God’s Protection

 Ruth 1:15-16

During the worst of times, God reveals His love and protection to a nation. While the book of Ruth is an obvious reflection of the ancestry of David, it also recognizes her as a person of faith who becomes an ancestress of the Messiah.

Key Word in the Book of Ruth: Redeemer .

Powerful Protection from God:                                                                                  Psalm 121:1-8

I lift up my eyes to the hills where does my help come from? ²My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

³He will not let your foot slip he who watches over you will not slumber; ⁴indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵The Lord watches over you the Lord is your shade at your right hand; ⁶the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.

⁷The Lord will keep you from all harm he will watch over your life; ⁸the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

1.         God has purpose in all things.                                                 Romans 8:28

2.         No person is beyond the reach of God’s grace .                   Ephesians 2:11

Powerful Perspectives from Ruth:                                                                                  Ruth 1:6-14

When she heard in Moab that the Lord had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, Naomi and her daughters‑in‑law prepared to return home from there. ⁷With her two daughters‑in‑law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah.

⁸Then Naomi said to her two daughters‑in‑law, Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the Lord show kindness to you, as you have shown to your dead and to me. ⁹May theLord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband. Then she kissed them and they wept aloud ¹⁰and said to her, We will go back with you to your people.

¹¹But Naomi said, Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? ¹²Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons ¹³would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord’s hand has gone out against me!

¹⁴At this they wept again. Then Orpah kissed her mother‑in‑law good‑by, but Ruth clung to her.

1.         She could have given up .

2.         She could have given in .

3.         She decided to give her all .

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid (John 14:27).

Powerful Principles for All who Have Faith in God:                                                      Ruth 1:15-17

Look, said Naomi, your sister‑in‑law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.

¹⁶But Ruth replied, Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. ¹⁷Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.

1.         God guides those who obey His voice.

2.         There are no small decisions in GodÕs sight.

3.         Those who wait on the Lord will discover His loving purposes .

4.         Total commitment should be our lifetime goal.