From Ruth to Rich: There Is One Thing that Is Stronger Than Sin

As I read late Billy Graham’s Just As I Am (1997) autobiography, I’m encouraged by his wife, Ruth Bell, for her life, support, and works in the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association ministry. About Ruth, Billy writes, “God gave Ruth many, many gifts, one of which was writing.” I agree. In this series, I try to imagine (one of God’s greatest gifts to humankind) what would Ruth Bell says to encourage young man like me – and perhaps, you. I hope you enjoy it!

Dear son, Rich,

I feel the urge to write to you about the love of God, the strongest love there is. You see, to save us from eternal death, God had to give the very life of His Son, Jesus Christ. God would send His Son to earth as a human baby too weak to lift up His own head. He would learn how to crawl, how to stand, how to run.

When He had grown to manhood, He would bring men back to the God whom they had forgotten. He would tell them: “The Lord our God loves you” (see John 3:16), “You must love Him with all your heart and soul and mind and strength” (see Matthew 22:37), and “You must love others as much as you love yourself” (see Matthew 22:39). Then He would show them, as well as tell them, what God meant by “love” when He fed the hungry, healed the sick and made the blind see.

Finally, He would show them the greatest love of all: He would die for them so that the way to God would be opened. After that, no matter how far a person wandered, no matter how big the sin, there would still be this way back to God. For love like this would be stronger than sin – stronger than death itself.pray

Remember the Bible that I and your dad bought for you? Look for Romans 5:6-8 that we underline for you: “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly… God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Pray, my son, pray: Thank you Father, for sending Jesus Christ to die for my sins. I will tell others of His great sacrifice so that they may find new life through Him. Amen.

Your dad and I miss you,

Ruth

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

From Ruth to Rich: Jesus Did Not Feed All the Hungry

As I read late Billy Graham’s Just As I Am (1997) autobiography, I’m encouraged by his wife, Ruth Bell, for her life, support, and works in the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association ministry. About Ruth, Billy writes, “God gave Ruth many, many gifts, one of which was writing.” I agree. In this series, I try to imagine (one of God’s greatest gifts to humankind) what would Ruth Bell says to encourage young man like me – and perhaps, you. I hope you enjoy it!

Dear Rich,

Son, someone pointed out that Jesus did not feed all the hungry, heal all the sick or raise all the dead. Yet when He came to the end of His life’s work just before His crucifixion, Jesus said, “I have finished the work which You have given Me to do” (John 17:4). Hours later, His final words on the cross were: “It is finished” (John 19:30).

Often when I am exhausted, I have said, “It is enough!” We each have a limit, like the Plimsoll mark, a line around ocean tankers that indicates when a ship has reached capacity. He who made us knows just how much we can take. He never overloads us. But neither has He promised us strength for tasks that we take on without His direction.

I want God to so order my life that when the end comes, I can say, “I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.” I do not want to feel compelled to say, “It is enough!” before I can say, with His help, “It is finished.” Pray this prayer, my son:

Lord, sometimes I let myself get overwhelmed with unnecessary tasks.
Starting today, I will allow You to arrange
and order my life so that I may accomplish Your will on earth.
Amen.

God be with you,

Ruth

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

From Ruth to Rich: Be Afraid of the Right Things

As I read late Billy Graham’s Just As I Am (1997) autobiography, I’m encouraged by his wife, Ruth Bell, for her life, support, and works in the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association ministry. About Ruth, Billy writes, “God gave Ruth many, many gifts, one of which was writing.” I agree. In this series, I try to imagine (one of God’s greatest gifts to humankind) what would Ruth Bell says to encourage young man like me – and perhaps, you. I hope you enjoy it!

My dearest son, Richard,

The shot through the rattlesnake’s head had all but demolished it. The snake was twisting on the driveway, and we all gathered to look at it. One of your nephews reached out to touch it but your dad, Bill, grabbed him and held him back, explaining that even a dead snake can be deadly. Still, your nephew was totally without fear and determined to grab the snake’s tail. But as he reached for it, the snake’s mangled head struck out. He jumped back, getting the message: Rattlesnakes are to be feared.

Son, education, it has been said, consists of being afraid of the right things. All this while, when you were young, Bill and I taught you and your siblings to be careful with matches and open flames; fear of house fires and forest fires prompts sensible precautions. We also taught you all not to run into the street without looking both ways; a proper fear of cars is also legitimate.

