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Hello, again. I’m glad you’re here, my friend! This has been a busy two weeks, and I haven’t had as much time as I’d like to devote to our Ruth study. But I’m committed to do what I can. I know God sees me in my overcommitments and understands my weakness—yours, too. Even a little time in His Word is so refreshing!

Last Week’s Work

MY PRAYER
This prayer is going to sound really familiar: I’m plagiarizing the one I wrote last time, which was pretty close to the one I used in Ruth 1:

Thank You, Lord and Father God, for another chance to dig into Ruth. Thank You for sending the Holy Spirit to help me see, understand, and apply the principle You have for me now. Remove the scales from my eyes, the plugs from my ears, and unburden my heart so I can grasp all You want me to discover here. Give me wisdom to recognize Your good counsel and courage to follow it no matter what. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.

HUH? and WOW! MOMENTS
Next, I slowly read through the study text, focusing on my reactions, and noting the parts that caught my attention. Here are my responses:

• HUH? I wonder if there’s significance/symbolism in Ruth’s uncovering Boaz’s feet and lying there (3:7-8)?
• WOW! Ruth tells Boaz to spread his wings over her because he’s a redeemer (3:9). I’m sure this is poetic, and it reminds me of what he said to her about God in 2:12, but doesn’t this seem pretty bold on her part-?
• WOW! In Ruth 2:1, the narrator refers to Boaz as a worthy man. In Ruth 3, Boaz tells Ruth she is a worthy woman (3:11). What a pair!
• HUH? In verse 10, Boaz tells Ruth, “… you have made this last kindness greater than the first…” Guessing “the first” refers to Ruth’s pledge to stay with Naomi-?
• WOW! Boaz is so principled! Though it’s clear he likes her from his treatment of Ruth at mealtime (Ruth 2:14-16), he’s willing to let her go if the “nearer” redeemer decides to take her.

Dig-In Challenges

Next week, I plan to:

1. PRAY: Read my prayer before studying this passage.
2. MINE: Identify which aspect of this study I feel the Spirit leading me to dig deepest into right now. It could be one (or more) of the Huh? and Wow! Moments I wrote about this week, or some other item the Spirit hasn’t yet called to my attention.
3. MINE: Focus specifically on the setting of the scene in Ruth 2 (who’s involved, where and when did the action take place), and note anything the Spirit emphasizes.

I hope you’ll check back with me next week!

CONTINUE TO WEEK 3 >