Hey, Siestas!
Our six-week study has flown by, hasn’t it? And so has the summer and just maybe we lived it a bit more victoriously because we were in Bible study together! I have enjoyed every second of it and I trust you have, too. Kelly’s way on paper really speaks to me. I’ve heard many of you say the same thing. Like we’ve done in our previous summer studies, I will devote a post entirely to our teacher at the end of the week and let you tell Kelly how much you received from her tutelage through God’s Word. Try to save your direct feedback to her for that time so she’ll be able to read every single comment. Look for that post around Friday.
Summer Siesta Bible Study – Ruth Final Week from LPV on Vimeo.
I hope you’ll be able to watch the video greeting but, as usual, I want to make sure you have your instructions for our final gathering also in print. So, here goes!
As you meet in your final gathering, you’ll discuss Weeks (or Sessions) Five and Six:
The first two interactives are in response to Week (or Session) Five:
- Turn to p.122 and review the paragraph in the middle of the page beginning with the words, “I wonder if your life can be easily explained.” Follow your review by sharing what you wrote in reference to the “Personal Response” portion just below it, if you feel led.
- Turn to p.136. Kelly wraps up Week Five by asking us to have a closing prayer time over the one thing that touched us most in that five-day unit. If you feel comfortable doing so, please share that one thing with your small group or, if you’re going solo, share it with me and the rest of your participating sisters.
The last two interactives are in response to Week (or Session) Six:
- Turn to p.144 and look at the wonderful bold print at the bottom of the page. Review the answer to the question, “Who suddenly takes center stage and does this surprise you?” Then, glance up to the top of the next page (p.145) and share your answers to the “Personal Take.” Have fun looking over those next couple of paragraphs Kelly wrote about “you know, the women!”
(By the way, don’t you love the way Kelly had us go back to all those references that contained descriptions of Naomi? I thought it was so insightful.)
- Day’s Four and Five are so powerful that I cannot choose just one portion for you to review. Please glance over the entire ending to the Bible study, stretching over both lessons, and share what you have gleaned from God concerning LEGACY. God is just better than He has to be, isn’t He?
Thank you, Siestas, for a great summer in God’s Word! I respect your relationships with Christ so much. I pray that He enjoys lurking here. He is everything to us.
Be thinking about how you’re going to stay in the Word this Fall! We’ll provide some accountability by asking you around the first of September about your plan for victory!
You are so loved and highly esteemed around here. Press on, Darling Things!
Group of 5-Monroe,Ga.
Our group has been knitted together with God’s love. We have so enjoyed our time together this summer and can’t wait to do another study (January,hopefully).
Profound things learned…Weeping forward,Living by faith or doing the expected thing,Being legacy focused, Ruth’s example,God’s Redeeming Love!!!
Paula from Maine-solo
I still have Week 6 and 2 days of Week 5 to finish because of traveling and family gathering, but here is the response I wrote in my journal the day I did page 122- number 1.
“I’ve spent much of my life thinking that I had to do some extraordinary thing for God. I’ve tried and strived and failed and met with some human success.
In my heart, I want to live my ordinary life with my extraordinary God.
This is my sacrifice- to lay down human applause and acceptance,to live quietly yet supernaturally.
As this summer closes with my McKenna (my granddaughter) Lord, let your touch be upon her life through mine.
I cannot see that I have accomplished much. But you, Lord, stoop down to touch my life, to raise me up when I am down, to settle me in my home, to give me joy as a mother and grandmother.
You, the almighty Lord of hosts, spread your wings over me- the covering of your redemption. Anoint me with grace to rest beneath your great power and love.
Amen.”
wonderfully said…thank you for sharing those thoughts and prayer
Paula, what a beautiful prayer.
We three from St. Joseph, MO are all behind in this study. So we will meet and eat and finish on August 24th.
I am really taken back by the “willing or willing to be made willing”. Sometimes I am willing and it seem more often it I am willing to be mad willing.
Little Rock, Arkansas
5 of our group of 6 gathered for the last session, along with food! We have been meeting just to study, so this was a treat!
Can our lives be easily explained? We talked about how it can be hard to know when God is really directing our lives and “talking” to us. Some people seem so sure about this, but for me, I need a billboard (or an e-mail as one friend suggested!). Looking back at our lives, it is possible to see how God was in it all, but at the time you’re living it, it’s harder to know.
Somehow we got on a discussion of Boaz and how old he and Ruth were and whether he was already married. I haven’t delved into any commentaries since last night, but Internet research suggested Boaz was 80 and Ruth 40? I couldn’t find anything on Boaz’s personal situation before Ruth. We were all just curious about this.
What touched us most in Week 5? Several of us agreed on the point Kelly made on page 133 – that Ruth went from foreigner to maidservant to maiden to wife, and we expanded this – to mother and predecessor of Jesus!
Did Naomi taking center stage again surprise us? The consensus was No! It all started with Naomi and without her, there would have been no Ruth at this place at this time. The story came full circle for Naomi and reminded us that even when others (or we) are unlovable (or bitter), we should keep on loving and the best part of the story will be written.
From “the women” we were led to discuss the weddings and showers of our past, including the multiple shower invitations that sometimes come, even with second weddings. We all agreed on this being…well… What are they thinking???
Legacy. We talked about our own for our children and for those of us with no children, there was “pondering” on how we still leave a legacy– maybe with god-children, nieces and nephews, or other relatives, or maybe even people we work with or otherwise know over the years. Some of the godly people who left legacies for us weren’t just doing it for us, but because of their relationship with God and because they loved us – sort of like God. He is who He is and He loves us and we benefit from that. Ultimately, we have to be “willing to be willing” in every moment of our lives and Christ will use us as legacies of His love and grace.
We all enjoyed being together so much and hope to do it again next summer. Bible studies we will do back in our own churches this fall include Daniel and Here and Now, There and Then.
We are all certified-Kelly Minter fans! God Bless Kelly and God Bless you Beth for introducing us to her! Women’s Bible Studies are the Bomb!
Well, my group of 5 dwindled down to just 2 on our last night. But the study was great and my friend and I can’t wait to do another. I am so very proud of my friend for sticking it out. She was raised a Mormon and her husband is currently an atheist. Despite what she had to overcome, she stuck with the study, learned a lot and is looking forward to getting over some bitterness. I have a renewed desire to change my family’s legacy to one that is head over heels in love with Jesus. I think my fall study will be another go at The Patriarchs. Went thru this study a few years ago and LOVED IT. Have been wanting to revisit it for sometime….
Rachel,
Kudos to you for sticking with this with your friend. I would say that not only are you changing your family’s legacy, but also this sister in Christ that was raised in a Mormon home! I pray that you can keep her in the word, and who knows, perhaps lead her husband to Christ as well. Can you imagine how that will change their family legacy? Oh how I pray for this!
I ditto what Donna has said! What a blessing you are to have stuck it out with her and her sticking it out with you. Be blessed
I am almost done w/ week 5. I am also almost finished w/ the first trimester of a 4th pregnancy which means Melissa is tired, tired, tired and sick. So…it’s been hard to open up Kelly’s book surrounded by recipes and have to apply my brain when all I want to do is sleep during nap-time and right after bath time (for my 5, 3 and 18 month old)…I am a finisher. I like to complete my projects, but I have to say this is one I am dragging my feet on. Sorry to all. I’ll wrap it up soon, I’m sure.
