This week we will be reading through the book of Judges and just easing into the book of Ruth. Judges takes us through a period in the history of Israel where God's people were repeating a very vivid yet frustrating pattern. Because of all of the people that they were unable to eliminate from the land God promised them when they crossed the Jordan they would start to follow the gods of these people and fall away from the one true God. Then they would repent and God would send a "Judge" to rescue them and they would follow the Judge and God until the Judge died and then the pattern would start over again. Not all of these Judges were heroes, in fact in many ways they were very flawed very normal people, but God used them none the less and as a result God received the glory! As you are reading this week think back to the people that God has brought into your life to "rescue" you when you found yourself moving away from God, or following the gods of this world, like money, prestige, social media etc. Maybe it was the little aged lady who was your Sunday school teacher, or maybe it was a relative, or a friend. As you remember pray that God would give you the opportunity to be the "rescuer" in someone's life and help them turn back to God. Also, as you start in chapter 1 of Ruth, which is one of my favorite books think about verse 16 which is truly one of the most passionate verses in the Bible. It is a wonderful testimony of Ruth's love for Naomi, but it is also a wonderful testimony for Naomi in that she inspired that kind of love in her daughter-in-laws, both Ruth and Orpah! Ruth puts her faith in Naomi's God because she has seen the faith that Naomi has had even in the face of so much hardship. Think about this week who God is giving you the opportunity to literally "love" into a saving faith with God. If you can't think of anyone, pray that God gives you someone.