south ridge blog

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Ruth 4:13 So Boaz took Ruth into his home, and she became his wife.

Once again, we need to recognize the culture and customs of the ancient world. When Ruth’s initial husband died, the cultural law was that his brother would take Ruth as his wife in order to provide family heirs for her. But in Ruth’s case, her former husband’s brother had also died. 

As such, the cultural law then turned to the closest relative. In Ruth’s case, she and Naomi believed that Boaz was the closest relative to the family, so Ruth being able to marry Boaz was seen as a simple solution. However, it turned out that there was another relative who would be next in line.

So Boaz sets out with a plan, and ultimately offers to accept full responsibility for the land previously owned by Naomi’s husband and her two sons. By doing so, he also had the responsibility of accepting Ruth as his wife. The life of Ruth was full of twists and turns, but God continued working through her and her family, and she became the great grandmother of King David. 

READING & PRAYERS:

     RUTH 4:1-22 (also read the commentary notes in your Study Bible of choice.)

QUESTION: Ruth left her family of origin, her home, and he nation, ultimately becoming a worshiper of God. What is something you may struggle to leave behind in order to grow as a worshiper of God? 

Take a Step: Remember to continue utilizing the One Minute Pause app throughout the week. If possible, begin to explore and practice the 3, 5 or 10 minute pause to more deeply root yourself in Christ.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, it’s often easy for me to think of something I can give up in order to grow closer in my relationship to You, but it’s more difficult to think of the things I don’t want to give up to do so. Today, reveal something in my life I need to give up so that I can more fully experience the live of love, joy, and peace You offer. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

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Ruth 3:7 Ruth came quietly, uncovered his feet, and lay down.

Throughout the first two chapters of Ruth, we’ve seen the brokenness and trauma of her life as well as the kindness Boaz has provided. But now Ruth’s story takes another turn. 

Ruth’s former mother-in-law, Naomi, asks Ruth to wait until Boaz is asleep and then to go and uncover his feet and lie down. While there is much speculation as to the cultural significance of this act, we know that Ruth trusted Naomi enough to go with this plan. 

When Boaz awakes and asks who it is at his feet, she responds and says, “I am your servant Ruth. Spread the corner of your covering over me, for you are my family redeemer.”

The Cultural Background Study Bible notes that Ruth’s request to spread the corner of his covering over her would have been an idiom for marriage. This was a bold move. Ruth wasn’t simply warming Boaz’s feet, she was welcoming the opportunity to be his wife! Boaz responds favorably, and sets out with a plan to make it happen. 

READING & PRAYERS:

     RUTH 3:1-18 (also read the commentary notes in your Study Bible of choice.)

QUESTION: What have you found most interesting about the story of Ruth so far throughout the week? 

Take a Step: Remember to continue utilizing the One Minute Pause app throughout the week. If possible, begin to explore and practice the 3, 5 or 10 minute pause to more deeply root yourself in Christ.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I confess there are times when I put You in a box and don’t live life in such a way to expect the unexpected. But Your Word regularly reveals that You will work in unexpected ways in the lives of Your people. Today, I pray that You will work through me in an unexpected way to offer support, love, and encouragement to others. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

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Ruth 1:12 May the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully for what you have done.

Many of us in the modern world don’t concern ourselves much about our next meal. We have plenty of food in the cabinets, refrigerator, or freezer and aren’t concerned about going hungry. But Ruth and Naomi were in a pretty dire situation. With no husbands and very little (if any) funds, they weren’t sure exactly where their next meal would come from. 

Fortunately, God had provided laws to the people of Israel that would ensure widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor would have opportunities to eat. People in these categories would follow the workers in the fields and would collect any grain that was dropped or left behind. 

Ruth took the initiative to go out into the fields, hoping to find somebody kind enough to allow her to do so. Her initiative paid off in the fields of a man named Boaz. He could see Ruth’s dedication to Naomi and wanted to ensure she was blessed for everything she had done. 

READING & PRAYERS:

     RUTH 2:1-23 (also read the commentary notes in your Study Bible of choice.)

QUESTION: Take the opportunity to consider how God may be inviting you to serve widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor? 

Take a Step: Remember to continue utilizing the One Minute Pause app throughout the week. If possible, begin to explore and practice the 3, 5 or 10 minute pause to more deeply root yourself in Christ.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I confess that it’s often easier for me to make a donation to other organizations who may be serving the widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor, than it is for me to be Your hands and feet to serve them. Continue to mold and shape me into somebody who doesn’t simply offer lip service to the real needs of this world, but somebody who loves all others as Jesus did. In His name. Amen. 

