Have you ever let your child win a game? Does that mean that you didn’t have the power to beat him? No. You restrained your power for a specific purpose, but it was never lacking. It may have looked like it to your child, but you could have revealed it at any time.

That’s what happened when God let the Philistines defeat the Israelites. He had a that had to do with the Israelites, but He could not allow the Philistines to think that their god was more powerful than Him. So, He not only revealed His power to the Philistines, but He also revealed how feckless and impotent their god was.

We cannot manipulate God into doing what we want, but the Israelites try to do that in this lesson. First we look at their story then we talk about how we may try to manipulate God into doing what we want by doing good deeds or invoking His name. We can't force God to do things that He doesn't want to do. His will does not bend to ours. Instead, we should bend our will to His. Seek to understand and focus on Him.

God called to Samuel, but Samuel did not know it was Him because He did not know God well enough to know His voice. It can be difficult to know when God is speaking to us. But the better you know Him, the easier it will be to recognize His voice. It is also easier to trust Him when you know Him. So, seek to know God. Then, when He calls, listen and obey.

If you truly know and love God, then you will put Him in His proper place. But if you don’t know Him, you won’t love Him. If you don’t love Him, you won’t keep His commands. This seemed to be the problem that Eli’s sons had. So, at the end of this lesson we talk about knowing God better so we honor God’s ways and live out our calling. But Eli had another problem which we also touch on. He knew and loved God, but he put his sons above Him. When we put others over the Lord, we are seen in the same light as them.

Hannah had been feeling powerless for years. In a fit of desperation, she took her problem to the only One who has power. We, too, have access to the King of the Universe. He can be trusted with all our problems, fears, worries, needs, and wants. He may not always give us what we want but He always has our best interests at heart, He knows what is good and right for everyone, and He is the only One with the power to really help us. Take it all to Him and leave it at His feet.

Hannah couldn't have children and she was devastated. This was not a problem that she or her husband or anyone else could fix. So, she took it to the Lord. She told Him that if He would give her a son, she would give him back to God.
Everything we have was given to us by the Lord. So, it does not belong to us exclusively. It has been entrusted to us. So, we should be good stewards of what He’s given to us and give everything up to Him in prayer and dedication.

Boaz redeems Naomi’s land and legacy, pointing us to the One who redeems us all and gives us an eternal inheritance. Through their lineage we see King David and eventually Jesus. Ruth is not an Israelite and we will also see two other ancestors who are foreigners. This shows us that all who adopt Jesus as their Savior and King, will be redeemed. Choose Him as your Kinsman Redeemer, the Brother who bought your way back into the family of God.

How well do you take care of those you love, your family and friends, community and church members? Do you look after the least of these? Do you take your responsibilities seriously? Are you reliable and trustworthy?

Ruth took care of Naomi by following her to Israel and gleaning in the fields for food. But now Naomi follows up on her first caretaking mission which was for Ruth to find rest in the house of a husband. As we watch her instruct Ruth on how to approach Boaz, then Boaz graciously accept responsibility for the women of his close relatives who had died, we will reflect on how well we take care of those we love.

Ruth 2 - Most of the time, the phrase “you reap what you sow” is used in a negative way. It’s a warning not to be too mean, judgmental, stingy, or treat others badly in any way because you just might receive what you give to others. But here we see the positive side. When Ruth asked Boaz why he was being so kind to her, he said he was only returning the kindness she had shown to her mother-in-law. Sometimes it’s hard to treat others well, especially if we are going through something difficult ourselves. But knowing that we will eventually reap what we sow, should encourage us to be kind, caring, giving, or forgiving even when it’s hard.

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When reading the first chapter of Ruth, I saw how she made her faith her own whereas her sister-in-law's commitment was temporary and circumstantial. Our faith may begin as our parents, spouses, or friends, but eventually we must make it our own.