Ruth 2:4-7 We all have heard the saying, “The early bird gets the worm.” Which is usually true, and when we think about today's title, “Integrity gets noticed,” we can say that it’s true here as well. You see Boaz and Ruth both showing integrity in today's passage. As we dive in, I encourage you to take note of when their acts of integrity get noticed in a loud visible way.We read in verse 4: “Jus...  Read More

Ruth 2:1-3 One of the best things that we can do when we are struggling or having experienced a difficult situation is to “grind.” What I mean is that this is when you need to “put your head down and work hard!” In other words, you cannot change what just happened to you, but what you can do is to “push forward” knowing that God is not done with writing your story. He loves you despite what you “j...  Read More

Week 2Main Point and Overview: When Ruth and Naomi returned back into Israel, they knew that their survival would depend on a new source of “income.” So, Ruth suggested that she go and “glean” grain in the fields with the harvesters. One of the Mosaic Laws required that corners of fields were to be left unharvested for the “poor” of Israel. This prevented the owners from hoarding wealth while allo...  Read More

Ruth 1:20-22 Naomi was totally committed to Ruth. But with the loss of her own family, Ruth was now Naomi’s only family. A life full was now left empty. Mara literally means “bitter,” and Naomi from that point on wanted to be referred to as that name because that became her identity. She was bitter because she felt God had, for all intents and purposes, abandoned her. Bitterness is insidious. Ther...  Read More

Ruth 1:19 Throughout most of my life I’ve almost always made friends that ended up moving away. My closest friend growing up moved to Kentucky when I was in elementary school. A friend of mine moved to Tennessee a few years ago, another moved to Montana, and most recently my best friend moved to Ohio. Sadly, I've had to adjust to what long distance friendship looks like (or doesn’t look like). Tha...  Read More

Ruth 1:14b-18 “At this they wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her. “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.” But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where ...  Read More