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Ruth 1:16 Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.

When reading through an ancient text such as the Bible, it’s easy to get lost in some of the stories. But we sometimes forget that these were real people, experiencing real life, real hardships, and real trauma. The life of Ruth is one that may be easy to read, but it’s much better to absorb it, meditate on it, and try to feel what she and Naomi must have been feeling. 

The beginning of their journey doesn’t seem too abnormal. Naomi marries and has two sons whom also marry. But then tragedy strikes. Naomi’s husband dies, leaving her a widow. Then her two sons also die, leaving her and her daughters-in-law all widows. They’re not only grieving the loss of their loved ones, they’re also destitute.

Ruth’s solution was to remain with her mother-in-law Naomi no matter what. Ruth, a non-Jewish woman who grew up worshipping other gods leaves everything she knew in order to remain close to Naomi. Ruth’s loyalty to Naomi was profound.

READING & PRAYERS:

     RUTH 1:1-22 (also read the commentary notes in your Study Bible of choice.)

QUESTION: Think of a time when you were feeling lost, alone, and isolated. Was there an unexpected person who showed you extreme loyalty and encouragement in that season of your life? 

QUESTION: Who is somebody you know who could use tremendous loyalty and encouragement today? How will you go about offering it to them throughout the week? 

Take a Step: This week, continue to utilize the One Minute Pause app at least twice daily to begin practicing being with God and resting in His presence. The app is free, and is available on iPhone and Android devices. See pauseapp.com for details.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I pray that this week You will reveal to me at least one person each day who is in need of tremendous love and encouragement, and that You would work through me to provide it to them. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Take some time today to journal and reflect on the following questions:

In what ways have you seen God at work within you this week? Within your family? Within others you may interact with? 

In what ways have you resisted God’s word within you this week? 

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Throughout the week we’ve focused on God working in unexpected people, in unexpected ways, and utilizing unexpected methods. We’ve seen that, ultimately, God will accomplish His purposes in His ways and in His timing. 

This may lead some to incorrectly believe that they have little to no responsibility for their own growth. They reason, if God will accomplish His purposes in His ways and in His timing, then I don’t really have any responsibilities. It’s all on Him! 

But this isn’t what the Scriptures teach. Instead, the Scriptures teach that while God has some specific responsibilities, we have responsibilities as well. In general, it’s good to consider:

• What is God’s responsibility? 
• What is my responsibility? 
• What (if anything) is somebody else’s responsibility? 

When it comes to your own emotional and spiritual growth, you have some responsibility in that. It’s unwise to believe that by becoming a follower of Jesus you will immediately excel at loving God and loving others. It takes planning. It takes practice. It takes a desire to grow.

READING & PRAYERS:

     PSALM 121 (also read the commentary notes in your Study Bible of choice.)

QUESTION: What steps have you taken to plan for your own emotional and spiritual growth? 

QUESTION: What steps will you take to plan for your own emotional and spiritual growth over the next week? Month? Year? Who is somebody who may be able to help you as you navigate through this plan? 

Take a Step: Remember to continue utilizing the One Minute Pause app throughout the week. If possible, begin to explore and practice the 3, 5 or 10 minute pause to more deeply root yourself in Christ.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I confess there are times when I think that You, or my church, or somebody else is ultimately responsible for all of my emotional and spiritual growth. Today has been a great reminder that I have some responsibility in this as well. May I accept this responsibility and grow in my desire to love You and others well. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

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Historians and archaeologists affirm that the town or city or Jericho was not a large bustling city. Yes, it was a town and had a number of people living there. But it wasn’t a huge city. 

Nevertheless, like many towns in the ancient world, there was a wall around the city. These walls were constructed to provide safety to the inhabitants. Military soldiers could then man the walls in order to provide safety and protection from invaders. 

How did people in that day and age take over a fortified city? Oftentimes, they would burn down the gate or find other ways to sneak into a city for a surprise attack. But God used the most unusual and unexpected of methods to breach the walls of Jericho. God commanded His people to march around the city seven times and then shout at the top of their lungs. Sure enough, the walls crumbled and the people of Israel destroyed Jericho. Essentially, God communicated to His people that it was His power and strength, not theirs, that led to victory. 

