Ruth's reputation

As we continue to talk about Ruth, we see that her reputation is widely known throughout the town. Her kindness and good deeds towards her mother in law was known by everyone. Her hard work was evident to Boaz and other workers in the field. Her obedience to Naomi regarding her relationship to Boaz is a reflection of her character. Ruth was a noble woman. What does "noble" mean? As we discuss this principle today, we hope that you are evaluating your own life. Are you striving after a noble reputation that is honoring to God and a reflection of Christ to others?

Biblical Advice About Marriage

In Ruth chapter 3, we see that Naomi gives instruction to Ruth about what to do in her relationship with Boaz. Ruth obediently listens and does what Naomi asks of her. This scenario in Scripture causes us to ask how as women today we can give wise, biblical advice to a young woman who wants to be sure that she is marrying the right person? Listen in as we discuss this question today. We would love to hear from you too! What biblical principles have you shared with your daughter or other young women regarding marriage?

Ruth's obedience

In Ruth 3:1-5, we find that Naomi is now giving Ruth instructions concerning her relationship with Boaz. Ruth responds with a heart of obedience to her mother-in-law. She humbly submitted to Naomi to do what she asked her to. This obedience reveals much about Ruth's character. She not only trusted God to lead her, but she trusted Naomi to give her instruction about her own future! Wow! How many of us today would be so quick to be obedience to our parents or in-laws when given instruction. Sometimes we are so quick to think that we have it all together and that we are old enough to make our own decisions. We must remember that God places people in our lives to help reveal His will for us. It is wise for a daughter to ask her mother for advice in wedding plans or parenting struggles. While decisions are ultimately up to us and we are responsible to the Lord for our decisions, let us also remember that when we pray and seek the council of others who are older in their walk with the Lord that we can gain insights that we hadn't thought of. Perhaps the Lord will use a parent, grandparent or older woman in your church to help you think more biblically about a situation. We pray that this study of Ruth will encourage you as you seek to grow more godly in your character.

Character qualities of a godly woman

We've been talking a lot about character qualities that should be found in women who are striving to serve the Lord. In Ruth chapter 2, we learn more about these qualities. Judging from the events of this story what character traits does God honor in His people? These are what we found as we studied:

• Confidence
• Diligence
• Faithfulness
• Good stewardship
• Contentment
• Compassion
• Loyalty
• Patience

Think through this list in your own life. In what areas do you find yourself needing to grow? What areas are your strength that you can teach others?

Ruth - Her sacrifice and kindness

In 2:8-23, we find that Ruth is now having a conversation with Boaz, the owner of the field where she is gleaning. Here we can see again how much God is providentially caring for her (see post entry 3/8/11). Ruth had sacrificed to stay with Naomi. She left her family, her country and all that was familiar and comfortable to her. Ruth then chose to sacrifice for the good of her mother-in-law. She went to work in the fields to provide food for her and much more. The passage reveals that Ruth did much more to show kindness to Naomi and was full of good works (see verse 11). There is much we can learn from Ruth of her sacrifice and kindness. Is your life a testimony of God's love? Are you showing kindness and sacrifice to those who are closest to you?

Ruth- God's Providential Care

In 2:1-7 we find that Ruth asks for permission from Naomi to glean in the fields. Gleaning was a provision of God for the poor according to the Old Testament law. As readers of this story we can see that God providentially had Ruth "happen" to go to Boaz's field. This is not chance, rather the perfect plan of God! God saw fit to not only make a way for Naomi and Ruth to receive food by gleaning, but He also planned the exact field for Ruth to go to. This field belonged to Boaz, a relative of the family and as we know would become the kinsman redeemer. How marvelous! As we reflect on God's perfect plan in Ruth and Naomi's lives, we can be challenged that God has a perfect plan for us. Nothing happens by chance; rather, all things happen according to His will. God is not surprised when a family crisis comes your way, nor is he surprised when you find yourself pregnant when you weren't planning on it! God sovereignly is in control of the people you meet, the job you have, the church you attend. He knows the path of your life regarding health, finances, and your home. He has it planned! Not only does He have it planned, but He also has made a way to provide for all that you need. How wonderful the peace that comes when we truly accept His plan and give up our wishes and our desires and strive to please Him in every area of life. How about you? Do you understand that God is in control of your life? Or, do you somehow think that you are in control? Do you go to God in prayer when you have a decision to make? We pray that you will grab hold of this truth and let it sink into your heart and find perfect peace.