Can’t wait to get the chance to comment on Kelly and her writing.
Have a great Wednesday everyone!
Just a comment about your road trip. My husband and I travel in a Motor Home on occasion and one important thing to know. Most 24 hour Walmarts allow overnight parking. They have security. So if in a bind, you always have Walmart.
Have a great time.
Huntsville, AL – 8 women
They met the last session also but I was sick and since I’m the log-in person I missed it.
It was a great session of discussing how we can leave a legacy with our children and how the study challenged us to be more Ruth-like with our Mother-in-law’s. We also discussed being willing to be willing in our lives and how God will work out the details as long as we serve him in our daily life.
Tami,
solo,
LA
Day 5. What touched me the most on Day 5 was just the reality that Christ is my Boaz. He blesses those who surrender to Him wholeheartedly. He protects, provides, nurtures, lifts up, gives a new name, shares His inheritance with us, makes us His own! And He causes us to be fruitful and gives us an everlasting legacy. He plants the seed in us for our fruitfulness and then He brings it to life!
Pg 144. Yes, I thought Kelly wrote this whole study with such wonderful insight! I loved how she brought my attention right back to Naomi, making me realize that the book of Ruth isn’t just a “love” story–it really is a story of REDEMPTION for all of us. Without Naomi’s redemption in the end of Ruth, it would be easy to misunderstand redemption. One might think Ruth was WORTHY of it because of her good natured, submissive ways. It takes seeing a bitter old woman’s change of heart and actions to get my attention. Praise God! He is so good, and so kind! As Kelly stated on page 147, “Yahweh is the true hero of the story and unmerited favor is His specialty. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
(The Women. I couldn’t help but think of Steel Magnolias and laugh.)
Legacy.
I bawled when I read about Kelly’s grandfather. She has such a way with words. My own precious grandmother past away in May, and this section of the book was soothing to my still-aching parts which no one else sees.
At the beginning of the study I didn’t quite “feel” the definition of hesed. But at the end, it was resonating loudly within my spirit! See page 162, middle of the page.
This may be my most favorite study ever! I did’t realize how much it would endear me to Jesus, but it really has opened my eyes to see Him as my redeemer in a new way. And that just makes me love Him all the more. Like Mary of the New Testament, and Ruth from the Old, I am once again finding myself at His feet.
Just wanted you to know that I finished the study and I’m really going to miss Ruth, that is the gospel. That phrase pulled the complete study together for me. Thank you for all your hard work and your love for women. I feel honored to be able to call you my friend even tho we have never met. May God continue to bless you and your family. I look forward to my next study this fall.
What a great end to a fantastic bible study! There were six of us who met last night and I have never laughed so hard in my life! I think we were in awe at all that we had learned about these amazing and strong women in the lineage of Christ – what a legacy indeed!
Here are the responses to questions
1. One siesta asked God help her adjust when there is change in her life and to do the unexpected. Another asked God to help her be less interested in her family and more interested in others around her.
2. One said that it was amazing how God allowed Ruth to have a child – after 10 years of marriage and who knows how many years of widowhood, here she was – pregnant and married to her kinsman redeemer – what a blessing! Another said that while Naomi was bitter and did not want to go back with her daughters in law, she accepted Ruth. She had great perserverance and it was amazing how God uses imperfect people for his perfect plan. Another discussed how she struggles to put God in a box after she had a heart transplant and thinks about dying more than most people.
3. Did it surprise us that the story came back to Naomi? For most of us, not really – but then again we had read the story previously. One of us commented that it really was Naomi’s story all along – she was the driving force.
4. What have we learned from God about legacy? One said that God is in control of every single tiny thing – all of our small moments are controlled by God. Another said that if we pursue Christ, the rest will work out.
This study was such a blessing to our small group. We are all members of a large “young married” sunday school class and this allowed us to connect outside of church in such an amazing way. We were sad this is done but are going to start up again on another bible study together!! We are having too much fun to stop – so we’re starting “The Frazzled Female” in a few weeks. Thank you Beth for the blogs and thank you Kelly Minter for writing such an incredible book! Thanks be to God!
Hey Siesta Mama Beth,
My sister and I were able to meet and discuss the questions and we talked for quite a bit!:) My sister felt as if she was living a life that was all of those things listed on p.122 because her and her husband have responded to God’s calling on him to go to seminary and prepare to serve as a pastor and for her a pastor’s wife…a constant faith walk for them…In week 5 what touched me the most was what Kelly said about being in the right place with all the right resources, but not having a willing mind. I have thought: I have everything I need in Christ. Why do I not run with it? Why? Why do I not let Him take me on that adventure of an abundant life? It’s my own mind that stops me. The unresolved things of life. His taking over of those things is what will free me…concerning p.144, my sister and I thought Naomi was center stage again because of two things (that we could discern, there’s probably more) and they are that God was showcasing that nothing is impossible for God. He still provided a lineage, a genealogy that continued for Elimelech and Naomi. Secondly, Naomi going from feeling stricken by God to solidly knowing that her God had not forsaken her. He didn’t have to do that. He is Merciful and Gracious. He is like no other. My sister and I discussed the concept of legacy and we were drawn to remembering what Christ has already done for us; that He claimed us, and we want to glorify His Name here on earth. Loving Him first, and out of that love, loving others well. The scriptures about the Lord saying, “Seek My Face.” and us responding, “Your Face, O Lord, we will seek!” speaks of desperation for His presence in our lives to us. We want Him, really, we require Him because we need Him that much! Perseverance, endurance, encouragement, teachability, accountability, humility, all these things as well as other godly pursuits are vital and the makings of a legacy we both (earnestly) want to have.
Many Blessings to you today Spiritual Mom Beth,
katiegfromtennessee
Going solo in East Tennessee —
Like others, I’m so sad to see this study come to an end, and I guess that’s a good thing. Means we’re still hungry for more!
The thing that touched me the most in week 5 was praying for a willingness to be willing. Interestingly, our pastor’s sermons the past couple of weeks have been about just that – the blessings of surrendering to God’s will. My firstborn son is going to college in a few short weeks, and I’m having a really hard time letting go (he’s not even going that far!) I’m trying not to let him know, because I really want him to have a wonderful experience. I want to be willing to be willing to really entrust him to God.
Legacy – our other pastor (long story – I play piano at one church and “belong” to another, but claim them both) often speaks about strongholds and how they are handed down from one generation to the next unless we turn them over to God and allow Him to break them. What a wonderful legacy that would be – to let that stronghold in my family end with me.
Hey Margaret, have you ever heard of “Breaking Free,” Bible study by Beth? It’s all about God overcoming generational strongholds. It was a total game-changer for me and I highly recommend it. I guess suggesting a Beth study on Beth’s blog is like preaching to well…the preacher. Praying for you and your college-bound-boy. Blessings.
Thanks, Kathy! I actually did that study several years ago, but maybe it’s time for a refresher.
Thanks, too, for the prayers!