Living like Jesus is to recognize that God’s strength, not ours, is often revealed in unexpected ways. Yet it leads to victory. 

READING & PRAYERS:

     JOSHUA 6:15-23 (also read the commentary notes in your Study Bible of choice.)

QUESTION: Think of a specific situation in which you’ve experienced the strength/power of God in an unexpected way? What was the victory for you and/or God in that situation? 

Take a Step: Remember to continue utilizing the One Minute Pause app throughout the week. If possible, begin to explore and practice the 3, 5 or 10 minute pause to more deeply root yourself in Christ.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, If somebody asked me to tear a wall down I would expect to use a sledgehammer, not the sound of voices and trumpets. You not only work in unexpected people and unexpected ways, but You use unexpected methods to accomplish Your purposes. Today, I humbly submit my life to You and ask that You use whatever methods necessary to help me grow into the person You created me to be. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen. 

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Take a moment to think about the prayers you have prayed over the past two or three days. What were those prayers like?

For some of us, we may need to confess that we’ve prayed to God as if He’s our personal assistant. We spend more time praying that God would see our will be accomplished instead of praying that His will be done. For example: 

• God, please heal so-and-so of this disease.
• God, please help me to do well on this test. 
• God, if you will just get me out of this, I promise…

Praying for healing, wisdom, discernment, and even help isn’t necessarily a bad thing. However, it’s important that we see God as He really is, and not as the god we may create in our minds. To see God as He really is is to recognize that He won’t always work in the ways we expect Him.

The story of Rahab is yet another example of how God works in unexpected ways. It teaches us that living like Jesus is to recognize that God regularly works in unexpected ways. It’s recognizing that He will see His purposes fulfilled, and He may fulfill them in ways we wouldn’t expect or anticipate. 

READING & PRAYERS:

     JOSHUA 2:14-24 (also read the commentary notes in your Study Bible of choice.)

QUESTION: Have you seen God work in an unexpected way in the previous day? Week? Month? What was so unexpected about it? 

QUESTION: What did you learn about God through this experience? What did you learn about yourself? 

Take a Step: Remember to continue utilizing the One Minute Pause app throughout the week. If possible, begin to explore and practice the 3, 5 or 10 minute pause to more deeply root yourself in Christ.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for working in me, through me, and around me in such unexpected ways. Today, may I be in tune to Your Spirit, recognizing that You are constantly working around me to fulfill Your purposes. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

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One of the interesting things seen all throughout the Scriptures is that God works in the lives of unexpected people. Abraham wasn’t well known, yet God called him to be the father of nations. Moses, by his own admission, was not a good communicator, yet God called him to lead the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt. David was the youngest son and a simple shepherd, yet God called him to be king of Israel. 

Even though stories such as these are well known, we forget that God really does work in and through the lives of unexpected people. The story of Rahab is yet another example.

Picture this: the people of Israel are preparing to enter into the land God had promised them. But first, they need to scout out the land to see what they’re up against. Two men enter the home of Rahab, a prostitute. At first, she seems like an unlikely person to provide aid to an approaching army. However, God works in and through this non-Jewish prostitute to offer protection and essential information to His people. Living like Jesus is to recognize the work God is doing in and through others, including the lives of unexpected people. 

READING & PRAYERS:

     JOSHUA 2:1-13 (also read the commentary notes in your Study Bible of choice.)

QUESTION: What are two or three ways you’ve seen God work in and through somebody else? Try to think of somebody in which you may not have expected to see God work in a significant way in their life.

Take a Step: This week, continue to utilize the One Minute Pause app at least twice daily to begin practicing being with God and resting in His presence. The app is free, and is available on iPhone and Android devices. See pauseapp.com for details.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, today I simply pray that You will continue to help me see how You’re working and moving in the lives of others, especially those who live, think, and believe very differently than myself. Similarly, I confess that there are times when I question whether or not I’m worthy for You to work in and through me in a significant way. Today, continue to reveal to me that if You can work through Rahab, you can work through me in amazing ways too. Thank You for this! In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

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Take some time today to journal and reflect on the following questions:

In what ways have you seen God at work within you this week? Within your family? Within others you may interact with? 

In what ways have you resisted God’s word within you this week? 

Take a Step: Remember to continue utilizing the One Minute Pause app throughout the week. If possible, begin to explore and practice the 3, 5 or 10 minute pause to more deeply root yourself in Christ.

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