By Shari Lewis | October 2, 2016
Welcome to Week 2 of our study of A Woman Who Doesn’t Quit, by Nicki Koziarz! We have had such an exciting first week, and I hope that you have discovered truths from God’s Word this past week that have encouraged your heart and transformed your life. God’s Word is powerful like that!
Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Last week, we delved into the first 18 verses of the book of Ruth and learned a bit about Naomi’s history. She had suffered quite a bit of loss and despair, from running away from famine, to the death of her husband and sons, and finding herself trying to survive in a foreign land. She was then faced with the responsibility of taking care of her widowed daughters-in-law.
While Naomi had become quite a bitter soul in her grief, we begin to see another character emerge, her daughter-in-law Ruth. Naomi had released her daughters-in-law to return to their families, but Ruth wouldn’t have any of that. She clung to Naomi and committed her life to her in one of the most beautiful moments in Scripture…
But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” Ruth 1:16-17 ESV
In the personal portions of our study, some lessons that stand out are learning to live by the Spirit, breaking the Cycle of Defeat in our lives, being victorious over the enemy’s schemes, discovering the nearness of God’s Spirit in our brokenness, letting go of bitterness, and holding tightly to our hope in Christ. We have found a plethora of life lessons to apply from God’s Word!
In our small groups, we focused our discussions on the character trait of perseverance and being examples of Christ to this world. We also talked about staying the course with our Bible studies and not letting distractions derail God’s work in our hearts.
What a fruitful first week!
We pick up this week on Ruth’s commitment to Naomi. She chose her “Assignment of Refinement,” but it certainly was not an easy path! Her example reminds us that although we may suffer affliction in this life, it pales in comparison to the eternal reward that awaits us.
In the midst of grief and backbreaking work, Ruth’s “HUNK” comes ‘round the bend! It’s a romance waiting to blossom! But, wait! There are more lessons to learn, and it gets exciting!
Let’s step back a bit and watch the juicy details unfold. Let us put ourselves in her shoes for a while. Imagine losing your husband and going with his mother, who had become an extremely bitter woman, to a foreign land to barely scrape a living. Imagine working the fields as a peasant for barely enough food to stay alive. All of this with the risk of being mistreated by other field workers or being taunted for being a foreigner.
Ah, and then the kindness of a handsome stranger… But, that part of the story will have to wait!
For now, just know that your pain is never in vain. God will use your difficulties to refine you. Just as Ruth accepted her assignment of refinement, rather than choosing the path of least resistance, let us walk boldly into God’s very best for our lives. One day it will be so worth it!
May God bless you as you dig in to week 2, “She Accepts the Assignment of Refinement!” Let us allow these lessons to soak in and refine our character for the glory of God. Pray for the Holy Spirit to give you eyes to see and ears to hear as He speaks to you through these lessons.
Assignments for the week of October 3-9, 2016:
• Read and study the book of Ruth 1:19-2:12
• Complete week 2, pp. 41-65. You will need about 30 minutes per day, but some days will be more, and some will be less. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart before you begin each day, and pray that He will show you how to apply what you have learned.
• Optional: Watch the video for week 2. You may purchase the video bundle for this study for only $10, but this is not required.
• Join a small group this week. We will be discussing week 1 this week. Look for the pinned post in our Facebook group for the schedule. If you are unable to attend, you are welcome to answer the discussion questions in a comment below or in your prayer journal.
• Watch my devotional video on our group page (usually posted on Wednesday) and join the discussion.
• Participate in group activities or view posts: Prayer thread, Funny Captions, Favorite Fridays, Weekend in the Word, and our daily Quit Quitting Verses.
• Tell someone about Heart to Heart Women’s Bible Study and help spread the word on social media.
Discussion Questions for the Week
You will have the opportunity to share your answers to these questions during your small group time. You may also post them here. Consider also recording your answers in your spiritual journal.
1. Judges 21:25, “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”
QUESTION 1 (Q1): Can you think of a period in your life when you did “whatever you wanted, whenever you wanted?” What was the result?
2. Romans 8:13, “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”
QUESTION 2 (Q2): What does it mean to live by the Spirit?
3. 1 Peter 5:8, “Be serious! Be alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.”
QUESTION 3 (Q3): This is a two-part question. A) What are some ways the devil tries to devour God’s people? B) What can we do to defeat him?
4. Psalm 34:18, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
QUESTION 4 (Q4): Describe a time you were filled with despair? Looking back on that time, what are some blessings you can see? What does it mean to you for God to be close when you feel brokenhearted?
5. QUESTION 5 (Q5): What was your biggest take away from this week?
I hope you have a fantastic week of Bible study! I look forward to seeing you in small groups!
God bless!