Although I don’t think my life can be easily explained, I also don’t think the Lord has called me to the unusual or sacrificial. My response to this was that I long to do what the Lord would call me to do. I prayed that He would help me to hear His voice and to have the courage to do that which I calls me to do (I’m a big chicken!)
The one thing that touched me in week five was the idea of being willing to be made willing. I don’t always want to do what I feel impressed to do. Even when I don’t want to, I want to want to. So now I will remember to pray that the Lord will make me willing. (I love that!)
I am doing this study solo and am not quite finished yet. (At the last minute my church women decided to do a six-weeks study of the book of Philipians and I’ve been trying to do both.) I wanted to be included in the wrap up shout-out so you would know that I am getting such a blessing from Kelly’s study and will finish it in the next week or two.
Thank you precious Beth for being willing to make the extra effort to organize and facilitate these studies for us in the summer. I so love you!
Love the line, “I wonder if your life can be easily explained.” Definitely “not easily explained”, but God’s fingerprint is all over it. Page 136, the one thing that touched me most was Kelly’s description of her friend, Anadara, receiving communion and being called by name. The verses in that section, where Jesus called Mary by name, and Isaiah that says, “you are mine”, gives me a sense of specialness and security in my relationship with Jesus.
When the story comes back to Naomi, isn’t it just like God to tie up the loose ends and come back to the beginning of the story. I loved the transformation in Naomi’s heart, and how Ruth was a part of changing her. The last part about legacy was on page 162, the “hesed” of Jesus Christ (gonna put it on a 3×5 card) ” “The consistent, ever-faithful, relentless, constant-pursuing, lavish, extravagant, unrestrained, covenant, furious love” whoa!!! Thank you Lord!! Pam in San Diego
Missy S, married, flying solo in Winston-Salem, NC
Beth, thanks for leading us through the bible study this summer! I had a blast!
1) I wrote: “Lord, you know that I am willing. I am not saying that I won’t be scared or reluctant when the time comes, but I am WILLING, and I trust you! Use me, Lord, I pray.”
2) I was most touched by the picture of God’s providence and sovereignty that we see displayed in the the book of Ruth! He is so astounding!
3) I think that the author of Ruth converged on Naomi at the end to remind us that God had not left her empty after all. Her emptiness became the vessel into which God could pour his blessing – a blessing that would spill over to bless the nations for generations to come!
4) I loved Kelly’s emphasis on the genealogies! What strikes me the most about legacy is that it is often created out of brokenness. Sometimes, the very parts of our past that we hope no one will remember become the foundation of our legacy. God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness. For example, Rahab probably did not dream of going down in history as a prostitute. Yet, that broken aspect of her past is precisely what makes her story so memorable. Same for Tamar – I mean, who wants to be remembered for seducing her father-in-law in order to save the family line?! Yet, in spite of all of this brokenness, Rahab and Tamar were not broken beyond redemption. From their family line would come the Savior of the Universe!!! God, how I pray that my brokenness would be a testimony to your grace! I pray that people would look to me and say, “if God can use somebody as weak and messed up as Missy, then He must be God indeed!”
Love y’all siestas & Siesta Mama!
Mom and two adult daughters – Oklahoma City, OK
We had a blast with our finale, Bible Study dinner party! Mom made a platter of Italian antipasti, I made the Curried Chicken w/Dried Fruit Couscous from Kelly’s book and Lydia made the Banoffe Pie from Kelly’s book. We had a ton of fun!
Our responses to the interactives:
#1: Living life unexpectedly and not with a safety net is just second nature to the three of us. It is not something we think a lot about, it has been apart of us and is the only way we want to live life.
#2: Two of us said trusting God with our future and one of us pointed out what a picture Boaz is of Christ!
#3: We were not surprised to see Naomi step back into the story right at the end. It was only fitting. We loved Naomi because she was real!
#4: Legacy is investing in others for eternity – not just bearing physical children. This is encouraging! Also, I loved how the story of Joseph (Session 2, I believe) parallels Ruth’s story so much – a story of redemption – God going above and beyond.
We had a blast! Love watching the final video together!
Hannah,
How cool that you guys did this together….I would have loved to have my daughter in our group but she lives out of state. Hope you made wonderful memories!
Hannah, what a blessing you did this with your two adult daughters (you don’t look old enough for two adult daughters).
I hae so enjoyed this study. How long will this blog and these videos be available? I have bought the Ruth book for two people and wanted to be able to tell them this information. Thank you.
So happy you have enjoyed the Ruth study! On the right-hand side bar of the Blog home page, you will find the link to the videos. They should stay up for a while, or you will be able to find them in Archives. Blessings!
Leigh, 41, Montgomery, AL – flying solo
1. Lord, I am willing to go the crazy for you. I long to be truly sold out to you without selfish thoughts. Help me. Take my time, resourcers, and personal goals and plans. Use them to your glory. I TRUST YOU!!
2. I was most touch by these words on page 132, “All I know is that laying down our lives for others, for the sake of Jesus, is never wasted. No matter how quiet, how humble, how thankless, God is making a name for you – one that will last an eternity. Go in the sweetness of this truth.”
Lord, You and You alone truly know me. You are at work in my life making an eternal name for me. Yours is the only opinion I care about. I praise You for Your goodness and mercy. I claim and thank you for Your promise that You will work all things for my good when I am called according to Your purpose. I love you, Lord.
3. I loved this question! I think God wanted us to reconsider Naomi and take comfort and encouragement from the story of her redemption. I loved seeing Naomi’s transformation from bitter displaced widow to delighted grandmother in her native land. I wonder if Naomi and Elimelech planned their move to Moab to escape the famine as a result of not trusting God to provide or in their own pride of self-dependence and self-reliance. Lord knows. I’ve been there and done that. I loved to see how God used a foreign daughter-in-law to hold Naomi’s hand as she returned home a defeated woman. I loved the fact that Naomi saw God bring her out of the pit of despair and make a way for her where she’d previously seen no way out. I love our God.
4. Legacy – I think of how Ruth, Naomi and Boaz likely had no idea the legacy they were leaving. They just responded to God. I know I get caught up in the day-to-dayness of life and so miss that my life is leaving a legacy whether I know it or not. I know that if I walk with God day by day, He will take care of the legacy of my life. I want to live moment by moment sensitive and obedient to God’s leading in my life trusting Him to leave a legacy for me.
We are signing in for the last time having LOVED our study of the book of Ruth!! All 11 of us have learned, been stretched, had deep conversations about the study, shared application to our own personal life and eaten some mighty good food!! One of our sisters shared that God used week 6 to bring about healing in a particular area of her life. For 12 years she has struggled with feeling like the outcast in her husband’s family…the foreigner. She married into a different ethnicity. But, over time, God has been working on her in-laws hearts and they have come around to liking her. Just the other day, the father-in-law called and actually said over the phone that she had redeemed their whole family. Well, our sister about dropped the phone. She shared how God is showing her He is about legacy EVEN in her extended family…not just with her kids and their future generations. It was profound! This is just one of the mighty testimonies. Had to share!!
We truly didn’t want out time to end and we are finishing this study changed.
