The story of Ruth is an incredible example of what it means to trust and obey God! We read in Scripture about Ruth’s loyalty to Naomi, and how Ruth’s obedience ultimately led her to marry Boaz. Ruth’s wisdom in decision-making — even when it seemed crazy — had ripple effects for generations to come: from her family line came Joseph, the man who would go on to become the stepfather of the Son of God!

In a world where prejudice and racism are sadly all too common, we, as followers of Christ, are called to love all people. Jesus’ death removed the gulf not only between us and God, but between us and each other, and allowed us all the opportunity to become part of God’s family. No matter our differences, it’s by loving others that we demonstrate the love of Christ.

One of the greatest men who ever lived was a guy named Joseph, who took on the role of stepfather to the Son of God! Joseph’s example teaches us a powerful lesson: the most important thing you can do for your family, no matter how it looks, is to live in a way that directs your family members to God. And when we blend families, the odds can sometimes be against us — but if we depend on the Lord, we allow His work to take place in the relationships that are built.

We did nothing to deserve a personalized invitation from God to spend eternity with Him. Yet because Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross for us, we’re invited to come. It’s up to us how we’ll respond — and if we RSVP “yes”, it means allowing Him to come into our hearts and change us from the inside out.

When we respond to God’s prompting in our hearts, we become His. And once we know Whose we are, we begin to learn who we are — who He’s created us to be. We’ll never fully know our own identity until we answer the call of the One who created us in the first place.

God always answers our prayers — but sometimes, His answer is that we need to wait! We can’t always see what the Lord has in store. But in those moments of uncertainty, we’ve got to trust that He sees the big picture, and that He’ll come through to meet our every need.

Esther was put in a position to be used by God to save His people. But in order to fulfill her purpose, she first had to be prepared to obey — even if it cost her life. We, too, are given a choice to obey God daily. The question is, are we willing to lay down our own lives, deny ourselves, and follow Him?

From the time Jesus walked the earth, people — including “religious” opposition — have tried to shut down the movement of the Gospel message. But each and every time they’ve tried, they’ve failed, and the result has been the strengthening of believers. The Good News continues to impact lives every single day — and the work of God continues no matter what opposition we face!

How many people believe history books without a second thought, but doubt the truth of the Bible? As Christians, we have to put our faith in the truth of Scripture, believing that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose again. Not only that, but we’ve got to trust that His sacrifice has freed us from the slavery of our sinful selves.

The biblical story of Ruth demonstrates that God is always painting a bigger picture than what we can even see! That’s why our only job is to be faithful to those people and those things He’s called us to. We’ve got to be so desperate for Jesus that we’re willing to follow Him — no matter where He leads us.