RUTH DAY ONE
-
[start with a moment to step out of your thoughts and life and into the presence of God]
Lord, as I enter your presence now I take a moment to pause and to be still….
….to breath slowly and to re-centre my scattered thoughts and senses upon You.
…. Speak to me I pray, and fill me with your Holy Spirit afresh this day.
-
[take time to read through and reflect on the following passage. Don’t rush it but be open to God speaking to you as you read]
“In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. The man’s name was Elimelek, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there.” Ruth 1:1-2
What did God say to you through this passage? Why don’t you pop it in the chat to encourage others?
Devotional reflection: The opening scenes of Ruth give context to all that is about to happen in the book. Some of the main characters are introduced and the time and key places are mentioned. Ruth starts with the phrase “In the days when the judges ruled..”. This is meant to call our attention to the previous book in the bible and show that Ruth fits into this part of the story.
The book before Ruth is called Judges. In Judges 21:25 it says, “In those days there was no king in Israel, but everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” (a thought that is repeated in Judges). Israel was meant to look to God as their king but instead they looked to their own desires. They decided what was good and evil based on their own terms rather than on God’s and what chaos that lead to. With each looking to their own needs and what is right for them the land ended up in famine and judges needed to be sent by God to rescue His people and try and give them some direction.
Interestingly, Elimelech’s name means “God is king”. Ruth’s trust in God and yielding to His will in her life ultimately sets a great example for what it means to have God as king of our lives.
-
Prayerfully reflect how this passages applies to your life. Ask God to speak to you now.
GROW People prayer: God I want you to be king of my life today. I desire to life a life that is right by you. Please show me any areas of my life now that are not yielded to your will today.
I pray today, not my will, but Yours be done.
GO People prayer: I think of our Church community today. So many people, doing so many things. I take some time now to pray that we would be unified in our desire for Your kingdom to come in Kellyville and Norwest and for Your will to be done in our community.
-
Take a look at the passage again. Take time to see if there is a word or phrase that the Holy Spirit reveals to you as a focus for your day today.
“In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. The man’s name was Elimelek, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there.”
What has the Lord revealed to you? What will you take into your day today? What action is He asking you to take? Take a moment to pray a yielding prayer along these lines to the Lord today.
Prayer for today: Lord, thank you for speaking to me to day. Give me courage to obey your word and yield to your Holy Spirit. I take seriously your leading today and seek to put your word into practice in my life through action today. Amen.