Blessings,
a bunch of ruth lovin’ women
solo from Maynardville TN
1. I wrote: I have been so afraid of getting hurt agian that I let my emotions allow me to run from what You(God) wanted me to do. I had gotten to a place where running or hiding was easier than to ask for forgiveness and help. But I’m ready to stop running and ready and willing to serve to do what you ask from me to share my faith and stand on the promises you have given me.
2. I was most touched by remembering that God calls me by name. That he says my name with love, no matter why he is calling me by name it’s always with love.
3. I was surprised at who was center stage but I thing Naomi was mentioned at the end because Ruth’s story was also one about the story of Naomi’s redemption. How blessed Naomi was without even knowing it when she showed up back in Bethlehem.
4.I am glad we talked about the genealogies. How awesome that Jesus wasn’t from a perfect family. Yet it was a family that God chose to use. We are not good enough but his love, grace, and mercy are enough and they are ours for the asking!
First, off, let me tell you (Beth, I have said this to you before), it AMAZES me how every time I get into a study, God always uses it to speak to a very specific season I am going through in life! He is such a personal God! And I am so thankful to Him!!!
1.) So, I would say life is for sure very unusual and (would seem) illogical (sometimes even to us :0). I am not gonna share exactly what I wrote but I will share something I think God and I have been talking about throughout this study…children! Who knew?!?
I have been reluctant to share this, but this is where I am, and this is what we (me and God) have been talking about. I hope you all don’t laugh.
I have turned 35 years old this year. My husband and I will be married ten years in October. Life has been “crazy” since we have been married. God has had us go through all kinds of “unusual” situations. But something that has been ‘sticking’ out to me, lately, is our lack of little ones running around. God has truly blessed us with alot of nieces and nephews (all with our YOUNGER siblings) and He has also blessed us with chldren in our life that are like nieces. (And He’s blessed us with a Border Collie/pound puppy, who thinks she is our baby (we won’t argue :0)), but this is the unusual/illogical part… We haven’t even started a family, personally. I have worked with kids since I was a kid. God has made me to love, love, love children. I am “getting up there” :0) (in age) and I feel God just telling us…not now…not now…This seems super illogical to me, since with every year the encroaching age and all my nieces and nephews getting older and older. Does that make sense?
I just want to trust God and pray that I am listening to HIS VOICE and HIS DECISIONS for our life. (especially, when those around me, don’t understand)
Was that too personal? Sorry.
2.) Something I think God spoke to me this week was on p. 132, the last paragraph. Right now, God has my husband and I (and afore-mentioned, “Fur-baby”) in a state, away from our extended families. He brought us to Wisconsin, where we knew no one, for my husband to finish his degree. We have been here almost two years. My hubby is working full-time and going to classes in between. (I know, crazy, isn’t it?) We don’t have any children of our own. I am not working, outside the home. The bottom paragraph on p. 132 really spoke to me. Talking about laying down our lives. Being where I am right now, sometimes very alone, (that is without people, not without my Father in heaven!! :0), I struggle with feeling pretty useless. Like I am not doing much for the kingdom, by just doing laundry, keeping the house clean, making meals, etc., etc. I was really encouraged by what Kelly wrote about laying our life down, “…for your husband.” Thinking about God calling us here for him (the hubby) to finish his degree and for him to work (well) at his job ~ I need to be here, at home, doing all of those things, so that he can just come home and be able to rest, and to study. I love that Kelly wrote, “All I know is that laying down our lives for others, for the sake of Jesus, is never wasted. No matter how quiet…” Whatever God calls us to do, is not meaningless, even if it’s (what seems like) the thousandth load of laundry or another trip to the grocery store :0)
3.) “Why do you think Naomi got such significant billing here at the end of the story?”
I think, maybe, one reason is so that we finally get to SEE how God has NEVER forgotten her (even though, she was sure He had).
4.)The whole legacy thing speaks volumes of encouragement to my heart. Like I said before, we don’t have any children, personally, but we have quite a few children in our lives that we desperately want to see give their lives to Jesus, no matter what situations they grow up in, or who they are raised by, or what goes on around them.
It also reminds me where I have come from, what God has done in my life and because of who He is and that He has made me His child, I can live in such a way to have an impact on those around me, for their eternal benefit! I want to be thankful and be reminded of that, daily!
Beth, thank you for doing the summer studies, together. God definitely uses it!!!
Michele,
I know what you mean about doing the “little” things. I feel the same way sometimes. I am going through the struggle, AGAIN,of getting my affirmation from God ALONE! I know that He see everything, & I can take comfort in that. I think you are wise to listen to God on the matter of children. It sounds like you are leaving quite a legacy for a whole lot of kids already! You go girl! I just wanted to let you know that I will be praying for you and your family.
Love, Joan
Joan,
Thank you so much! I can’t tell you how your reply has encouraged my heart today! Sometimes I, myself, cannot see all God is doing and it so good to have Siestas, like you, to remind me. Thank You!! I’ll pray for you and you pray for me :0)
Girls I am in the boat of “am I doing this to please God?” or “am I doing this to please man?”
SEEK FIRST GOD, HIS KINGDOM AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS AND ALL THINGS SHALL BE ADDED UNTO YOU
Praying with ya’ll to keep our focus on HIM.
Becky,
That is my first memory verse for this year! I don’t know about Michele, but I can use all the prayers I can get! I will add you to my prayers as well, Becky! Thanks.
P.S. Maybe my next memory verse should be 1Thessalonians 2:4b,”We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts.” What do you think? *chuckling*
Michele, 1 Thess is a good one…..very similar to the one I am carrying around in my pocket these days. Galations 1:10 “Am I trying to please God? Or am I trying to please man?”
FYI……I tell myself I don’t care what others think, but that’s been a lie I’ve believed for a long time. Well, I’m turning over a new leaf and with Zech 4:6 …not by power, nor by might, but by the Holy Spirit.
Nice visiting with you Michele!
blessings abundance, becky
Joan and Becky,
Thank both of you for encouraging me with God’s Word. I have a few on my fridge to “hopefully” constantly remind me of Truth, too.
John 13:7; Galatians 6:9; Jeremiah 29:11; Psalm 57:2 (most of these were my verses from last year :0)
The book of Ruth has alot about family and relationships, but also includes God in the midst of adversities and sorrow. It shows how God can use simple people and ordinary events to accomplish His purposes. I think we can relate to God in some of the same events that take place in our lives. God is in the midst of what we are doing. I remember years ago doing a simple cross-stitching for a Pastor-friend and I put a Bible verse on it to give to him for Christmas. I had it wrapped up and went to church to hear him preach, he choose the same verse_to me that was a God-thing.
When my mother was sick she wanted us to get a family photo and we never did.
After she passed away we found a family photo left in her camera__that was a God-thing. The photo was of our last Christmas a year old. God does care and provide.
It was amazing how Ruth was willing to serve and show kindness to Naomi_to go where she went and be there for her. God is like that too. I think of how faithful and committed God is to us.
We have a lady at church whose name is Naomi and she fits the picture of bitterness. Her husband died years ago. When I first came to our church I thought I am going to love this lady no matter what circumstances, but she refuses to change. God can change people’s hearts old or young, but they have to be willing to let God into their life.
