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desert where Jesus Christ is known in reality, there is an oasis
in that desert. I do not care how bad it gets. No matter how
dark, no matter how dismal the environment, God intends that
there be an oasis of refreshment, of life, of abundance and of
fruit.

One thing I love about the Book of Ruth is that it sweeps away
all the excuses that men give for their lives. “What can you
expect from so and so? He was not loved by his parents. He
was abused as a child, and he had to grow up in that
environment.” “What can you expect from someone who has
experienced such tragedy?” Well, I will tell you what God
expects. He expects an oasis in the desert. God has provided
in Christ Jesus everything necessary for us to be an oasis in the
desert.

A person is always the product of his environment. So, do you
see why it is so important that Jesus Christ be your
environment? You are going to become the environment in
which you live. What the atmosphere is to the bird and what
the water is to the fish, Christ is to the believer and fellowship
with God. We were created to have God as our element, as our
environment, and we are to live in Him and move in Him. It is
quite incidental how bad the conditions were in our past or how
bad they are now; where we live, where we work, where we go
to school or where we transact our business. Do not have the
idea, “What can you expect?” God expects an oasis, and He
illustrates it in the book of Ruth. It shows the possibilities of
victory in an environment of defeat.

I do not want you to get the idea that if God burns the message
of Ruth into your heart that your life is going to turn into an
oasis without problems. You see, the whole point of Ruth is
that it’s an oasis in the middle of a desert. The problems do not
go away. What good is an oasis if it is not in the desert? Just
from a quick scan, here are some of the problems Ruth dealt
with; widowhood, backsliding, past sin, in-laws, love affairs,
idolatry, prejudice, capital, labor, poverty, relocating, courtship,