What began with a three-month drunken party, turned into a nationwide human trafficking ring, and leads to a plan to enact genocide on an entire people group. The enemy is real and he operates through the power-hungry pride of fallen men. The Bible doesn’t sugarcoat evil and suffering, but it always provides an answer in the person of Jesus Christ. Listen and ask the question: What are the elements of evil, birthed out of pride, that I must be aware of?

We have seen the wealth, power and folly of the king and his empire. Now, against that backdrop we meet the main characters of the story: Esther and Mordecai. They are exiled Jews living under pagan rule. They have a Persian address, but it is not their home. We see unfold the dramatic tension (and failure) of living in a secular age, along with the providence of God invisibly at work not only through foolish, pagan rulers, but also through flawed, failing sinners. Listen and ask the question: How do I strive to walk faithfully, while resting in God, who works even in my unfaithfulness

650 years have passed as we leave the story of Ruth and come to the story of Esther. The golden age of Israel has passed. Deportation, loss, and isolation characterize the scattered people known as the Jews. A new king, a powerful king, a foolish king reigns supreme in the land, but God is still the king on the throne. His involvement is hidden and his name absent, but his providential fingerprints remain all over the story of His people. As we get our bearings in the Persian Empire, we are immediately faced with the folly of human wealth and power. Listen and ask the question: What banquet is my heart chasing after?

This beautiful story of love now draws to a close. The man and woman get their marriage celebration. The happy new couple have a bouncing baby boy. The widowed mother-in-law raises her grandson as her own. But none of these are the great exclamation point at the end of the story. God has fulfilled His promise to provide a Redeemer, not only for Naomi, and not only for Israel, but for all of mankind. Watch and ask the question: What kind of redemption am I looking for, and which Redeemer am I seeking?

Desperation can make you do crazy things. Naomi had seen the physical famine they endured come to an end through the faithful gleaning of Ruth and overwhelming generosity of Boaz. But there was still no baby, no heir, and thus no future for their family. Rash, and perhaps a bit controlling, Naomi devises a plan for her daughter-in-law to remedy the famine of their family’s future. This scene in the story is full of suspense (and it gets a little spicy), as Ruth takes some risky steps and has them met with Boaz’s integrity, pursuit, and protection. Listen and ask the question: Am I patiently waiting for the rest only God provides while seizing the opportunities God opens?

In the midst of heartache and loss it can be extremely hard to see where God is at work, or even if He is at work. Naomi was there – Famine, death, loss, bitter circumstances that seemed to cling to her. But Ruth clung to her with love and loyal devotion, and God did too. Upon their return to Bethlehem, glimpses of a new story about to be written over the dark chapters of their lives begin to emerge. Come see God’s hand of providence as Ruth leaned into obedience in a foreign land … and ask the question: How do we take the initiative to obey, confident that God works in unlikely places?

God wastes nothing is His commitment to preserve His people and advance His glory-cause in the world. During a tumultuous time for the Old Testament people of God, we are given the answer to the chaos in the little book of Ruth. The answer is God’s King, and the journey involves darkness, but hope is always around the corner. Come see God’s hand of providence amid famine, death, and disappointment … and ask the question: How do you face dark disappointment with a believing heart?

You were built for relationships! A divine blueprint was established in the first two chapters of the Bible. But only one chapter later what you were built for becomes blocked by sin and its lingering effects. Yet, through the Gospel, that blueprint in redeemed. It is only as your relationship with Christ is established and growing that your human relationships will flourish as God designed. So, let’s follow God’s design!