The Time I Spend In My Bible
an outline + tips. & the book of ruth.
Some of the most common coaching topics my clients like to work on: developing an action plan for spending time with God, reading + understanding His Word, growing your faith, & applying what is learned.
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“I want my children and their children to have a godly heritage—a family who has faithfully loved the Bible. The time I spend in my Bible now, though I can’t see it yet, matters for eternity. There are great impacts that come from the small habits of faithfulness we commit to today.” — The Daily Grace Co.
The time I spend reading & understanding the Bible matters to me. If that's not true of you, here's your invitation to shift.
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I wanted to share this outline I use when it comes to reading the Bible. I recently finished the book of Ruth & thought this would be a great time to share considering it’s only 4 chapters.
Tip: Make a Bible basket: Your favorite translation of the Bible. A notebook to write down thoughts. A prayer journal to guide your time talking to the Lord. Your favorite pens & highlighters.
Get Perspective:
work to place any given text in its original historical & cultural context
WHO WROTE THE BOOK OF RUTH: The author is unknown.
TO WHOM WAS IT WRITTEN: The people of Israel. To remind them of how they got to where they were. For us.
WHEN WAS IT WRITTEN: The story is set “during the time of the judges” (Ruth 1:1), a period of social & religious disorder when “everyone did whatever seemed right to him” (Judges 17:6). Historically, this era bridged the time between the conquest of the land under Joshua & the rise of King David. The book opens with a famine in the land.
WHAT STYLE: Historical Narrative - Factual retelling of events with the intention to make a point.
CENTRAL THEMES: Love. Loss. Faithfulness. Redemption.
The Lord shows His covenant faithfulness to His undeserving people, often in surprising ways. The genealogy of David at the end shows that the Lord worked through this story (human decisions) to provide for His people’s need of a king.
A correlation is sometimes made between the redemption of Ruth by Boaz & the redemption of sinners by Christ. Because of God’s covenant faithfulness, He has provided, in Jesus, the Redeemer we all need.
Tip: Most of the answers can be found on an introduction page at the beginning of the book’s chapter.
Summarize:
outline/summarize what happens in each chapter in 2–3 sentences.
RUTH 1: There is a famine. Naomi & her family move to Moab. Naomi’s husband dies. Namoi’s sons marry Moabite women. Naomi’s sons die. Naomi moves back to Bethlehem. One of Naomi’s daughters-in-law, Ruth, chooses to go with her.
Famine & Loss. Loyalty & Commitment. Moving forward.
RUTH 2: Ruth works hard to support Naomi & herself by gleaning in the fields of Boaz. Boaz is generous to Ruth.
The feeling of bitterness. Working hard. He noticed first. Honorable intentions. She didn’t just have faith. She was faithful.
RUTH 3: Ruth lies at the feet of Boaz. He agrees to take responsibility for her & Naomi if their nearest kinsman will not.
Making a plan. Ruth makes her move. Noble character.
RUTH 4: The nearest kinsman of Naomi and Ruth allows Boaz to take responsibility for caring for them. Boaz marries Ruth. They have a son named Obed (who will be the grandfather of King David — Genealogy of Christ).
Doing what is right. Taking care of business. Our decisions matter.
Note: This story begins with death & ends with life. In between, we meet Ruth & Boaz.
Personalize:
look up cross references
make note of what sticks out to you
read in multiple translations
look up words in a dictionary
doodle a picture
use Strong’s Concordance to learn original language & meaning
RUTH 1:7 & so she set out from the place she was…
RUTH 2:2 Let me go to the field…
RUTH 2:7 She’s been at it steady ever since, from early morning until now, without so much as a break.
RUTH 2:12 May you receive a full reward from the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.
RUTH 4:14 Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you without a family redeemer today. May his name become well known in Israel.
Tip: Study with patience & prayer. For longer books & chapters, work to gain understanding overtime.
Review + Apply:
how should this change me?
what did I learn? about God?
how does God’s character change my view of self?
what’s an action step I can take in response?
Ruth commits to 6 six things:
Travel with Naomi
Dwell with her
Claim her people
Worship her God
Die where she dies
Be buried where she is buried
Against all odds, God is at work:
Good news in the midst of loss
Bread in the midst of famine
Blessing in a season of barrenness
Joy that overcame sorrow
Big picture thought: God works out his will through the everyday faithfulness of his people.
Action Step: Get to work. Work faithfully as I’m able.
resources:
BIBLE CSB
THE BIBLE PROJECT (Website & App)
WOMEN OF THE WORD by Jen Wilkin
A kind reminder: There’s no “right” way to read & study the Bible. Don’t let the feeling of doing it “wrong” or the search for a system keep you from pursuing Him.