God has changed my life and helps us make choices to honor and serve Him. He is my Redeemer. He has used our brokeness to honor Him. Through difficult times God has provided and taken care of our needs. He has blessed us in ways that I never thought possible.
Houston, TX – 5 of us
We really enjoyed our time together last night. We’ve shared so much throughout, we are going to miss each other! (and the food!)
We wrapped up with some great discussion on Legacy, being willing to be willing, and overall just trusting God more and more.
Very special.
My siesta, Beth, and I finished our final session last night via Skype. A few days ago, Beth’s grandmother went to be with the LORD. We talked about the legacy of hard work, hospitality, and faith that she left for her descendants. An instrument of God, this godly woman was obedient in everything.
Something about Naomi drew Ruth to her. Our godly character draws people to us. We discussed how God brought Ruth out of the land of His enemies and providing for her redemption, He brought her into His family. We are grateful that our past is not a deal-breaker for Him.
We learned legacy involves stepping out of our comfort zones and taking risks. It requires continued obedience. And we cannot leave to others what we do not possess.
Beth and other family members are writing stories about their beloved grandmother. Beth’s young daughter is asking for them.
Our study was a blessing, and at just the right time, and we are happy to have taken the journey together.
Lori
Seven of us made it to our final summer session on a very hot day in Manhattan KS.
Regarding doing the extraordinary for God, we discussed how so often if we are truly doing something in His name, it really just feels like the most natural thing and it’s really only extraordinary in the eyes of others. We also discussed what it means to be open to things beyond our comfort zone and how sometimes we’re more open to stretching the boundaries of that zone rather than leaping out of it and how God can still use that quality to do unexpected things.
We had varying aspects that we found touching, but the overarching theme was how timely the focus has been in most of our lives. We also found it comforting reflecting on how so many stories in the Bible have a person is at their lowest (e.g. Naomi here) and that’s when their real story starts. One woman shared a phrase from a former pastor that “One thing the bible and the story of the cross in particular teaches us is that the worst is never the last.” We discussed how comforting that idea was.
Lastly our discussion of Legacy was interesting. We talked about those who left such a public legacy vs those who may have just left a legacy within one person through a gesture. We also discussed how you often don’t even know what legacy you might be leaving, so you need to strive to be a reflection of His glory to the best of your abilities.
Love that… what is worst is not last!!!
Valley Center, Ks 5 out of 8 ladies made it today for our final gathering. Ages 20 to 50+
We have been meeting every week so we had already discussed the questions at the back of the book for last week already. But it was a great time with lots of tears. The overwhelming thought was to ‘be willing to be willing’ for us that week.
Everyone was very touched by God using women with not such good pasts…in fact thinking about Jesus being able to say “My great-great (however many greats it would be) grandmother was a hooker” was overpowering. We discussed that God is so loving and looks on our hearts not our appearance or our family background!
Val’s most impacting part of this whole study was ‘weeping forward’. She has shared that with several people outside the study.
Rebecca, Pat, and Christina were all impacted with thinking about God making a legacy for us…while we are in the middle of ‘just doing life’ from day to day…we don’t have to conjure up some GRAND scheme to have a life that God uses and deems valuable.
Kris really connected with the thought of ‘being willing to be willing’ and what blessings we have likely missed when we had the ability and opportunity to make a sacrifice but chose not to.
Thanks, Beth and Kelly, for this study.
Have a great vacation….If you come up Kansas way we could sure show you a good time….nothing fancy, mind you, but some good old fashioned fun…maybe a catfish fry, homegrown tomatoes, fried potatoes, sweet corn on the cob dipped in real butter, some double chocolate cake and sweet tea……… I sound kind of like ‘Grandpa’ on Hee Haw…and I bet my husband and I could beat you and Keith in dominoes 🙂
Well Pat, add your email in case one of us siesta’s are in Kansas! The hospitality sounds amazing!!!! Makes me want to visit Kansas and you. 🙂
Join me in Kansas anytime Yanna! But beware….we are a family of serious game players, from cards to golf, and like to win (almost at any cost) 🙂
my email is [email protected]
Would love to hear from you!
Pat,I am so touched, you are the first siesta to add her email, now I have a real siesta to email back and forth and be encouraged by. In Kansas where the cooking is good! I mean homemade butter! Oh my, if I just had some of that on a piece of homemade Texas Toast Beth describes then that would be Heaven on Earth! oh of course Colorado or Ohio honey where the flowers grow would be good too. LOL Pat you can win anytime, I like to laugh and loose. 🙂
We are LOVING this study!!! Due to vacations & the She Speaks Confernce, we won’t be finishing up until later in the month. Thanks for the tremendous encouragement….following the study via blogging has been a lot of fun! We have all remarked that despite the vastly different place we all are in, this study had ministred to each of us in uniquely marvelous ways. 🙂
Many Blessings,
Jen
St. Louis (group of 4)
Although I have been uable to post during this study (major internet problems for several weeks) I have so enjoyed it. This study is amazing and I have learned so much. I’m looking forward to the next study.
God bless.
Siesta Mama Beth we had six out of our eight here today. One of our sisters made the Southwest Soup and cornbread for us. It was delicious and we had a great time sitting around the table after our study just talking girlfriend (that special language)!
We all loved the study and especially the accountability of a small group meeting over the summer.
We are a group in our 40’s and 50’s. None of us are walking in particularly unusal ways, but all of us are trying to have a heart after God’s and serve Him no matter where we are. For one, it is becoming the parent of their teenage granddaughter, for another it’s going back to work and leaving children at home, and for another it was staying home and losing the security of your job to take care of children or frail parents. The paragraph at the bottom of 132 spoke to us when it said “laying down our lives for others, for the sake of Jesus, is never wasted. No matter how quiet, how humble, how thankless, God is making a name for you-one that will last an eternity.”
None of us were surprised by Naomi taking center stage, and we felt she deserved to. After all, Naomi probably didn’t have a choice to leave and go to a foreign land, she was following her husband. And we thought while she was bitter, perhaps it was the bitterness of regret and repentance, yes, the Lord is being hard on me, but boy do I deserve it…we all had experienced that feeling. The important thing is she CHOSE to return to the land of her people, God’s chosen ones. She could have stayed in Moab and hoped that her daughter-n-laws would find a husband and take care of her, but she risked the journey of returning to the unknown.
We talked for awhile about “the women” of the church, the ones that gave my unwed, pregnant daughter a huge baby shower, and the one (a female minister) from another church that told one of our sisters that she would surely go to hell because she was unwed with a two year old, that it was the one unforgiveable sin. We all sat in disbelief, for the hurt that was extended in the “name of God” and that this sweet sister, somehow made it back to a church and a walk with God, many would have never returned. That’s a Naomi!
Our favorite thing about this study was how it extended the dignity to women; to those that found themselves in the wrong place, those who were not the chosen children of God, to a prostitute who believed so much in this God that she was willing to risk her life and lie to a King. It made us all more secure in who we ARE in God regardless of who we have been. We are a THIS not a THAT!
