Best-laid Plans: A picture of God’s provision
BEGIN WITH YOUR HEART
Ruth is all about God’s provision and faithfulness. Before you look in God’s Word, pray through each question below as a group.
What do I need to praise God for today?
What do I need to confess to God today?
What do I need to hear from God on today?
What do I need to submit to God today?
What do I need to thank God for today?
A LOOK IN GOD’S WORD
As a group, go back and work through the following questions in the book of Ruth.
One of the unique features in Ruth is that God is not mentioned formally. His fingerprints and presence are all over the story. Where do you see God’s active presence?
We said that regular obedience is God’s love language. How / where do you see that in Ruth’s story? Think of it this way, where do you see faithful people of God, following God’s preferred mode of living (commands)?
How does God use the regular and ordinary obedience of Boaz, Ruth, and Naomi to accomplish something more than any of them could have imagined?
List for yourself, what are 1 or 2 areas of regular/faithful obedience that I can grow in this week? Challenge: Watch for how God uses them in your life over the next month.
A BIG storyline in Ruth is God’s love for all people (shown in Boaz’s kinsman redeeming of Ruth). This foreshadows what God will do through Jesus. God uses faithful humans to accomplish his eternal purposes. Who will you interact with this week that needs to see how good God is?
MY LIFE- OUR MISSION
MY LIFE – Where are the most natural avenues for me to share about a God who creates & restores? Who are in those places? Consider: Home, work, & play (gym, community activities, sports leagues, reading groups, clubs, etc.)
YOUR FAMILY – At a dinner table this week, review the 6 LIFE QUESTIONS. Explore with your family members their understanding of what each question means. Which question(s) resonate best with you…and your kids? Do you think it might help to discuss these together as a family each week?
OUR MISSION – Our LIFE QUESTIONS help us assess if our every-day walk with God is engaging in our church’s mission. The more regular our meeting with God, the more we ask for the Spirit’s flowing presence, the more we share our tough stuff with spiritual accountability partners, the more we “put out the welcome mat” to people not yet in God’s family…well, the more the Lord connects people to life-defining relationships in Christ. Right? Let’s lean into our Father’s provisions, and these great questions, together!!