The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand. (Psalm 37:23-24 ESV)

Ruth - Chapter 2:1-7

Haven't you been encouraged by our study so far? No matter how many times I read this book, I still learn to apply truths every time. So never tire of reading familiar stories....rather ask God to help you understand how to apply the truth to your life. Today we begin studying in Ruth chapter 2. We will spend some time asking some basic questions about the story and then will get into discussion application. In chapter 2, we are introduced now to a man by the name of Boaz. We learn much about his character and the kind of man that he was: a Godly man who had integrity and self-control. He was kind and generous. Wow! Seeking to be obedient in just these characteristics is a life-time of work! Yet we know that becoming the woman God wants you to be is possible through God's grace....never give up trying even if you fail. In our study of Ruth, we find that Naomi and Ruth were poor, widowed and destitute. These women were vulnerable and yet God led them back to Bethlehem where they would be able find food, housing and where Ruth would eventually meet her future husband who would generously give to her needs. Wow! I don't know about you, but this gives me more confidence as I seek to be faithful to my Savior.

Godly Relationships

The relationship that Naomi and Ruth had was God-ordained, God-honoring, and an example to us as women. God sovereignly brought them together and allowed them to give glory to Him through their example. As we have learned, Naomi must have had some incredible character qualities for Ruth to have been so adamant about following her to her hometown. How does their relationship inspire you to relate to loved ones in your own life?

God's Loving Concern

Naomi and Ruth returned to Bethlehem during the barley harvest. This was the first harvest of the year, but Scripture tells us that God was blessing! We can see several ways that God showed his loving concern for Naomi, even though she claimed that His hand was against her (1:13). Here's what we came up with:

1. God allowed Ruth to return along with Naomi. This made the trip home not so lonely!
2. They returned at a time when they could store up food for themselves.
3. Naomi had the ability to return home, even at her older age.
4. Ruth was younger and was able to work to help Naomi.

Even when situations don't look that wonderful, if we look close enough, we can see where God still shows His love and concern for us. Maybe it's in an unexpected financial gift, or a neighbor stops by to help with a project. Maybe it's just the peace that God gives us as we stay faithful to Him in a difficult trial. In any case, God loves us and is always watching over us to give us exactly what we need.

Ruth 1:19-22

Today, we begin studying the last section of chapter 1 of Ruth. Naomi and Ruth return home to Naomi's native land. The people notice! No doubt, these people would have heard of Naomi's loss of her husband and sons. The women even ask, "Is this Naomi?" and Naomi responds by telling them to call her Mara instead of Naomi. Why would she do this? Naomi means, "pleasant one." If Naomi had lived up to the meaning of her name, the people would have remembered her as such. Mara means, "bitter." This word is first used in Exodus 15:23 when Israelites came upon bitter water. The place was called, "Marah," because of it's bitterness. Naomi's response to the women indicate the place of her heart. She was no longer pleasant, but rather was now bitter because of her current circumstances. Although she recognizes that it is God which has caused these things to happen to her, she is not willing to submit to His plan. Rather, she is relaying her bitterness in what God is doing in her life. How about you? How do you respond towards what God is doing in your life? Do you recognize his sovereignty and yet still have a bitter heart? Or do you recognize his sovereignty and have a pleasant heart?

Hope from Ruth

It is evident that Ruth had faith and confidence in the God of Israel. She would not have been so willing to leave her family, culture, false gods and everything else she had known for all of her life. It is also interesting to note that all Ruth would have learned about God through Naomi and her family for the previous 10 years. She did not have Scripture as we do today! How does her commitment to God offer hope and encouragement to you? We share our thoughts today on the program and would love to hear from you. Please share!

Ruth's commitment

In chapter 1:17, Ruth tells of her commitment to Naomi. The Bible says in verse 14 that Ruth clung to her. This word "clung" is used in the same way as in Genesis 2:24 when God commands to man to "cleave" to his wife. Ruth's mind was made up. She was going home with Naomi and once Naomi saw her determination she said no more. How did Ruth reveal her commitment to Naomi?

• Where you go, I will go. She commits to leaving her home.
• Where you lodge, I will lodge. She commits to settling in a foreign land.
• Your people shall be my people. She commits to embracing a new culture.
• Your God shall be my God. She commits to denying her false gods and chooses faith in the one true God.
• Where you die, I will die and there be buried. She gives up her right to be buried with her family in her home country.
• May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you. A seal of her comittment to Naomi.

Losing Hope

Ruth 1:10-14 reveal to the reader that Orpah and Ruth desired to return to Bethlehem with Naomi. This reveals that they were willing to give up their family, their gods and their culture to follow their mother-in-law. As we discuss today, this shows they loved Naomi. She must have been a mother-in-law worth following in order for them to give up everything they knew. Then we find out that Naomi desires for them to stay home. She gave several reasons to them that they should return home: she no longer would bear any more children, she was too old to have another husband, she had lost hope and said the hand of the Lord was against her. Naomi felt that God was against her and that if these ladies followed her, they would suffer because of her. But why did Naomi feel God was against her? As we discuss today, we see from these verses that she loses hope. She acknowledges God's hand in her situation, but feels hopeless for any joy in her life. As you study these verses, do you see yourself like Naomi - losing hope in your time of trial? Never forget that the God who created you and loves you has His hand on all things in your life. He is good and as His child will cause all things to work for your good to conform you more to be like Christ (Romans 8:28-29).

