This devotional will be considering the book of Ruth in the following weeks. When did these events take place and where? Why is it included in Scripture? What impact can the lives of people who lived in the 13th or 14th century BC have in our lives today? The Book of Ruth took place sometime during the time of judges in Israel before the people insisted on wanting a king to rule over them.

The nation of Israel, in the time of the judges, did not make worship of God a priority all the time. Joshua had helped to establish Israel in the land, but when he and his generation died, the people were without centralized leadership. The people turned and worshiped foreign gods and did not worship the living God alone. A cycle of events occurred and God would judge His people by using other peoples to plunder and rob Israel until the Israelites cried out to God for help”¦
(NASB) Judges 2:16-19 Paraphrased: The LORD would then raise up judges who delivered the Israelites from their oppressors”¦yet these same hard pressed people would turn and worship other gods. When the LORD would raise up a judge, He would do so out of pity because of the cries of the Israelites for relief from their enemies. When the judge died, the cycle would be repeated over and over.
Are you in a vicious cycle of putting God out of your life until you are hard pressed and afflicted, then crying out to Him for His intervention?
Would you, right now, ask God to help you, to remind you to put Him first in your life today?

God”™s love, mercy and grace were shown to Israel time after time. He would come to their rescue, even though they had “˜forgotten”™ Him and worshiped other gods.
How does the living God show His mercy, love and grace to you and me time after time? He stirs the desire to worship Him, to get to know Him, to pray to Him, to read His word, to be with other followers of Christ. When you and I sin, He gives us true guilt for we sin against Him. Then confession of specific sin(s) will bring us to God in humility, and we are then yielded to God”™s view of our sin(s).
(NASB) 1 John 1:8-10 “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Just as the book of Judges reveals God”™s patience in dealing with His people, He is patient in dealing with you and me when we leave Him out of our lives; He gives us many opportunities to turn to Him. It is His grace that draws men and women to want to know Him and to worship Him.

(NASB) Hebrews 4:16 “Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

What do you want to speak to God about just now?