So much of the Book of Ruth takes place in and around the growing, harvesting crops. But  wheat and barley are not the only things growing. So is faith.

This a “computer doodle.” I combined wheat, trees, a well, a threshing floor, and mountains—all part of Ruth’s story.

One day Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go out into the harvest fields to pick up the stalks of grain left behind by anyone who is kind enough to let me do it.” Ruth 2:2 (NLT)

Then Boaz asked his foreman, “Who is that young woman over there? Who does she belong to?” And the foreman replied, “She is the young woman from Moab who came back with Naomi. She asked me this morning if she could gather grain behind the harvesters. She has been hard at work ever since, except for a few minutes’ rest in the shelter.”  Ruth 2:5-7

So Ruth worked alongside the women in Boaz’s fields and gathered grain with them until the end of the barley harvest. Then she continued working with them through the wheat harvest in early summer. And all the while she lived with her mother-in-law.
Ruth 2:23 (NLT)

Take the time to re-read the four chapters of this Biblical book. Look for growth of faith on the part of all the leading characters. After you’ve done that, I invite you to read Less Than a Widow, historical fiction based on this story.

See Post: Why Read Historical Fiction?

words→pictures→doodle→for some of us: art

If you’re looking for a new way to spend time in the scriptures listening for what God has to say to you today, you might try doodling.

I am not an accomplished artist, but I am a life-long doodler. Here’s the method I use. I invite you to adapt it to fit your own style and skillset.

• Read the verses and pray about them.
• Ask yourself:
  • Is there a word or phrase the jumps out at me?
  • What visual comes to mind? (It may be as simple as colors, an abstract, a word, or a stick figure…)
  • Do the verses remind me of something or someone in my life?
  • If I was going to explain this concept to a 6-year-old, what picture would aid in understanding?
• Draw a picture or write the words and let the Holy Spirit guide your thoughts.

Feel free to share your work in the comments.