Good News Club: Ruth (1-page)

Introduction: Gideon saw God at work through a nightmare and God works through the fruit of the Spirit giving us confidence to obey Him.

If you’ve ever lost something, you know sadness but we’re going to see God work through a family who experienced loss.

Content and Explanation:

An Israelite family: Elimelech, Naomi, Chilion, and Mahlon moved to Moab from Israel because of a famine and Naomi sadly lost her husband.

While Chilion and Mahlon marry Moabite women, they die after 10 years and Naomi is left without her husband and sons.

Naomi decides to head back to Israel and is so sad about her losses that she tells others to call her Mara, bitter but is accompanied by Ruth.

Ruth has lost her husband and her home only to make a new home in Israel.

In Ruth 2:3, Ruth diligently goes to work to acquire food for she and Naomi even though she must be very sad after losing her husband and moving to a new home.

The Lord directs Ruth to “just so” happen to come to Boaz’s field who is a close relative of Elimelech’s and could marry Ruth to provide for she and Naomi.

Ruth 2:9 Boaz is a generous man through whom God is at work to provide for Ruth and Naomi which demonstrates that God is at work in His life since generosity is a fruit of the Spirit

Friends, God is using Boaz’s generosity to provide for Naomi and Ruth, even though they have lost their husbands and sons.

Our experience of loss, even that of a pet, does not prohibit God from working, no matter how sad we might be

Ruth 4:13a, God provides a new husband for Ruth through who will be the great grandfather of King David from whom the Lord Jesus Christ will come

Ruth 4:14 God’s work in this family was so evident that others could recognize it!

Application: Because God is in control, I can live faithfully, even when I’ve experienced a loss.

Because God was still at work in Ruth’s life, she could be diligent even through her sadness.

Friends, because God is in control, He can use even the sad things in life to make us like Jesus Christ and love others like He did when people are unkind or it’s hard to obey your parents when you want to do otherwise.

Since we want to do the opposite of obeying the Lord demonstrates that we have a heart problem, we’re sinners who deserve to go to hell and suffer forever away from God’s presence.

But, friends, God sent Jesus to die on the cross to forgive our sins and Jesus now lives to give us the Holy Spirit to empower us to live obedient lives and to one day live forever with Jesus and … will be available to speak with you.

Friends, if you have believed on Jesus to save you, God’s presence is with you through the Holy Spirit Who will help you obey the Lord and confess your sins.

Scripture Memory - 1 Corinthians 15:57 (X2)