I Am Ruth, Part 3

As I continue my study of Ruth, I find myself more and more excited. What a model of godliness this precious sister is. What a wonderful mother-in-law Naomi is.

Naomi is so concerned for Ruth. She wants to ensure that Ruth is well taken care of. She knows that Boaz is probably the one to take care of her. But, she wants to make sure that Ruth approaches Boaz in a right and honorable way.

Naomi doesn't want to create a scandal that would reflect poorly on Ruth or on Boaz.

Naomi wants Ruth to approach Boaz in a way that is respectful.

Naomi wants Ruth to pursue Boaz in a way that is humble.

Naomi advises her dear daughter-in-law

• Wash yourself - Make yourself clean. Get rid of the grime. Confess your sins and be forgiven.
• Anoint yourself - Anoint yourself with sweet smelling oil. Put on your best perfume. But also anoint yourself as the woman you are, the wonderful, godly, humble, beautiful woman that you are.
• Put on your best garment - Don't just put on your comfy sweats or your pajamas. You are a beautiful woman, dress so that he notices.
• Go to him - Don't wait for him to come to you, but go to him. But...
• Don't make yourself known - Don't brazenly pursue him. Don't make a spectacle of yourself. Don't try and get thousands of likes on your best selfie.
• Notice where he lies down - Pay attention to his routine. Know where he goes to rest. Know where he goes to restore himself.
• Go in, uncover his feet, and lie down - Humble yourself. Approach him as a servant. Show him the respect he is due. Show him that you are his.

As I think about my man, I want to be my best for him. I want to look my best for him. But most of all, I want him to know that I am there to help him, to honor him, and respect him.

Linking up with precious sisters

• Holley Gerth

I Am Ruth, Part 2

As I continue my study of the book of Ruth, I continue to be impressed with what a humble, faithful woman Ruth was. In chapter two, I see more attributes of this godly sister that I want to emulate.

• She humbled herself before Boaz - She bowed down in respect of Boaz showing both the respect she had for him and the humility she had in her life. Do I show the respect and humility in my life?
• She sought favor in his eyes - She wanted her actions and even her mere presence to be pleasing to Boaz. I want those in my life to be pleased with me. Am I being intentional about my life being pleasing to those around me?
• She affirmed Boaz for the good he had done to her - She wanted him to know that the good he had done for her did not go unnoticed. I've been very intentional lately with telling those around me of the good I see in them and the good I've seen them do. I want to be a blessing to those who have blessed me!

This precious sister has been a great encouragement to me. My prayer is that I can be a virtuous woman like her!

Linking up with other precious sisters:

• Worth Beyond Rubies
• Holley Gerth
• Wise Woman Linkup

I Am Ruth, Part 1

I've been reading and studying Ruth lately and it has been wonderful (and I've just finished chapter 1). It is an amazing tale of redemption even in the first chapter! God is so good.

As I've been reading, I've been trying to place myself in Ruth's shoes, and I have seen things in the text that I may have glossed over before. Here's some of what I've been encouraged by so far:

• Elimelech and his family set out from Bethlehem to find food - not to be missionaries.
  God's plans were bigger than Elimelech and Naomi's plans. Why should that be a surprise to me? How many times have I set out to do something and God did so much more than I had even imagined?
• Ruth was separated from God
  Ruth was a Moabitess and the God of Israel was not her God. She wasn't seeking after God - but God was seeking after her! Before I came to know Christ, I may have gone to church every Sunday, but I wasn't seeking Christ. Just like Ruth, he sought me out. How glad am I that he did!
• It was through relationship that Ruth came to know of God's love
  Through the witness of her mother-in-law Naomi, Ruth came to know of God's love. God may have also revealed himself to Ruth through her ten years of marriage. There are many people who demonstrated God's love to me including Jackie, my youth pastor's wife. Yes, she told me of God's love but much more importantly she showed my God's love in how she lived her life.
• Ruth's life was radically changed because of her encounter with the living God
  After the death of her husband, she was given the option to go back to her old way of life and press the "reset" button. Because her life had been so radically changed, she refused (don't you make me do this!) to go back but instead chose to follow Naomi to a land she never know, to be around a people that weren't hers, but... to serve a God that she had come to know and love! My life in Christ is so much more than my life without Him could ever be. Go back to the way it was before I knew Christ? May it never be. I will choose Christ!

How wonderful it is to be able to relate to this precious sister of mine - Ruth! I am thankful for the message of love and redemption seen in her life and I am so blessed that I too know God's redeeming love!

Linking up with Holley Gerth!

Joining the Wise Woman Linkup!

What Was It About Her?

I love reading the book of Ruth. She is a heroine of mine and a great example of a woman with noble, godly character. If it weren't for the fact that it wasn't written until a few generations later, I would say she is an ideal Proverbs 31 woman. Her commitment, as a Moabitess, to the God of Israel shows the preeminence of our God. He alone is worthy to be praised.

Today, I want to reflect on her mother-in-love, Naomi. What was it about Naomi that made Ruth want to leave her people and stay with Naomi? How did the faith and the love of this woman who came to Moab with her husband and sons to escape a famine only to lose them, how did her faith appeal to Ruth?

She loved her husband and sons. The journey to Moab would have taken several days. But they were hungry and they needed food. So they would go to where the food was. Even though the Moabites followed a foreign God, Naomi was willing to go to Moab to care for her husband and sons.

She loved her daughters-in-law When hers sons died, Naomi wanted the best for her daughters-in-law. She knew that she could not provide another husband for them and wanted them to be taken care of. Go, she told them, back to your own families.

She loved her God Even though she had lost much and feared that the hand of the Lord was against her, Naomi still loved God and looked to Him to bless her daughters-in-law. She prayed a blessing over them as she urged them not to follow her.

After returning to Bethlehem, Naomi continued to love and guide Ruth. She is a wonderful example of an older woman loving, guiding, and discipling a younger woman. May it be said of me that I am like Naomi!

I am joining Holley Gerth for Coffee For Your Heart.