Chasing things of the world may temporarily feel great but may not have lasting fulfillment. Even Solomon, a man of great wisdom, chased after success without fulfillment.  We all struggle when we sow and don’t see the difference we are actually making. Blessings flow into our lives when we dedicate them to the right people, God’s plan, and to paying the necessary price.

RUTH 4:1-22 (NASB)

The Marriage of Ruth

4 Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there, and behold, the close relative of whom Boaz spoke was passing by, so he said, “Turn aside, friend, sit down here.” And he turned aside and sat down. 2 He took ten men of the elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down. 3 Then he said to the closest relative, “Naomi, who has come back from the land of Moab, has to sell the piece of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech. 4 So I thought to inform you, saying, ‘Buy it before those who are sitting here, and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if not, tell me that I may know; for there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am after you.’” And he said, “I will redeem it.” 5 Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of the deceased, in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance.” 6 The closest relative said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, because I would jeopardize my own inheritance. Redeem it for yourself; you may have my right of redemption, for I cannot redeem it.”

7 Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning the redemption and the exchange of land to confirm any matter: a man removed his sandal and gave it to another; and this was the manner of attestation in Israel. 8 So the closest relative said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself.” And he removed his sandal. 9 Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon. 10 Moreover, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to be my wife in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance, so that the name of the deceased will not be cut off from his brothers or from the court of his birth place; you are witnesses today.” 11 All the people who were in the court, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel; and may you achieve wealth in Ephrathah and become famous in Bethlehem. 12 Moreover, may your house be like the house of Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the offspring which the Lord will give you by this young woman.”

13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went in to her. And the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. 14 Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed is the Lord who has not left you without a redeemer today, and may his name become famous in Israel. 15 May he also be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.”

The Line of David Began Here

16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her lap, and became his nurse.17 The neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi!” So they named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

18 Now these are the generations of Perez: to Perez was born Hezron, 19 and to Hezron was born Ram, and to Ram, Amminadab, 20 and to Amminadab was born Nahshon, and to Nahshon, Salmon, 21 and to Salmon was born Boaz, and to Boaz, Obed, 22 and to Obed was born Jesse, and to Jesse, David.

DEUTERONOMY 6:4-9 (NASB)

4 “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! 5 You shall love the Lordyour God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

DISCUSSION

Share with the group how you have personally chased some dream of success, only to be disappointed in the end.

1. Our minds will always make excuses for us not to serve. Discuss tactics that you have recognized as “roadblocks” to you serving. Also share the breakthrough you may have experienced when you pushed through to see the doors of opportunity open because you didn’t give up.

We are bones and breath, structure and spirit. As we step out in obedience, God breathes His life into our efforts. If we don’t even make the effort, what is there to breathe life into?

Ruth experienced tremendous losses in this book, but her redeemer provided for her time and time again.

Regardless of her past, Ruth pressed on, she didn’t complain or whine while she was gleaning the fields. Just because she was in the back, didn’t mean that God forgot about her.

2. Have you ever felt like Ruth, working and feeling unnoticed? How did you manage to maintain your faith during a season of transition? Share with the group how you stayed focus.

Loss, loyalty and love all pay off in the end when we realize God is in control of our lives, and we abandon ourselves to Him alone.

We all have pasts. How has your past experiences left you feeling unqualified in the Kingdom of God. Remember our past is part of our story that God is writing, it’s all for a purpose.

4. What legacy are you building?

5. What legacy are you leaving?

PRAYER

Lord, regardless of what goes on in my life, I believe you have the best plan for my life. Help me to stay focused on your truth, and not the reality that may surround me in this world. Help me to better understand the difference between reality and truth, that TRUTH may be my guide.

Then LISTEN for HIS response!

GIVING

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