What I Learned from Judges and Ruth – Reading the Bible in 90 Days

As you know I have started reading the Bible. I have 90 days to complete it and I am reading it with hundreds (1200+ to be exact) of other women. Each week (and even day to day) we check-in with each other on our progress, to pray for each other, and to share our thoughts. How cool is that?

So, I thought I would take each Book of the Bible and share my thoughts, verses, or people that stood out or spoke to me on that particular day. I have been doing most of my reading in the mornings when it is quiet, but some days I have to finish up in the afternoon or evening..or even the next day! The key is to get it done. If you get behind, you keep at it….catching up in chunks each day. The readings have been manageable and I am still praying it stays that way for me.

So, here are my thoughts from the Books of Judges and Ruth:

Judges 2:10 After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel.    What will happen if our future generations don’t know the Lord?  I need to be sure that my children and my grandchildren and great-grandchildren know the stories of Jesus. To be sure they know he is their Savior.  As well as teach them to share that “Good News” with others to create a new generation of people who love the Lord.

In Judges there was a lot of drifting away from God and not following his laws.  Not following God has consequences, but God is still forgiving if you repent and pray.

I’m seeing a lot of comparisons between our world and Israel during their days without a king. SCARY!  I am putting my faith in God that he will arm me for the battle that is yet to come.

Ruth 1:16-18 But 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. Where 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.  When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stoped urging her.  What a beautiful woman Ruth was.  She sacrificed and gave of herself for her mother-in-law, Naomi. 

Ruth 2:4 Just then Boaz arived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters, “The Lord be with you!” “The Lord bless you!” they called back.  Can you imagine going to work every day and having your boss say, “The Lord be with you!”? Wow!  What a wonderful place of work that would be!

Ruth 2:10-12 Ruth’s character is definitely one to model:  loving, kind, faithful, courageous, hard-working, determined, and loyal.  All qualities I would like to emulate and strive to achieve on a daily basis.

What an amazing faith Naomi and Ruth had in their Lord.  Awesome role models!

Now on to 1 Samuel!