Rebecca Currington Snapdragon Group - Secrets of Ruth: A Devotional for Women

2015 by Barbour Publishing

Print ISBN 978-1-64352-940-0

eBook Editions:

Adobe Digital Edition (.epub) 978-1-63609-211-9

Kindle and MobiPocket Edition (.prc) 978-1-63609-212-6

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Devotional writing and compilation by Patricia Mitchell in association with Snapdragon GroupSM, Tulsa, OK.

Scripture quotations marked niv are taken from the H OLY B IBLE , N EW I NTERNATIONAL V ERSION . NIV . Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked CEV are from the Contemporary English Version, Copyright 1995 by American Bible Society. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked MSG are from THE MESSAGE. Copyright by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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W herever you go, I will go. These words have graced pledges of lifelong commitment ever since Ruth uttered them nearly three thousand years ago. Yet theres far more in her promise than a heartwarming ideal. Uncover the layers of meaning in these words and you will find that they belong on the lips of everyone who desires a closer, more intimate, and more vibrant relationship with God.

The biblical book of Ruth is a story of family loyalty, spiritual integrity, and romantic love. Its themes of tenderness and devotion, kindness and commitment still resonate today. As you read, you no doubt will recognize many challenges that have touched your own lifegrief and loss, unwelcome change and practical necessity. Discover, in addition, inspiring examples of faithfulness applied to real-life decisions, despite the pull of personal preference. In Ruth, see how respect and decency were applied to common business dealings, even though, then as now, self-interest was the norm.

The reflections in Secrets of Ruth are based on themes from the book of Ruth. Introduced by a passage from scripture, each reading highlights a recognizable, down-to-earth circumstance thats relevant to our lives today, coupled with Gods divine response. See how God uses common events to bring His people closer to Him, and watch how He makes His will known through the faith He plants in the human heart. Celebrate the promise of the Messiah that God fulfilled through Ruths descendants. Celebrate too His promise of continuing love that He showers on you today.

Before Israel was ruled by kings, Elimelech from the tribe of Ephrath lived in the town of Bethlehem. His wife was named Naomi, and their two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. But when their crops failed, they moved to the country of Moab.

R UTH 1:12 CEV

F amine! To this day, storms, drought, infestation, and warfare in parts of the world force growers off their land. Their crops lost, they and everyone in the community dependent on them have no food for the table. If they can, they move to another place and start all over again.

For most of us, however, starvation is a scourge witnessed through the lens of a TV camera. Our lands yield crops, and our market shelves are well stocked with goods of all kinds. Yet we know famine. We experience it when our source of income vanishes because of job loss, a stock market reversal, or a failed business; when the love, affection, and emotional support we depend on disappears with the passing of a loved one; or when our hopes for the future crumble in the wake of a devastating medical diagnosis. Famine forces us to make a moveemotionally, spiritually, and sometimes physically.

Its famine that spurred Elimelech, his wife, and his sons to settle in Moab, a nation east of the Dead Sea. Though necessary, the decision was a painful one. Far from family and friends, these God-fearing Israelites would find themselves living among idol-worshippers with a reputation for decadence and immorality. This certainly was not what the couple had planned and most assuredly not where they had hoped to raise their sons. Yet when they left Bethlehem for this foreign land, God went with them. They took courage in knowing that He is not confined to a place but dwells in the hearts of those who love Him.

Have you ever been compelled to pick up stakes and settle in a new place? Perhaps changes in your health or relationships have turned your plans for the future completely upside down. Maybe a desire to delve deeper into Gods purpose for you has started you on a journey toward greater spiritual maturity and deeper understanding. In times like these, famine is taking you from known to unknown, from old to new.

Though circumstances can move you away from places and people you love, they can never move you away from God. In Him, you have the strength to continue, an abundance of comfort, and a rich supply of possibilities. He is yours, and you are His wherever you go.

Dear God, thank You for the assurance of Your presence wherever I am. Let loss and dislocation, whether physical or emotional, serve only to move me closer to You, the Source of everything I really need. Help all who suffer famine find their hope, comfort, and abundance in You. Amen.