There is one grand, noble fear we are taught from Genesis to Revelation – fear of the Lord. This is more than being scared. It is a reverential trust, not only a fear of offending but a loving to the point that one would not want to offend. My son, I underlined this verse this morning: “The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness. He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure” (Isaiah 33:5-6). Wonderful!

Mommy loves you,

Ruth

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

From Ruth to Rich: How to Start Praying? Just Pray

As I read late Billy Graham’s Just As I Am (1997) autobiography, I’m encouraged by his wife, Ruth Bell, for her life, support, and works in the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association ministry. About Ruth, Billy writes, “God gave Ruth many, many gifts, one of which was writing.” I agree. In this series, I try to imagine (one of God’s greatest gifts to humankind) what would Ruth Bell says to encourage young man like me – and perhaps, you. I hope you enjoy it!

My dearest son, Richard,

            About the previous letter, I wrote about prayer… and let me continue with that theme here. A balance. As you know, my child, men of God whose prayers are recorded for us in the Scriptures, never read a book on prayer, never went to a seminar on prayer, never heard a sermon on prayer. They just prayed. Satan fears prayer because God hears prayer. Satan will stop at nothing to distract a person from praying or to get us to postpone praying or, failing to do that, to discourage us in our prayers.

This letter is simply to encourage you to START. Start praying where you are, as you are, about whatever concerns you, about whatever is lying most heavily on your heart, about whatever is irritating or frustrating you at present. Here is my suggestion: Keep a prayer list. Make your requests specific and date them. Then date the answer. Like the ungrateful lepers, we tend to forget. It may be impossible to date the answers to certain requests. For instance, if I pray for patience, I will not find that on such and such a date I suddenly become patient. But if I pray for guidance in a particular problem, for the conversion of a friend or for the resolving of some apparently hopeless difficulty, recording the answer as well as the request will be a cause for worship and a means of strengthening my faith.

You may not likely to keep a prayer list, I know you. But let this be an encouragement for you to just START praying. Be pointed. Be persistent. Be patient. But pray!

With love,

Ruth Bell Graham

(1920 – 2007)

THINK BIG.  START SMALL. GO DEEP.

                  

            

From Ruth to Rich: What Are You Praying For? Do Something!

As I read late Billy Graham’s Just As I Am (1997) autobiography, I’m encouraged by his wife, Ruth Bell, for her life, support, and works in the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association ministry. About Ruth, Billy writes, “God gave Ruth many, many gifts, one of which was writing.” I agree. In this series, I try to imagine (one of God’s greatest gifts to humankind) what would Ruth Bell says to encourage young man like me – and perhaps, you. I hope you enjoy it!

My dearest son, Richard,

            There are times, I have found when praying is not enough. God says as it were, “What are praying for? Do something!” Moses, hotly pursued by Pharaoh, cried out to God, who replied, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children n of Israel to go forward” (Exodus 14:15). And, after Israel’s ignominious defeat at Ai, the desperate Joshua prostrated himself in prayer before the Lord, only to hear Him say, “Get up! Why do you lie on your face this way? Israel has sinned…” (Joshua 7:10-11).

If your heart is listening as you pray, you will from time to time hear, “What are you praying for? Do something!” And you will know what it is you must do. There will be a wrong to put right, a sin to confess, a letter to write, a friend to visit or a parent to talk to. C.S. Lewis suggested that as we pray, Christ stands beside us changing us. “You may realize that,” he wrote, “instead of saying your prayers, you ought to be downstairs writing a letter, or helping your wife wash-up. Well, go and do it.” And again, “I am often, I believe, praying for others when I should be doing things for them. It’s so much easier to pray for a bore than to go and see him.”

And so it is with us, with you, my son. You must quick to pray and just as quick to obey!

With love,

Ruth Bell Graham

(1920 – 2007)

THINK BIG.  START SMALL. GO DEEP.

                  

            

From Ruth to Rich: You Are Not Depressed, You're Just Plain Tired

As I read late Billy Graham’s Just As I Am (1997) autobiography, I’m encouraged by his wife, Ruth Bell, for her life, support, and works in the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association ministry. About Ruth, Billy writes, “God gave Ruth many, many gifts, one of which was writing.” I agree. In this series, I try to imagine (one of God’s greatest gifts to humankind) what would Ruth Bell says to encourage young man like me – and perhaps, you. I hope you enjoy it!

