Happy Friday!! I'm preparing my list this morning of all I need to take with me to the women's retreat. I will be setting up tonight since I will need to be ready for a prayer meeting at 7:15am tomorrow. I ask that you will be in prayer over this retreat. I believe that God is going to do amazing things in the lives of the women there. It is so humbling and exciting to be a part of God's plan.

As we continue in our study of Ruth, I am amazed at the faithfullness of God. Maybe that's why I like this book of the Bible so much. I read something this morning that I thought was a great reminder and a great start to our study: Obedience and freedom go together, as do disobedience and slavery.

Now, on to chapter 2: The poor were allowed during the harvest to go behind the harvesters to glean what wheat may be left. Ruth takes the initiative to go out and glean to provide food for her and Naomi. In these days, without a man, a woman was much less likely to survive but that didn't stop Ruth from trying. She "happens" (by God's favor) to be gleaning in a field of a man (who just "happened" to be a Godly man) named Boaz who was also a relative of Elimelech.

He asks a servant who this woman was and gets all the scoop on her. After gaining the information, he approaches her and says: vs. 8&9 "Now, listen my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women. Let your eyes be on the field that they are reaping, and go after them. Have I not charged the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink what the young men have drawn."

She falls on her face in thankfulness and asks Boaz why he is doing this for her since she is a foreigner.

He replies: "All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told to me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given to you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you you have come to take refuge."

He then, allows her to eat with his servants at mealtime and take the leftovers with her for Naomi.

After gleaning until evening, Ruth brings home the leftover food and the grain to Naomi. She is pleased and gives blessing to Boaz.

Ruth continues to work hard providing for her mother-in-law during this wheat and barley harvest.

God never tells us that this life on earth is going to be easy - Naomi and Ruth have went through many struggles. But through it all, He has never left them. He is faithful in every circumstance. His love endures forever.

Have a great day and a great weekend

Living fearlessly
Christie