RUTH DAY EIGHT

• PAUSE

  [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. 

• REFLECT

  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: As Ruth and Naomi begin to settle into the land of Judah Ruth’s story of faith moves forward with practical steps. Ruth understands that as the younger woman she needs to provide for herself and her mother-in-law and goes about making this happen. I love that God is in the detail of our lives and that we see His hand and provision as we go about our mundane, daily tasks. The passage says “So she went out, entered a field and began to glean behind the harvesters. As it turned out, she was working in a field belonging to Boaz…”

  The words “as it turned out” are very important here. From Ruth’s view, she was just going out to gather food for herself and Naomi but from God’s view, every one of her steps was guided. God works in our mundane, daily choices. His sovereign hand is often hidden in the routine paths we walk. We can trust that God is working out His good purposes for our lives, even when we simply “go to the fields”.

• ASK

  Prayerfully reflect how this passages applies to your life. Ask God to speak to you now

  GROW people prayer: 

  Lord, help me to recognise the ways you are working in the ordinary moments of my day. As I go about my daily tasks - the everyday, normal and sometimes boring things, I choose to trust that You are guiding my steps and working out your good purposes for my life. Amen.

  GO People prayer:

  Father, I pray for those in my community who are diligently working in their daily routines. I name them specifically now…I ask that you would reveal yourself to those who don’t yet know you. May they recognise and find encouragement in knowing that You are guiding their paths and come to trust you with their lives. Amen.

• YIELD

  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. 

RUTH DAY SEVEN

• PAUSE

  [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. 

• REFLECT

  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: It seems that much of chapter one is just setting the scene and introducing the characters for the book of Ruth. This last sentence is simple but speaks profoundly to how God works. The situation for Naomi, seems dark, hard and full of trouble but in it all are seeds of potential. 

  Ruth and Naomi arrive in Bethlehem as the harvest is beginning. It would have been months earlier that the harvest was sown. Think about that. God’s timing is perfect. Before Naomi decided to return to Bethlehem, God was prompting Boaz to sow a field full of crops. Enough for him and his workers and for those in need, like Ruth and Naomi. 

  However, the harvest isn’t just given to Naomi and Ruth. As we will see in the chapters ahead they had to come up with a plan, Ruth had to work hard in the field and they had to use wisdom. 

  God does care for us in our time of need. He provides for us and answers our prayers. However, He is often more concerned with who we are becoming in the process. God seeks to partner with us and include us in the miracle. The harvest season requires hard work on my part and strategy while at the same time a total reliance on God. 

  What would it mean to view this season of my life as harvest season? 

  What work and effort is required of me? 

  What part does God require me to rely on His provision and trust Him? 

• ASK

  Prayerfully reflect how this passages applies to your life. Ask God to speak to you now

  GROW people prayer: 

  Lord, You are constantly working in ways I do not know. You have already set in motion plans I have no idea about. Help me to partner with you in your work today. Help me to align my efforts, planning and work to what you are doing in and through me. I trust You and I am wanting to serve You. 

  GO People prayer: 

  Lord, in Matthew 9:37b-38 You say, “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.”

  Today I pray for workers Lord. There are fields of ripe fruit ready for harvest. Continue to raise up GO people to tell people about You and to bring them into your kingdom. Equip people to serve You faithfully and may we see more souls won to the Lord. Lord, use me today and encourage others also to serve You in this way. 

• YIELD

  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. 

RUTH DAY SIX

• PAUSE

  [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. 

• REFLECT

  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: “Don’t call me Naomi”, “Call me Mara”. 

  Naomi means “pleasant” and Mara means “bitter”. Naomi couldn’t accept that people would look at her and refer to her as “pleasant”. She literally changed her own name. The famine and loss of her husband and sons had affected her so much that she could only see her life as bitter and empty. 

  I may not be as overt as Naomi but certain situations in my life can make me name myself something different to who I am. Perhaps sometimes I call myself “bitter” or “not good enough” or “stupid” or “not worthy of love” or worse. 

  As I look in the mirror today who do I see? What name do I give myself? Perhaps we should not look to our feelings to name ourselves but instead look to God. As I look at the mirror today what name would God give me? 

  “Highly favoured”, “Capable”, “Loved”, “Precious”, “Strong”, “Brave” or better. 

  As we read on in the book of Ruth, Naomi’s situation goes from being bitter to blessed, from desperate to pleasant. Naomi may have named herself “bitter” but God named her “pleasant”. God’s name for Naomi wasn’t based on who she was and what she was capable of doing but instead it was based on God and His abilities. 

  What would God’s name for me be today? How does He see you? 

• ASK

  Prayerfully reflect how this passages applies to your life. Ask God to speak to you now

  GROW people prayer: 

  God, I can’t always see the big picture. Sometimes my situations get the better of me and I lower my thoughts about myself to what is in front of me. Today help me to align my thoughts with Your thoughts. Help me to see myself as you see me and to adjust my thinking and my way of living to Yours. 

  GO People prayer: 

  Lord, I don’t always see the God-given potential in others. Often the names I have for others don’t align with how you see them. Help me to see others as You do and name them as You name them today. 

