritual thirst (John 4:1-45). Boaz satisfied Ruth’s physical needs that day; Christ satisfies our every need eternally. He is the Living Water and the Bread of Life for all of us.

“Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” This same question ought to be on our lips regularly: “Lord Jesus, why have I found favor in Your eyes, that You should love me, since I am a sinner?” The answer is simple: grace. No matter what we may do for our families, our churches, and our Lord, we are only and ever favored by God through sheer grace on His part. You have no other standing, and you need no other. Because of God’s gracious provision, you can sing, “On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand.”[1] Let your heart today sing with amazement at the grace you have received.

Going Deeper: Ephesians 2:11–22

Footnotes:

[1] Edward Mote, “My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less” (1834).

The Lord Be with You!

Alistair Begg — Sun, 17 May 2026 06:00:00 -0456

“And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem. And he said to the reapers, “The Lord be with you!” And they answered, “The Lord bless you.””

Ruth 2:4

You can learn a lot about a person from their hellos.

When Boaz entered his field (and the book of Ruth) and greeted his workers, the depth of his character and of his relationship with God became clear.

Boaz lived with the awareness of God’s presence, and it showed in his daily routines. The same was true of many saints throughout the Old Testament. They saw no separation between the sacred and the secular; rather, all of life was to be lived before the face of God. When you and I live with similar devotion, we experience radical transformation and blessing in both our words and our relationships.

Notice that when Boaz showed up, he didn’t simply throw the name of the Lord around casually or profanely. He intentionally and reverently used God’s name in his greeting, acknowledging the place of authority and intimacy that God had in his life. Such reverence curbs superficiality in our talk and encourages us to seek God’s blessing in every circumstance—when we lie down, get up, walk along the road, or converse with others (Deuteronomy 6:7).

Upon his entrance into the field, Boaz set the tone for his workers by blessing them. His example should provoke us to ask ourselves, “What tone am I setting in my workplace, in my home, at the grocery store, in my church?” If the blessing and contentment of the Lord attend your life, whether you are a CEO or an intern, whether your work involves balancing the books or changing countless diapers, you can return blessing with blessing by pointing back to Him in all you do and say.

If Christ has truly come into your life as Lord and Savior, your faith should echo throughout every moment. Don’t approach “time with God” only as a fifteen-minute daily meeting, hoping that that will sustain you for the rest of the day. You’ll never be able to bring others into the presence of a God in whose presence you do not live. Speak of Him in your conversation. Bring His presence and promises to mind in the small triumphs and difficulties of your day. Seek to form a habit of conversing with Him throughout your waking hours. Live with an awareness of God’s presence, and it will show in your routines and reactions.

Only, O Lord, in Thy dear love
Fit us for perfect rest above;
And help us, this and every day,
To live more nearly as we pray.[1]

Going Deeper: Colossians 4:2–6

Footnotes:

[1] John Keble, “New Every Morning Is the Love” (1822).

The Tapestry of God’s Providence

Alistair Begg — Sat, 16 May 2026 06:00:00 -0456

“She set out and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers, and she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the clan of Elimelech. And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem.”

Ruth 2:3–4

What often appears to us to be a mess of knots is just the back view of the tapestry God is weaving.

Naomi and Ruth had experienced their share of frayed threads in life. They arrived in Israel widowed and penniless—a perilous position for women in a lawless society (see Judges 21:25). In Old Testament Israelite society, the law allowed for the poor to enter the fields and pick up (glean) leftover grain as they followed the steps of the official harvesters. This law was established by God Himself and revealed His care and concern for the needy. But God’s law was not always—not often—observed in this period.

Yet when Ruth resolved to go into the fields, God worked through this law to tangibly provide for her and Naomi. Ruth’s seemingly mundane decision became an illustration of God’s providential plan for the two women—and for all of redemptive history!

Ruth ended up gleaning on the land of Boaz, a distant relative of Naomi’s deceased husband and a man of means and high standing. Ancient Israelites understood the family to be the basic unit of society, with members of the wider family having obligations to support and protect relatives who were struggling like Naomi. All of this hints at God’s hand in providing generously for Ruth and Naomi, even in ways that seem unremarkable at first glance.

In fact, as we read Ruth’s story, we notice that many of its details unfold as if by accident. Ruth happened to decide to glean that day. Naomi happened to encourage it. Boaz happened to pick that time to harvest his field. Ruth happened to pick his field. But when we look at the story as a whole, we see that all of these happenings were the instruments of God’s providential care in unfolding His purpose of redemption. After all, out of Boaz and Ruth’s lineage would come King David and, eventually, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself—a greater provider and protector who also “came from Bethlehem.”

