Happy coming your way once again. I want to appreciate you sincerely for being part of this platform for so long a time. This is an evidence that some of us are of leaders stuff.
May God perfect his purpose in your life as he unravel to you grace and wisdom to impact your world.
You’re welcome once again.
Today we will be looking.
LISTENING, FOUNDATION TO GRACE IN RELATIONSHIP
The first person we will be considering is Ruth
Ruth
Ruth and Orpah were Moabites married to the sons of Naomi … Chilion and Mahlon. Definitely they married as a result of youthful escapade because they were married to strangers: moabites married to Israelites. No advice and void of thoughtfulness.
They were married to people who walked out of covenant, Israelites who left their promised land to wander around Moab. The two young men died, left behind were their widowed mother Naomi and widowed wives.
In this state of utter despondency and searching Naomi understood where they missed it. She turned back to walk back into covenant. She planned a return back to Israel.
Many of us are afflicted because we travelled to strange lands of sins and disobedience. But today we can begin our journey back to health, abundance, goodness and life; as we journey to reconnect to righteousness and godliness. As Naomi turned to God, the two daughter in-laws saw the wisdom in her decision: They chose to follow her.
Based on wrong advice or rather lack of depth and conviction Orpah dropped behind.
Ruth kept walking with the aged and wisdom.
Ruth listen deeper. This is a kind of listening which is beyond the use of the ears. Deep within, she knew something good lie ahead. Naomi must have made a deep impression on Ruth to warrant such loyalty as Ruth’s:
Ruth 1:15-18 KJV
And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law. [16] And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: [17] Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me. [18] When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her.
She used her mind to listen… Candidly, Naomi had no physical or tangible result to warrant Ruth to keep a close pace. Naomi was a widow who had suffered the loss of all things.
All she had was her life. Yet, young Ruth trustfully followed.
Elimelech the husband of Naomi threw her family into death and losses because he listened to his pains and poverty in Israel… Then they died.
Ruth a young girl from a heathen nation listened to her mind to follow an aged woman and surprises unfolded before her. She walked into an enlarged destiny.
Your destiny lies on who or what you listen to.
Getting back to Israel from Moab.
They had no savings, no source, no farm and nothing in store. But because they were back on covenant lane the Lord opened provision for them. The Lord ordered the steps of Ruth to Boaz farm and in no time she became the wife of one of the most wealthy men in Israel.
A destitute, a stranger and poor young lady found love again because she chose to follow (listen) to the direction of an old woman.
Ruth 2:19-23 KJV
And her mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she shewed her mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man’s name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz. [20] And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the Lord, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen. [21] And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me also, Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest. [22] And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter in law, It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, that they meet thee not in any other field. [23] So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother in law.
The lesson for relationship*
- In relationship, you’ll need a mentor, adviser, model or guide to be successful in it. Naomi was Ruth’s guide.
- In relationship, there’s wisdom in age and experience. Many times, the older talk from their experience and pitfalls. Open your ears to listen well. I realize that very good numbers of youths often look down on the wisdom of the aged but often to their destruction. Naomi’s earlier failures were Ruth’s gain later in terms of wealth of experience.
- Sometimes your adviser may not have the credentials you want but if you listen deep you’ll save your life. Do you know that it was a gambler who advised me while I was a youth: Never gamble for once in your lifetime. He was advising me based on his losses and pains from his addiction to gambling.
Listen deep and you’ll find out that wisdom can proceed from unlikely quarters. Who could have imagined that Naomi the failure could turn out the guide for Ruth?
Esther
King Ahasuerus the great king needed a wife after the proud Queen Vashti was removed.
Many ladies were brought into the King’s palace to contest for the vacant seat of Vashti.
Esther was one of them. While in the palace, the other ladies acted with utmost freedom. As the future queen they believed they henceforth need no one to advice or guide them.
From the scriptural reference, none of them listened to any advice which reflected in how they appeared before the King
Esther 2:11-17 KJV
And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women’s house, to know how Esther did, and what should become of her. [12] Now when every maid’s turn was come to go in to king Ahasuerus, after that she had been twelve months, according to the manner of the women, (for so were the days of their purifications accomplished, to wit, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odours, and with other things for the purifying of the women;) [13] Then thus came every maiden unto the king; whatsoever she desired was given her to go with her out of the house of the women unto the king’s house. [14] In the evening she went, and on the morrow she returned into the second house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s chamberlain, which kept the concubines: she came in unto the king no more, except the king delighted in her, and that she were called by name. [15] Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her. [16] So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. [17] And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.
When it was Esther’s turn she acted based on advice from the court and she won the heart of the King
Lesson
1. In life there’s what we call inside information.
Whenever you’re on a new terrain be humble to get inside information. This will give you edge above your competitors.
2. Always listen to people who are older than you. Esther, a young lady knew she was inexperience so she gather knowledge from older people… Mordecai and the King’s Chamberlain.
Note:*
All old people are not necessarily wise. But based on proportion, older people often show more wisdom than younger people.
David and Abigail
David was angry with Nabal the husband of Abigail.
He was set to kill him but for the timely intervention of Abigail David would have gone guilty of bloodshed the rest of his life.
1 Samuel 25:23-28 KJV
And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and lighted off the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, [24] And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be : and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid. [25] Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal: for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thine handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send. [26] Now therefore, my lord, as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing the Lord hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood, and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now let thine enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal. [27] And now this blessing which thine handmaid hath brought unto my lord, let it even be given unto the young men that follow my lord. [28] I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid: for the Lord will certainly make my lord a sure house; because my lord fighteth the battles of the Lord, and evil hath not been found in thee all thy days.
David listened to Abigail.
Then God took up the fight on behalf of David.
Nabal died ten days later.
Lesson
1. Whenever we are angry, let’s seek for counsel that will take us away from the path of guilt.
2. God in no wise expect anyone to take vengeance in a relationship.
Don’t destroy relationship. God himself know how to uproot the evil one.
3. Taking counsel opens you up for better relationship.
After Nabal the husband of Abigail died, David took Abigail the wise as wife. Think of it, if David killed Nabal Abigail’s dead husband it will be difficult for Abigail to marry David.
Abigail was instrumental to the stability of the throne of David.
Reading the Bible, we realize that it was only the children of Abigail of the first 4 wives of King David that didn’t give him problems while on the throne.
Proverbs 13:20 KJV
He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.
In conclusion, the capacity to listen opens us up to quality relationships, love and marriage…
Looking at the examples of Esther, Ruth and David with Abigail.
Listen to:
1. People who have failed like Naomi… Sometimes God has his wisdom hidden in the lowly ones.
Wisdom is not always with those who are rich, great, beautiful and influential.
2. Listen to those who are older and experience, like the Chamberlain of Ahasuerus and Mordecai
3. Listen to people who are playing on the inside. They have the secret that outsiders don’t have. Example the Chamberlain of the king
4. Listen to wise people from every background.
Like Abigail.
When you want wisdom, somebody will always make it available. When you want to break through in your relationship with men, listening should become a part of you.