Birmingham, AL Six of our eight gathered around the kitchen table to share lunch and God’s Word. Two of our girls prepared Kelly’s delicious chicken salad with strawberries and the decadent banoffi pie. –not your usual Wed. lunch– Discussion was sweet and encouraging as we walked through the last two week’s lessons and some real life issues we are walking through. We discussed the ordinary versus the extraordinary. God doesn’t always use the ‘normal, ordinary’ but the ‘peculiar, extraordinary’ to accomplish His purpose. What a comfort when our lives may not be ‘normal, ordinary’. We also shared some stories of people who have left a legacy though they may not even know the impact of their ‘small gestures’. A third grade teacher, a youth worker, a principal…..our list could go on. We closed with listening to a cd one of our girls got at her church. A local member singer/songwriter had written several songs to correspond with her pastor’s sermons on Ruth. A nice summary of this redemption story. Praise the Lord, our Redeemer lives!
We (6) met last night for supper and we finished the book.
We had a wonderful time fellowshipping over the meal. A couple of members are single and commented how nice it is just to have company for a meal.
We absolutely loved this study.
Most of the six ladies are planning to return to our regular Monday night study starting in September and we will be studying Esther.
Fort Worth TX – 3 friends who are now even better friends!
What had the biggest impact on us was “being willing to be made willing” and what it really mean to be “willing” to serve God.
We discussed legacy and I want to share that I have a different sort of legacy goal than most. I do not plan to have children of my own, but I am a school teacher, and my legacy will be what I am able to teach the future doctors, builders, teachers, etc. of the world. I am excited to be a Godly role model to them (even if I can’t actually say “God”!) and pass on all that I know.
The 3 of us really enjoyed Kelly’s study and are thinking of doing NOGs as a women’s Sunday School maybe. We already have planned to start Beth’s Daniel series in September. Because we have learned that being in the Word, with God, every day, makes us happier, better people!!
1. I can’t really think of anything that falls into these categories except perhaps sacrificial. We are in a building campaign at church and the Pastor asked us to be sacrificial in our giving, and I am trying to do that. The Lord has been so faithful to meet my needs. In other areas of my life, I feel like I’m “in waiting”, so my prayer is that I would be open and listening to the Lord so that I can better follow Him!
2. “Though I may not see it or understand it now, Lord, I know you have a plan with my best in mind. Help me be willing to wait for you and how you will provide for my needs. You are always enough.” (this is specifically in relationship to my dreams of being a wife and a mother and having been neither at 37).
3. I think that Naomi got significant billing at the end of the story because the Lord wanted to show how He keeps His promises and provides for His people that rely on Him. The book of Ruth starts and ends with the same woman—though Naomi’s not at all the same on the inside after what God does in her life.
4. There are so many lasting concepts from this study. I think the 2 main things that really touched me were the reminders that God does not look on the outward appearance and that He is my Kinsman Redeemer. I struggle with body image issues and weight and am at this moment especially so. God’s gentle reminder that He focuses on my heart first was so encouraging. As I mentioned, I have always dreamed of being a wife and mother. I just had another birthday and each year that passes the dream looks less and less likely/possible from a human perspective. But the Lord is my Kinsman Redeemer. Of course He is my Redeemer through His blood providing me eternal salvation. But also from the provider/husband/kinsman redeemer standpoint, whether He chooses to redeem me out of singleness and loneliness here or earth or whether I wait until eternity, He has a plan. He has and will continue to provide and lavish His “hesed” on me. It’s overwhelming to think about really, and hard to feel sorry for myself when I focus on all He’s done.
Thank you for leading us in this study. I hope I don’t forget what the Lord has tenderly spoke to my heart.
–Sarah, age 37
single, Dallas, TX
Newmarket, Ontario Canada – 11 women
Our group is so sorry to see the study come to an end. We so enjoyed our time studying the Word, and getting to know other women that we had only said a passing hello to on Sunday mornings. We truly grew as sisters in the Lord.
2. We were so amazed how God worked through such a dysfunctional family, it gave us all hope:) God works all for good if we walk according to his purpose.
3. It also gave us hope with the story ending focussed on Naomi, you can never write anyone off. God knew her heart and circumstances. We are often so intent on our situations that we forget to look at the big picture. This story came full-circle for us, beginning with Naomi and ending with Naomi.
4. For the last question we went around the group and shared what touched us most in the study. Many of us were reminded and thankful for the redemption story of Christ. One shared that what touched her was that through our mistakes, God still can do great things. We would never forget the word “hesed”. Ruth’s humility touched another women. One shared how we need to look past people and what they are doing or what they have done and see to the heart for that’s what God looks at. He knows us intimately and still loves us. Another women was touched by Kelly’s focus on legacy – we can make all kinds of mistakes and wrong decisions but God can make something beautiful out of our messes.
We are going to get together for a pot-luck dinner in a couple of weeks where we hope to try some of Kelly’s dishes, especially the Banoffi Pie!!
We are so grateful for this study. Some of the women involved had not been apart of a women’s Bible study for a while, if ever, and they are excited to be a part of the study we will be doing in the fall, Breaking Free.
At the beginning of the study I was solo, not too far into it I added online siesta’s and the Holy Spirit sat beside me as I studied the Word. So I am no longer solo. He is Wonderful.
As I was studying along with each of you in Ruth, I was also studying Beth’s series on the Fruit of the Spirit. Last week fell on the day Beth was discussing the quality of goodness she acted out on stage our acts of kindness combined with our doing good works are noticed by God even if others don’t notice. She acted out God going behind us and “harvesting” our deeds to use for His glory. I burst into tears and explained to my Fruit study group the study of Ruth and her harvesting behind Boaz. It struck me the Bible is full of God. Every story is a circle, a chain of events that all tie into one part of the whole. We are a seed, Ruth was a seed, Naomi, Boaz, the women, the generations that created a Legacy. I am in awe. I will miss this group of women who I have grown to love and one day when we all meet in God’s Dwelling place I will give each of you a hug and shout songs of Praise and Joy with you. Won’t it be grand to smile at one another and know. God bless each of you. You will always be in my heart as I continue to pray when I go back from time to time and re-read the blogs. I know God is with us when we seek Him. Thank you Kelly, and Beth for your teaching and studies that opened my eyes. Well done good and faithful servants for Him.
Oklahoma
Solo
1. My husband is a lead pastor, and of course, went to Seminary. My university studies, on the other hand, were in business. At the time, my area of study seemed so unrelated to the ministry, but it did not take long to see what a valuable asset it would be and has been to our ministry.
Over the last few years, God has led me (shaking knees and all) from teaching small children into teaching adults. He has given me a new passion for His Word and a strong desire to teach. What makes it seem out of season is that I’m not the “springiest chicken in the pen” anymore. 🙂 However, God has a perfect plan and I trust Him and know that His timing is always perfect.
2.Page 136, my prayer was: “Yahweh, I am so blessed by you and in awe of your greatness. Just to think that you know me by name is humbling. Thank you for sheltering me under your wings for there, I find peace, love and safety. I long for more of you! ”
3. Page 144: Yes, it surprises me that Naomi is the one to take center stage.
Page 145: I wrote: “It’s the sweet ending of a story that began with bitterness. Isn’t that just like God to make something sweet and wonderful from that which began in bitterness and heartache?”