As God wove these threads into His beautiful story of provision, Ruth and Naomi surely would have thought they looked knotted, disconnected, and frayed at times. Satan often wants us to stay focused on such seemingly jumbled and discouraging circumstances, doubting God and His good provision. We so easily forget that what appears to be a mess is just the back view of the tapestry God is weaving. One day, though, when we get the chance to see His handiwork from the front, all of those strange and dark threads will prove to have been part of His glorious pattern. Today, remember that “coincidences” are no such thing, that uncertainties and difficulties are opportunities to trust in God, and that behind all of them He is working out His plans to prosper His people in faith and godliness, and to bring them home.

Going Deeper: Ruth 2

Get Up and Get On

Alistair Begg — Fri, 15 May 2026 06:00:00 -0456

“Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor.””

Ruth 2:2

Do you ever start your day lying in bed thinking of all that’s ahead of you and around you? Do you find yourself feeling overwhelmed by the challenges of the day to come or underwhelmed by the routine of it?

As she woke up in those first few days of her new life in Bethlehem, Ruth likely had to take a moment to remind herself of where she was and all that had happened: My husband died. I’m now living with my also-widowed mother-in-law in a foreign land. I know I made the decision to leave, but I hope I’ve done the right thing. What now?

Ruth didn’t sit around waiting for some miraculous intervention before she proceeded with her life. No, for her, common sense led to careful thinking, and careful thinking led to practical action. Ruth knew she and Naomi needed provision, and she realized she was capable of working. She therefore sought Naomi’s advice and her approval before going out into the fields to labor and find food.

Common sense doesn’t mean we rely on our own insight or abilities. We must trust God and look to Him. But we must also use the faculties He’s given us to live sensible lives in accordance with His will. We must be prepared to do what we can and leave the rest in God’s care. Do not mistake passivity for godliness. But, by her attitude and actions, Ruth teaches us that all that God provides—each opportunity of obtaining what we need—is an undeserved mercy and favor from the Giver of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17).

As we get up and take action, we can trust that God is not idle. He’s working everything according to His will (Romans 8:28), not as a package that is let down from heaven on a string but as a scroll that unrolls day by day as we walk through life. His favor in the ordinary things of life keeps us marching for another day. Your day may not look exciting or glamorous. You may not be sure how you will overcome what confronts you. But it is the day that God has given you, and He will give you all you need to do all He calls you to.

Will you, like Ruth, get up and get on with this life you’ve been given, and live for God and His glory?

Going Deeper: 2 Thessalonians 3:7–12

A Theology of Grief

Alistair Begg — Thu, 14 May 2026 06:00:00 -0456

“Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty.”

Ruth 1:20–21

When Naomi returned to Bethlehem, leaving the graves of her husband and sons behind in Moab, we can only imagine the pain and grief she experienced as she came back to familiar places and faces. What thoughts and memories would have emerged? Oh, that’s Mrs. So-and-So, and those must be her sons. Look how they’ve grown! This is where I used to bring the boys. This is where Elimelech and I used to walk…

As bitterness over her situation set in, Naomi, whose name means “pleasant,” decided that a more suitable name for herself was Mara, which means “bitter.” She didn’t attempt to sweep life’s challenges aside and convince everyone that everything was fine. To do so would have been less than honest—a betrayal of the theology underpinning her faith amid what the hymn writer William Cowper called “a frowning providence.”[1]

Naomi’s situation speaks to the fact that even for God’s people, some pain in life will seem unbearable, some circumstances will appear unjust, and some questions will remain unanswered. Her response raises a question: what will we do when grief strikes in our own lives? The reality of suffering is a problem for the Christian, but it is no less a problem for everyone else. All people must wrestle with the problem of pain. An atheist can’t do so satisfactorily, because if there is no God, we simply live in a universe of chance, where things just tumble along. But the Christian can ask—indeed, we should ask—“Where is God in the midst of this?”

Naomi’s honest expression of emotion is matched by her theology. She doesn’t attribute all that has happened to chance, but she acknowledges God’s hand at work. She declares that God is right in the midst of her pain; she calls Him Shaddai, “Almighty,” the providing, protecting God. What does Shaddai mean? It’s the characteristic of God that means He’s at His best when we are at our worst.[2] Naomi had gone through famine, loss, bereavement, doubts, and goodbyes—but because she knew God as Shaddai, she could leave the explanation and the responsibility for such bitter trials with Him.

Where do you turn when the waves hit, when the wheels run off the road, when everything goes haywire? It must be to your knowledge of who God is and how He deals with His people. This is a sure foundation on which to stand. Where else can we go?

When Naomi left Bethlehem, there was famine. When she returned, there was harvest. Through the clouds of grief, the light of hope began to break as the stage was set for God to provide abundantly for Naomi and Ruth. When God is at work, even hopelessness may be the doorway to fresh starts and new opportunities. He will one day dispel all darkness. God is your Shaddai. In which part of your life do you need to hear this today? And who around you needs you to share this with them?

Going Deeper: Ruth 1

Footnotes:

[1] William Cowper, “God Moves in a Mysterious Way” (1774).
[2] Alec Motyer, A Scenic Route Through the Old Testament, 2nd ed. (IVP UK, 2016), ch. 3.