Discover The Word

Friday, September 3, 2010

Ruth chapter 2

IDEA: The gift of helps is most attractive when it is shown in a person of influence.

PURPOSE: To help listeners see how powerful it can be to see the gift of helps in people of power.

Do people of influence face any obstacles when they exercise their gift of helps?

Do you think it is a challenge to help people without hurting them?

I. Boaz helps Ruth without hurting her.

He was kind without being condescending. Boaz gave Ruth the opportunity to work in his field.

Is it possible to help people and also hurt them by doing too much for them?

It is not uncommon to have those we help turn against us. Why does that happen?

Boaz was compassionate enough to be helpful, but he didn’t rob Ruth of the satisfaction of work. Have you ever been tempted to do that?

We help people by showing that we believe in them. Boaz made Ruth feel accepted by having her work with his young women harvesters.

He was considerate of Ruth’s safety and well-being.

He instructed the men who worked for him not to molest or harass her. Why might that have happened? Do we help people by giving them a safe environment in which to work?

He urged her to satisfy her thirst by drinking the water that his young men had drawn from the town well. This was a reversal. Foreigners were expected to serve the nationals and women were expected to serve men.

II. It is a part of love to help people, and it is another part of love to help people in ways that do not hurt them.