My son, Richard,

            You are not depressed, you’re just plain tired. Discouragement is the devil’s calling card, and he tries to discourage us by making us think that our frustration or irritability is a result of some spiritual fault. But you may be just plain tired… Do you remember the prophet Elijah? At one point he was so tired that he wanted to give up. He told God that he just couldn’t go on. God didn’t lecture Elijah on his faults and failures, causing him to be more discouraged than he was. No, God sent an angel to awaken Elijah and give him something to eat and drink. Then Elijah lay down and slept again.

            When you are worn out or exhausted, or at the end of your physical resources, Satan tries to persuade you that you have a spiritual problem… in reality, perhaps, your problem may be a physical one. And maybe, like Elijah, my son, you need to get some rest.

The Lord gives you rest,

Ruth Bell Graham

(1920 – 2007)

THINK BIG.  START SMALL. GO DEEP.

             

From Ruth to Rich: Churches Need to Deal with Sin Compassionately and Wisely

As I read late Billy Graham’s Just As I Am (1997) autobiography, I’m encouraged by his wife, Ruth Bell, for her life, support, and works in the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association ministry. About Ruth, Billy writes, “God gave Ruth many, many gifts, one of which was writing.” I agree. In this series, I try to imagine (one of God’s greatest gifts to humankind) what would Ruth Bell says to encourage young man like me – and perhaps, you. I hope you enjoy it!

Dear Richard, my son,

My pet rabbit died abruptly (as pet rabbits have a way of doing). As a forlorn 8-year-old, in China, I buried him in our yard, lovingly digging a hole and covering him. Every day I dug him up to see how he was getting along. The last time I saw him he was green.

While I was growing up in China, someone in our greater mission family sinned, and I remember how quickly, quietly and effectively that situation was dealt with. Then the principle of “love covers” was applied. Not, like my pet rabbit, dug up again. And through the years in our own family, situations on occasion had to be faced, dealt with and buried. Churches need to deal the same way, wisely and compassionately with sin, and then love covers: “[Now] instead you should rather forgive and comfort him. This will keep him from being overwhelmed by excessive grief to the point of despair” (2 Corinthians 2:7).

However, my son, in those situations where some heresy, cult or con game operates under the name of Christianity, they need to be exposed so as to warn others and dealt openly! That is something different. But for those believers in God’s family, sins need to be dealt with promptly, compassionately, privately. Then silence, under the principle of “love covers.” Confront sin, yes, but also demonstrating God’s grace and mercy to our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Do you understand this? I hope you do…

With love,

Ruth Bell Graham

(1920 – 2007)

THINK BIG.  START SMALL. GO DEEP.

                  

From Ruth to Rich: Be In Shape Spiritually and... Travel Light

As I read late Billy Graham’s Just As I Am (1997) autobiography, I’m encouraged by his wife, Ruth Bell, for her life, support, and works in the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association ministry. About Ruth, Billy writes, “God gave Ruth many, many gifts, one of which was writing.” I agree. In this series, I try to imagine (one of God’s greatest gifts to humankind) what would Ruth Bell says to encourage young man like me – and perhaps, you. I hope you enjoy it!

Dear Richard,

            The Christian life is like climbing a mountain. For some people the climb is a gently sloping ascent; for other people, the climb is like attacking the north face of the Eiger (mountain). Christina Rossetti wrote:

“Does the road wind uphill all the way?

Yes, to the very end.

Will the day’s journey take the whole long day?

From morn to night, my friend.”

Whether your climb is easy or difficult, you need to be in shape spiritually and to travel light. To be in shape spiritually, you need spiritual nourishment and exercise. You need to spend less time reading about the Bible and spend more time studying the Bible. Then you need to apply what you learn – carefully and vigorously – to your life, to live out daily what you have taken in.

To travel light, you need to lighten your loads. Some of us may need to trim off excess weight. Others of us have too many social involvements and too many meetings to attend (Remember the caution: “Beware of the barrenness of a busy life”). But for you, do whatever it takes, my son… travel light. When the disciples were sent out two by two, they traveled light – “without purse, bag or sandals” (Luke 22:35).

Time change, situations vary, and God’s orders to His followers are individualized. But the need and the message continue the same – and the goal. It’s up to you to be in shape and to travel light.

With love, my son,

Ruth Bell Graham

(1920 – 2007)

THINK BIG.  START SMALL. GO DEEP.