Author: Ash Clarkson

  • 1 Samuel 1:1-20: Comfort for the Hurt

    Sometimes life is not fair. You have many things that people think should make you happy, but not the one thing you desire. The harsh words bear down on you, but the support you receive is not comfort. Where do you turn? Only God can provide comfort, and God shows us that he is the…

  • Ruth 4: A Servant is Born

    Christmas is a time when we reflect on God’s goodness to us in sending Jesus, our redeemer, to dwell with us. Jesus, though our great king, was born and lived his life as a servant. Through Jesus’ birth, God’s redemption plan for sinners headed towards its climax as a baby rested in a lowly manger…

  • Ruth 3: Seeking a Redeemer

    Life is not always black and white. We live in a world where through naivety or bad advice, we sometimes find ourselves in morally dubious situations. Yet despite this, as the Scriptures attest there are ways we can behave which are upright and bring glory to God, as we seek after our redeemer. In Ruth…

  • Ruth 2: Kindness and Generosity

    In Ruth 2, God starts to show Naomi his covenant love and goodness through that same covenant love shown to Ruth. A series of “coincidences” show that God is in control and providing Ruth and Naomi what they lack. It reminds us that God does so for us too, especially with what we lack the…

  • Ruth 1:6-22 – Responses to Ruin

    When bad things happen, there are three ways as professing Christians we can react. Firstly, we can abandon the faith and go to some form of paganism. Secondly, we can become embittered and angry towards God. Thirdly, we can cling to God and trust in him to provide, even come what may. All three responses…

  • Ruth 1:1-5: The Depths of Disaster and Despair

    Sometimes a simple decision sets off a chain of events in our lives which can lead to disaster. This is especially the case with a sinful decision that sets us on a path of sustained disobedience to God. The book of Ruth begins with just such a decision, and just such a disaster. While the…

  • Judges 21: Nobody Righteous

    The final chapter of Judges shows a situation where nobody in Israel comes out smelling like roses. After nearly destroying one tribe of Israel because of the appalling sinfulness of one town, the Israelites wept at the bind they found themselves in and resorted to shocking workarounds to provide wives for the remaining men of…

  • Judges 20: Judgement Among God’s People

    Judges 20 shows the response of Israel to the appalling events of the previous chapter in Gibeah. The nation largely united to judge and expunge the evil in their midst, following God’s lead. The events of this chapter remind us of the importance of pursuing holiness in our own lives, and the importance of Church…

  • Judges 19: Depravity Amongst God’s People

    We live in a terrible, sinful world. Sad and terrible things happen to people because of the sinful, callous, and selfish desires of other people. It fills the news, social media, and television. We all know people who have been hurt by others. If there is one place it should never happen, it is amongst…

  • Judges 17-18: Right in Their Own Eyes

    There is a Golden Age Fallacy; the idea that there was a time in our past better than now. Partly it is driven by memory (you tend to forget bad events), and partly by confrontation with the evil of the present. For those of us with a conservative bent, the Golden Age Fallacy is a…