4. I absolutely love how God takes what man may consider small and insignificant and turns it into a legacy! Indeed, He is better than He has to be!!! I have gained some new insights through this study and am excited to see what more He has for me.
Thank you, Beth, for leading us in another Summer Bible study. I love spending time in the pages of God’s Word! This Fall we will be doing your study, “The Inheritance”.
Blessings!
Hoping to be an encouragement…..Not sure how springy you are or not, but I am 45 and my dearest, wisest prayer partner is 72. She isn’t real springy either, but she prays hard and leads Bible studies in our church.
She has become one of the biggest blessings in my life!
I believe you too are blessing many and just dont’ know it!
League City TX
6 of us finished the study w/lasagne, salad, bread and chocolate cake. We were all changed through the study of God’s Word this summer. Most of us even shared with our husbands who were also helped.
Overall lessons we learned were as follows: first time intimacy w/God, the blessing of stepping out in faith/doing the hard thing, being a woman of noble character/working hard, the weight and joy of being redeemed, and overwhelming sense of God’s love for us and calling us by name.
Thanks again for facilitating.
We are blessed,
allyson
8 plus 2 guests finished up the study at Panera in Glen Allen, VA., Tuesday night. We had a joyous time of fellowship discussing how Ruth was so faithful and obedient to the Lord and how we need to trust God, especially when we can’t see the road ahead and how it’s all going to turn out. He loves us and will get us through whatever, but it’s so hard to let go of wanting to help it along ourselves. We loved talking about the “women” in our church and lives who have loved on us and influenced us and realized that we are now those “women” to encourage the next generation. We talked about the kind of legacy we want to leave. We discussed and prayed for a Sunday School class to reach the young married age group and prayed for three ladies in the group who are part of a team of 4 leaving Thursday morning for Russia to share God’s love with the women of Ufa through cooking, scrapbooking, cultural exchange and just loving on them “southern” style. What an amazing God we serve–thank you Beth and thank you Kelly for this great summer study!
Kansas City, MO – solo
1. being called to something unusual, illogical, or sacrificial? Well, I’m about to start my master’s degree at a Baptist Seminary, that is a surprising thing to me, a bit illogical in some respects but very, very exciting.
2. I loved how ‘the women’ blessed Ruth, hoping she would become like the great matriarchs of Israel . . . that was amazing. I probably would have just flown over that had Kelly not highlighted it.
3. Back to Naomi – I suppose the narrative transferring back to Naomi was a bit surprising b/c it was pretty abrupt and I’d been so caught up in the story of Ruth and Boaz. But it isn’t really all that surprising since it is really the story of her redemption; she was the one who had no hope.
4. Fave/most meaningful part of days 4/5: it seems to me there is a big difference between legacy and divine legacy. Legacies aren’t necessarily good, at least I don’t think. Divine legacies, however, make impact for eternity. That is a worthy goal.
Thank you so much for this study – it has been wonderful to study alongside everyone!
WOW, love the idea of the school thing! Soak Him up and continue to share Him with others. I have enjoyed your post!
Group of 2 – London, Ontario
1) B – feels more & more convicted about the need to share the Gospel with others who don’t know Christ but this takes a lot of boldness & isn’t an easy thing to do
L – left her job even though she had no new job to go to because that’s what God was calling her to do
2) B – being willing to be made willing to entrust my children to God’s hands, believing entirely & fully that He knows what’s best for them & I don’t.
L – her favourite part was about God calling her name – it made her cry to think that she can’t hear Him calling her name now – but she will someday
3) B – my first reaction as a literature student is that it provides structure to the story – chiastic structure! Second – Noami has undergone a bigger journey than Ruth – has experienced a turnaround from bitter to joyful
L – Noami – she’s the one who brought Ruth back to Israel. If she hasn’t, none of this would have happened.
4)B – about legacy: we will reap a harvest at the proper time, if we do not give up. We may never see the fruits of our labour but if we sow seeds wholeheartedly then we can trust God to bring them to fruit.
L – got a new understanding of what Jesus Christ’s line was and who his ancestors are and what it means
CAROL
ALBUQUERQUE NM
53YRS
SOLO
First I loved this study and I do hate to see it end , I loved the legacy part of Kelly Grandpa that was to awesome.
1.Can my life be easily explain I don’t think it can right now I don’t know what God is doing in my life right now I am unemployed for a yr now and have put in application after application and no response so I guess if I was to explain my life right now I would say up in the air and a little unsure of situations now (BUT I AM HANGING ON TO JESUS)
2.My thing was that He knows my name and He summoned me by my name and I thought of my unsaved family that one day He will summoned them by name because He knows everything about them and me.
3.It did get me by surprise that it was Naomi I thought it would have been somebody else.
4.I have learned that God looks at my life everyday and knows everything. What is going on in my life now God will use it for the good and whoever is watching my life at church I think of the young people I want to leave a legacy of love and they can see that in me and that I followed after Jesus hard.
Thank you seista mama for leading a summer bible study I have enjoyed it very much and I will finish my revised addition of breaking free and then I am going to do A Womens Heart God Dwelling Place.
Again thank you and enjoy your vacation
Love you very much
Carol
Hi Carol,
Oh you are going to love the A Woman’s Heart study..it is awesome!!
I pray for you, for the uncertanties in your life! Keep hanging on to Him, but remember it is Him hanging onto you first!!
Have a blessed day!
Love in Christ,
michelle
Sue; solo Terre Haute, IN
1. Lord… I will try to do the unusual.
2. Learning to live for the Lord, follow him wherever he leads,(hard to do sometimes)
3. Naomi… closed with her, to show all she been through, losses,grief,bitterness, and unbelief. In the end she returned to the Lord.
Beth thanks for doing this study this summer. Thanks for cheering us on. Be careful on the road and have fun all of you. Blessing to you and your family.
I’m almost through with week 6 but God’s timing on the week looking at legacy is so timely. As a grandmother, I’ve seen full circle the opportunity to really ground a child in God’s Word and His love and this past weekend I had the privilege of seeing my granddaughter who is not quite five be baptized. She has been so excited since she asked Jesus in her heart and that excitement is contagious. It has reminded me that as Christians we are to leave a legacy of faith and to have the opportunity to share a passion for God and a love of His word with this special child is such a blessing. If I leave nothing behind but an imprint of Christ on her heart and the others in my family, that is more than enough.
God has blessed me with many new insights this summer as I’ve studied Ruth and a reassurance that there is hope even when the trials and hardships seem overwhelming. He is there and He does see and provide.
Going solo was just what He ordered in my life this summer. Just me and God and time to soul search and work through things that needed taking care of. My life is truly blessed.
Our Newlywed group of ladies from Columbia, SC finished our Ruth study tonight. We had some catching up to do on our lessons because of vacations etc. so we did not answer all the questions that Beth gave us to answer. We were all blessed by our group and discussions. God worked in our lives and we are so thankful for this study. Thank you.
Karen, solo in Panama City-
I had such a great time with these last sessions–I was at a Mary Kay seminar and had extra quiet time each morning while my roommates were getting ready for the day to read and study and reflect on these lessons. I just love the story of Ruth and I learned so much!
