After losing her husband and leaving her family and friends in Moab, Ruth begins a new life in the foreign country of Israel with Naomi in the small, rural town of Bethlehem. Right away, Ruth becomes proactive, looking to be productive. God steers moving ships! Instead of complaining, becoming depressed and giving up or becoming bitter like Naomi, Ruth shows exceptional resilience. Often, the end of one thing is the start of a new beginning. God loves new (Lam. 3:22, 23; Ps. 40:3; 2 Cor. 5:17; Rev. 21:5)! As Naomi was older and may have been physically unable, Ruth goes to collect food for them. Being a widow and foreigner from one of Israel’s enemies has put Ruth in difficulty. She could allow circumstances to dictate her actions and do nothing and stay home and sulk, start drinking, become a prostitute, or pursue legitimate work. Despite heartache, discouragement, and prejudice, she bravely and humbly offers to do physical labor, picking up random pieces of barley from the dirt behind the reapers. Laziness is unacceptable. The godly don’t produce excuses, they produce results (Prov. 6:6-11; 20:4; 26:13; 2 Thess. 3:10-12). Ruth has become a follower of God, and through Naomi’s encouragement, is seeking God’s plan. A godly woman supports the life of women who desire to please God (Titus 2:3-5).

Instead of staying near relatives for support or choosing another place in Israel, Elimilech leads his family to Moab and his two sons marry Moabite women. Later, all three men die and are buried outside the Promised Land leaving the three women destitute. Godly leadership takes into account those who are being led (Deut. 11:18-20; Eph. 5:25-28; 1 Pet. 3:7). This decision has life-altering consequences for Naomi, and while in the fields of Moab, she hears the famine is over and decides to return to Israel empty handed. Wisdom on the front end of a decision averts regret on the back end (Prov. 3:4, 5). Believers should patiently wait for God as His answers might be later, but never late (Ps. 40:1, 2)!

The book of Ruth is a masterpiece of narrative storytelling, unparalleled in ancient literature for its warm and compact yet descriptive way of communicating. The story is told from a woman’s viewpoint—largely characterized by feminine feelings, values, and concerns of family, sisterhood, marriage, work, love, and romance. The background of the story of Ruth takes place c. 1200 BC during the time of the Judges after the nation of Israel had begun their conquest into the land of Canaan (modern-day Israel). During this time, there is a famine that forces many Israelites to move to survive.

Though all people are born spiritually rebellious to God and deserve wrath for their sins, those who turn to Jesus and repent are forgiven of past sins, never to be remembered (Ps. 103:12). Believers are redeemed (Gr. apolutrosis, 'ransom paid in full') from their past and given a new life free from sin and judgment (Rom. 8:1; Eph. 1:7). Through Christ, people have victory from who they were!

As sinful people make sinful cultures and sinful nations, God allows their influence to pervade daily life. Once the believer is saved they leave the system they participated in and become an agent of godly change though they'll be hated (Matt. 5:13-15; John 15:18, 19). God can bring good from any evil in the world (Rom. 8:28)!

Once a person has found their identity in Christ, they have the calling and privilege to work out their identity for Christ (Phil. 2:12, 13). God is a gift-giver and always gives His best (1 John 4:11-14)! In joining the family of God, believers are given a place and a job. Everything should be done in an attitude of love and service rather than pride and selfishness. God's gifts are not to bless the person, but to bless the people (1 Cor. 12:7). Believers are to realize life is short and opportunities must be taken advantage of (Eph. 5:8-17). In the church there needs to be unity, but not necessarily uniformity. A church can have disagreements, but God never gifts a person with a critical spirit for disunity of the church (gossip, slander, anger, fighting, etc., Eph. 4:31; 1 Pet. 2:1). A healthy church is like a healthy body-though diverse in its parts, each part must do its job so all the others can survive and flourish. The Holy Spirit indwells a person for salvation and infills them for serving.

Throughout history people have tried to contact god(s) by various means not knowing if, what, who, or where the god(s) existed. As humanity's spiritual nature longs to connect with their Maker, the desire is correct but the disposition is not. Once people repent and their sins are forgiven through Jesus, then those joined to the family of God now have access to God the Father who hears and responds to their prayers (2 Chron. 7:14; Ps. 145:18; Eph. 2:19). Prayer should not be for outward recognition like a hypocrite (Gr. hupokritace, 'stage actor') but rather meaningful and often private, as it should be done unceasingly (1 Thess. 5:16-18). Prayer is a deliberate, purposeful soul-conversation with the God who loves His children (Matt. 7:11). Being personal, prayers can be hindered (Ps. 66:18; Prov. 28:9; Mark 11:25; 1 Pet. 3:7). A believer's knowledge of God's will starts at scripture, goes through godly counsel and ends with personal feelings. This way, prayer can be focused and answers understood with clarity. God is personal but not personal feelings!

Humans are physically born into a single family scenario separate from every other family on earth. Humans are also spiritually born into the singular family of humanity separated from the family of God. This spiritual separation results in deadness toward God which can only be remedied by being 'born again' into the family of God through belief and repentance (John 3:3-8, 35, 36; Eph. 2:1-7). As with physical creation, the father provides his genes to produce a child. Similarly, God the Father births a new spirit inside a person giving them new spiritual DNA, making them part of the family (2 Cor. 5:17). This new family provides personal access to the Father and close connection to other brothers and sisters that every human is designed for, which is called the 'church' (Eph. 2:18-22). As children of the King, believers are given power, privilege, and authority by their Father as kingdom children (2 Cor. 10:3-5; 2 Tim. 1:7). The believer's Father fits them into His family of faith!

In the beginning God gave Adam and Eve physical life (Heb. nephesh) and breathed into them a human spirit (Heb. ruah), made in His image, which was to co-exist with their bodies perpetually (Gen. 2:7; Eccl. 3:11). Humans were originally designed with no physical or spiritual defects. Once sin entered the world however, people became un-ideal and the result was brokenness in all facets of life, including spiritual death, separating people from God (Gen. 2:17; 3:6-8). The "heart", or location of moral choices that forms our character, can't be changed long-term by willpower alone, but must be spiritually born again, as people can't be freed from the rebellion in their heart without Jesus (John 3:3-6; 8:36; 2 Cor. 5:17). Christianity isn't about becoming a better you, but rather a different you-a person with a new destiny, new desires, and new dreams. Christianity is not a religion to God, but a relationship with God.

God will not force anyone to be saved but continually pleads with people to repent (return to God by asking forgiveness and wanting to change) through nature, conscience, the Bible, and other Christians (Acts 3:19; Rom. 1:18-23; 2:15). Only God can forgive sin against Himself, and once a person repents, their heart is changed and their lives purified to live for Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). After being forgiven an unimaginable amount, believers are commanded to forgive others who are imperfect and unworthy of it as well (Matt. 6:9-15; Mark 11:25; Eph. 4:31, 32). Forgiveness releases the bound-up conscience, unloads the heavy heart, is the salve for the wound of being wronged, and the purifier for the poisoned well of the soul. Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the chains of slavery to guilt, heals emotional wounds, and restores broken relationships. Seeking forgiveness is the opposite of pride-giving it is the essence of godliness. Only forgiveness sought can heal what sin has wrought.