Old Testament Heroes: Ruth, Week 5

This year in FamilyQuest we’ll be looking at some Old Testament heroes of the faith. We’ll see how God took flawed human beings and accomplished great things while showing many, including us, just who He is. These famous heroes faced many hard choices and had to trust God to do miraculous things. We pray that as you study these real, live heroes your families will be encouraged that you, too, can trust God to do the big things that seem impossible to us.

In this unit, we will be looking at Ruth. Ruth was from a land that did not believe in God but married into a family did. Before having any children, she was widowed and chose to return with her mother-in-law to the land of her husband. She is now a foreigner in a strange land, with no husband, no children, and no money. Ruth's story is one of God's sovereignty, protection, and love. It is a beautiful picture of God's redemption and love for His people.

This week, with Valentine's Day approaching, we wanted to give you some ideas for service projects. Not only was Ruth a widow, but she was a stranger in a foreign land. Also, if you remember, Naomi and her family fled to Moab because of a famine, so they were refugees in a completely foreign land. There are many people around the world that have been forced from their homes, some due to famine, war, natural disaster, or many other reasons. Did you know that your family can reach out to help them:

Samaritan's Purse International Relief
YWAM (Youth With a Mission) Refugee Cirlce


We can also love those around us who have maybe fallen on hard times (Ruth was struggling when she followed Naomi to Bethlehem, but Boaz reached out and helped her), who work to keep us protected (to protect Naomi, Ruth left her family and all she knew to travel with her to Bethlehem. She also went to work to provide food so Naomi didn't have to be a beggar), and those who love and serve us each day as they teach us all we need to know (scripture doesn't come right out and say it, but we can assume Naomi either taught Ruth about the One, True God or lived what she believed so well in front of Ruth that she was willing to leave the myriad of gods that her people worshiped to give her life over to Naomi's God and follow where He was leading):

Make a Blessing Bag that you can keep in the car and give to those you may see along the road who are in need. You can fill a gallon sized baggie with a bottled water, crackers, gloves, hand sanitizer, etc. Gather the supplies, write a note of encouragement (that can include scripture or a prayer), and pray over the bag as a family before you put it in the car.

Take cookies to the police department or fire department, City Hall, to the church office. Something yummy and a nice word can really brighten up someone's day!

Love on your teachers by taking a meal to the teacher's lounge or writing a note of thanks for all their hard work.