Character qualities of a godly woman

We learn more about Naomi and Ruth as we continue on in our study. We are learn that while in Moab, Ruth's husband dies. Her two sons marry Moabite women and then her sons die. Naomi now finds herself in a foreign country with just two daughter-in-laws as her family. She had no grandchildren. At some point while Naomi was in the fields, she finds out that the Lord was blessing her people with food (vs. 6). Naomi desires to return to her people, her home and gives Orpah and Ruth a blessing. Her blessing was that the Lord would be kind to them as they had been to her and the dead and that they would find rest in the house of their husbands (most likely a desire for them to marry again). This relationship between Naomi and her daughter-in-laws cause us to ask about the character of these women. What kind of mother-in-law was Naomi to Orpah and Ruth to give them such a blessing? What kind of daughter-in-laws were Orpah and Ruth for Naomi to be so kind to them? What does this indicate about their relationship?

The Setting

As we dig further into the background of the book of Ruth, we find in 1:1-2, some interesting facts about Ruth's family....before we even meet Ruth. It is helpful to know what is going on at the time of the writing. It helps to know how Ruth (a Moabite) would have found herself going to Bethlehem and serving the One True God. We find out from the first two verses that because of a famine in the land of Judah, Elimelech and his wife, Naomi, and two sons chose to move to the country of Moab. We're not told if they thought this was a temporary move or if their reasons for moving were prompted by God. All we know is that they moved. So here's a question for thought....Do you think that Elimelech's decision to move his family to Moab was wise? Why or why not?

Studying Ruth

Today we will begin studying the book of Ruth. We encourage you to take about 15 minutes and sit and read through the entire book. It's just 4 chapters long and will help you to refresh your memory about the story as we begin studying in detail. Notes for our study are posted on the right side of our blog. If you wish, you may print these notes and study ahead on your own or follow along with us as we study. As we begin today, we will discuss the purpose of the book of Ruth. Please share any thoughts or questions you might have here. We would love to hear from you!

An Interview with a Missionary

We are blessed to have the opportunity to have Hannah Scott with us on the program. She'll be sharing her testimony and ministry with her husband in Thailand. Hannah is the daughter of our own Pam Ormiston and we are delighted for this opportunity for Hannah to share her heart with us. She'll be with us from February 4-10, 2011. We hope you will enjoy listening! Hannah, a member of Family Baptist Church in Minneapolis, MN, was born into a godly family on January 27, 1980 in Illinois. At the young age of four, Hannah placed her faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ through the testimony of her mother. Through the ministry of camp, Hannah surrendered her life to the Lord’s service around the age of 10. God continued to prepare her by providing ministry opportunities with children, youth, ladies, and counseling. Amidst the ministry at Family Baptist Church, Hannah and Duane realized the mutual desire and passion for missions that they shared. August 3, 2002 they were married. 2003 they began the application process with Baptist Mid Missions where they saw a presentation on Southeast Asian. After a brief survey trip to that area they began deputation for Thailand. Hannah and Duane have been serving in Thailand since June of 2006. You can follow their ministry here: http://www.scottsinthailand.org

Imitating Good

As we close our study in 3 John, we want to spend the time talking about how we can encourage children and teens to imitate good in the midst of peer pressure. We can't ignore the fact that children and teens are bombarded with false philosophies on a daily basis. Every day that your child goes to school they must make a decision about whether they will choose to follow God or do what their friends do. Every day is an opportunity to talk with your children (or those whom you have influence over) and discuss how their walk with Christ is going. It is VITAL that we are being godly role models and mentors to those who are younger than us. Well, we share a lot of our thoughts today on the program. If you missed the broadcast you can look for the audio archives (link is located on the right of this blog) and listen. What do you think? How can Christian women encourage children and teens to imitate good?

A Negative Example

In 3 John 9, we have a negative example of a man named Diotrephes. He was a man who put himself first in the church and rejected authority. As we study this man and his characteristics, they certainly do not glorify Christ! John calls this man out and we have a written record of his negative example. What can we learn from this man? What situations might believers be tempted to be first? As you study this section of Scripture, do you find yourself like Diotrephes in any way? We encourage you to ask these hard questions of yourself. Evaluate your life - are you a negative example like Diotrephes or are you a godly example like Gaius?

Hospitality

As we have studied 2 John and are now studying 3 John, we can see that hospitality was an important part of the believers in John's day. We also know from Scripture that we ought to be showing hospitality to others (Romans 12:13). Our topic of discussion today then is, "how can we show hospitality to other Christians?" We hope this is an encouragement to you as you seek to be obedient to God. How do you show hospitality to others?