1. I liked this response item because it came at a time when I was pondering a “call” on my life that seems “illogical”–a “coincidence?”–I think NOT! I believe that God is calling me to make a significant lifestyle change–to change direction in a BIG way which I believe will have the possibility of great things for His Kingdom. Here’s what I wrote the other morning: “Lord, please show me the way–I want to be a Kingdom builder–encourage me if this (lifestyle change) is your will–lead me to where you want me to be.” Although the change may be “illogical” (changing from practicing law full time to become a Mary Kay Sales Director) I feel such a sense of peace about it, so I’m praying for continued peace and guidance.
2. I loved this item too–I really loved the thought about how God knows our “heritage”–where we come from, our background, our history, our “real name”–Here’s what I wrote that day: “Lord, you know me by name, you know all my faults and “heritage” and yet you call me and redemm me anyway because you have a vision of what is to be–you know the whole picture and the ending that you would have for me. Lord, please help me to walk boldly into that vision, strengthen me when I falter, bolster me when I’m weak, reassure me when I doubt so that I can play whatever part you have planned for me–thank you Lord, I Love You!”
3. I guess I was a little surprised that the story ends with Noami, but when I thougth about it a little more, it is appropriate that the catalyst for the story is there for the “happy ending.” Without Naomi, there would be no reason for Ruth to sacrifically love, without Naomi there would have been no legacy to redeem, and without Naomi Ruth might have waited around instead of heading to the threshing floor to “speed up the process.” It’s awesome how God’s story doesn’t rely on the perfect, only the willing.
4. I was really struck by the concept of hesed–how Ruth could be so willing to serve her mother in law and to really “put herself out there”, and what a magnificent, eternal impact that had–my prayer that I wrote at the end of the study was: “Lord, thank you for allowing me to participate in your plan for the world–help me to grow to be more like Ruth, as she embodied hesed and modeled trust.”
I get goosebumps when I think that my obedience could have eternal consequences because it reminds me that my disobedience could also have eternal consequences–it’s a sobering thought, but one that spurs me to action to be oebedient when I feel God nudging me to do something because, like Ruth, knowing where things end up is not the important thing–trusting that God knows where things end up is!
Two here in Corpus Christi, Texas.
1)Living an extraordinary life isn’t dependent upon me doing extraordinary things. Trusting God, living under his wings, obeying TODAY will lead to Him doing extraordinary things. I (Sym) learned that if I can’t trust God with my emotions (which I haven’t been doing) how can I expect Him to lead me into new extraordinary territory that I might be afraid of? WOW!
2)We learned two main things in session four:
first – Ruth was probably heartbroken over not having any children with her first husband. Then to be a widow…devistating. For us the light bulb went on that if Ruth had conceived during her first marriage, maybe her sons would have provided for her and she and Naomi would NOT NEEDED A REDEEMER!! She would not have married Boaz and then…well who knows, but that is part of Gods sovereignty that we can’t comprehend. We are most certainly thankful that Ruth didn’t become bitter and she simply trusted in God even though she NEVER SAW the fullness of her legacy.
second- that we can trust God BEYOND what we can imagine. Our finances, emotions, children, even our legacy must be entrusted to Him. Steph was praying and worrying about finances one evening. The NEXT DAY God provided a buyer for a piece of equipment they had been trying to sell for some time. She is a new beliver and is beginning to see these things as God supplying her every need instead of a simple coincidence. This is HUGE in our learning to trust Him!
4)Just like Ruth may never have known why she did not have children with her first hubby, we may never know the reasons for our heartache. Living and leaving a legacy isn’t about DOING good things, but rather TRUSTING and LIVING under his wings. Extraordinary lives are not filled with titles, they are filled with testimonies of God’s provision!!! Sometimes we pressure ourselves to “BE” and “DO” but God has asked us to trust and obey…period. That in itself in extraordinary because it is ordinary to try and do things four ourselves, handle our emotions, make our own money, raise our kids on our own etc. That is ordinary. TRUSTING IS EXTRAORDINARY AND TRUSTING LEAVES A LEGACY! I personally have no control over my legacy outside of simply trusting and obeying TODAY. That is freeing. It is not up to me to create a “worthy” legacy of money or esteem. Thank you LORD!
I love hearing Steph’s thoughts as she is seeing everything for the first time. Tonight when I asked her if she expected Jesus to come from Ruth she said “NO…but then it makes sense becuse why else would this story be in the Bible?” It is small and nothing remarkable happens (no parting of the Red Sea) so why else except to show us the big picture! She got it!
Chilliwack (British Columbia)
Can’t believe it’s been 6 weeks, but the Lord has done a profound work in my life…here is what I learned from the last two sessions:
1. Pg. 122: I want to live an extraordinary life…not a safe and ordinary life, especially if it means success that counts towards expanding the kingdom of God, not success in the eyes of the world.
2. One thing that touched me the most during this session was: God’s sovereignty in the lives of Boaz, Ruth, and Naomi. And Ruth’s obedience gave me the courage to live in obedience to God trusting him for everything. When we live in obedience to God (even when it seems illogical or crazy) our lives are changed drastically in a good way. That was something I just really needed to be reminded of for my own life.
3. I was SO surprised Naomi got so much attention in the end, I’ll be honest, I wanted to know more about Ruth and how excited she was to be a mom etc, yet Kelly reminded me that Naomi was just as important of a character as Ruth and Boaz. It’s amazing to see how much God changed Naomi’s situation and what I felt God lay on my heart was a simple thought: How much more at peace would we be if we simply waited on the Lord through trial or joy, because in the end God has nothing but good for us, it may just take a while.
4. What really intrigued me and captured my attention the most about the last two sessions was the mention of Rahab and Tamar in the genealogy of Christ. Rahab decided that the Lord would be her God and she lived a life to glorify him and was redeemed by Christ. It’s so interesting to me that God just prepared things so beautifully to bring His plan of salvation on the world. What if Ruth hadn’t obeyed the Lord and gone back with Orpah? What if Rahab had given up the spies? What if Tamar had never taken the chance she did with Judah? I ask myself these questions because I have often been thinking (during this study): What do I need to say YES to God, and what areas of my life do I need to more faithfully serve Him in and be more obedient in because I don’t want to say “No” or miss opportunities where legacy is being created by God himself.
Wonderful study!
p.s. God’s provision is astounding, like he provided for Ruth and Naomi, he miraculously provided for me. I needed a financial miracle for the summer and the Lord opened the floodgates of Heaven and provided what I needed at just the right time. I have no words other than praise and thankfulness!
Going Solo and am 2 weeks behind due to travelling and life in general. I have missed being in the word and I really need to be, I have felt very discouraged over the past 10 days. It seems our enemy knows when to attack. I appreciate any prayers sent my way. Thanks.
Peggy, I’ve stopped to pray right now. Hang in there and remember He who lives in you is much greater than he who lives in the world.
solo in Saskatchewan
Being accountable … I’m behind in the lessons due to summer blessing-type interruptions but I’m still making my way through the book. When I’m done wk. 6 I’ll post my answers to the questions even though the study will be over. This is a good study and I look forward to more material from Kelly Minter.