RUTH DAY TWO
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[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.
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Take time to read through and reflect on the passage. Don’t rush it but be open to God speaking to you as you read.
What did God say to you through this passage? Why don’t you pop it in the chat to encourage others?
Devotional reflection: The word “famine” in Ruth is the word “ra’ab” in Hebrew. It refers to a state of suffering and starvation. Especially at the time of Ruth famines can cause immense suffering and reduce your ability to provide for yourself and your household. Elimelech was from Bethlehem (literally meaning “House of Bread”). The famine was so severe that there was not enough food at the “House of Bread”. Elimelech and his household were at the mercy of outside forces of which they could not change that forced them to leave for Moab. To live in a land of Israel’s enemies. Desperate situations like these can create a famine not only of food but also of the soul. Naomi later in the chapter refers to herself as empty and no longer full.
Can you think of a time where you were facing famine in your life? Perhaps, its like Elimelech and his family. A famine of provision. You didn’t know how to make ends meet. Or perhaps it was a famine of the soul. An emptiness like Naomi.
Emptiness and times of famine are always tough but are not always bad. Times of emptiness demand something of us. They take away our control of our lives. They highlight the need to rely on strength that comes from outside ourselves. We are forced to rely on God’s strength and the kindness of others. Not our own.
Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:9 that God’s strength is made, “perfect in our weakness”. He goes on to say, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
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Prayerfully reflect how this passages applies to your life. Ask God to speak to you now
GROW People prayer: Holy Spirit, my life is in your hands today. I am sorry for trying to take control and do things by myself. I rely again on you. Yielding to your strength above my own. I don’t have all the answers nor do I know how You will work things out but I trust you with my life. May your strength be my boast today and may you get all the glory.
GO People prayer: Lord, I take time now to think of those in my world that are facing famine. An emptiness and a sense that life is out of control. Please show Yourself to them today. May you be very present. May they learn to put their trust in You and know that You care for them and want the best for them.
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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.
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.