• YIELD

  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. 

RUTH DAY FIVE

• PAUSE

  [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. 

• REFLECT

  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: Perhaps this is one of the most well known verses in the book of Ruth. This statement of absolute dedication and loyalty to Naomi from Ruth is definitely admirable. Ruth has realised that Naomi is someone God has called her to do life with and she is committing to giving up marriage prospects, other friendships, her home and her people to stay with Naomi. She is determined to stay close to Naomi no matter what happens. 

  The statement “May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely…” is a phrase that is used often in the Old Testament. It is the language of an oath before God and before others. It is more than a promise. It is commitment that Ruth wholeheartedly dedicates herself to. 

  Who are the people in my life that God has called me to commit wholeheartedly to? 

  What does this require of me today?

• ASK

  Prayerfully reflect how this passages applies to your life. Ask God to speak to you now

  GROW people prayer: 

  Lord, thank you for the community of people you have placed me in. You have given me a church, a family and many friends. I don’t take it lightly. Please highlight to me today in which ways I should whole-heartly commit to these relationships. Give me the courage and determination to make sacrifices where needed and invest into those around me. 

  GO People prayer: 

  Lord there are people in my world that are not always easy to stay connected to. It requires a lot of me. Help me today to be filled with determination even when relationships are hard knowing that you have called me to be in their lives. Give me wisdom and courage to navigate these relationships. 

• YIELD

  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. 

RUTH DAY FOUR

• PAUSE

  [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. 

• REFLECT

  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: God puts people in our lives for a reason. Some of our friendships are for life and others are just for a season. True friendship wants the best for the other person. It is a commitment to seeing the other person become all that God wants them to become. 

  I was really struck by the open-handedness of Naomi with her relationship with her daughters-in-law. She was so committed to the well-being of her daughters-in-law that she gave them the freedom to choose to go back home. She wanted what was best for them and yet balanced that with what was best for her. In Naomi’s case Ruth ended up choosing to continue on in her life while Orpah returned to Moab. Naomi didn’t compromise what she felt God was calling her to but it meant giving up at least one close relationship the for a time had been a source of kindness and support. This doesn’t make Orpah a terrible person and I don’t believe there was animosity between Orpah and Naomi for the decision Orpah made. It was just a recognition that life was moving on and they were going in different directions. 

  Today I think about my life and where God has called me to go in this next season. Who are the companions God has called me to travel with? Are there people in my life that I need to graciously release to pursue God’s call for them even if it means a change in our relationship and closeness? 

• ASK

  Prayerfully reflect how this passages applies to your life. Ask God to speak to you now

  GROW people prayer: Holy Spirit, thank you for those you have placed in my life. Help me to be a good friend. I want to seek their best. I think of what You have called them to in life and today I pray you help me to know how to best support, encourage and inspire them to pursue this with all their might. I pray for them now.

  Also, where I feel like You are asking me to be more open-handed with my relationships I pray you will help me to let go and to bless. Give me wisdom and grace to honour and release others into what You have called them to. I don’t want to hold them back from all that you have for them.

  GO People prayer: Lord, today I think about those that are lonely and struggle to have close friendships. Be with them today. I pray that our church community would help them feel loved and that they would find the support and encouragement they need.

  Lord, help our church community be an example of love for each other. May our love and kindness to each other draw those of our world into a relationship with You.

• YIELD

  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. 

RUTH DAY THREE

• PAUSE

  [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. 

• REFLECT

  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: Naomi was in a desperate situation. She had lost her husband and sons, her means of provision was gone, and she was doing her best to support herself and her two daughters in-law. It is in this situation that she hears that the Lord has shown concern for His people and was providing for them.

  I imagine Naomi looking for answers and feeling desperate and empty. I imagine someone coming from Judah and telling her of God’s goodness to His people. Reminding her of the God of the Exodus (Exodus 4:31) who heard the groaning of His people in slavery and came and brought them freedom.

  Something of this message hit home to Naomi. It was a message about a God who’s character could be trusted. A God who shows concern for people in need and provides for them. Naomi decides to take big steps of faith and to trust in this God. She decides to leave everything behind and go on an Exodus journey of her own.

  This is the God that we serve today. A God who concerns Himself with the needs of people. Who is kind and loving. If we would trust Him today He will lead and guide us and be very present in our need.

• ASK

  Prayerfully reflect how this passages applies to your life. Ask God to speak to you now

  GROW people prayer: Holy Spirit, thank you that you are a God that cares for me. Today, I remind myself of your kindness and love and that You are a God that I can trust. What every today holds I place my trust in you.

  GO People prayer: Lord, today I think of those that are facing desperate situations. Please show Yourself to them. May they see your concern for them and put their trust in You.

• YIELD

  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. 

RUTH DAY TWO

• PAUSE

  [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. 

• REFLECT

  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.”

• ASK

  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.

• YIELD

  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. 

RUTH DAY ONE

• PAUSE

  [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. 

• REFLECT

   [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. 

• ASK

  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.

• YIELD

  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.