Ruth & Naomi: A Modern Day Discipleship Journey: Deception, Distraction & Dysfunction

By Amanda M. Kelly and Janice R. Swinton

The book of Ruth is the story of a young woman who chooses to follow an older one, her mother-in-law Naomi, forsaking her own mother's house. It is the story of how two women, from different places, backgrounds, religions, come together and forged a covenant relationship between themselves and God. It is not biology, gender, race, religion or culture that binds them together, it is God. Together, these two women embarked on a journey of discipleship and destiny; of spiritual mothering and devoted spiritual daughter; of mentoring and healing that would forever transform and changed their lives. It is the true story of me, an African American woman from Mississippi, and a young Irish American woman from Maine, which crosses over every natural man-made barrier into the spiritual realm where God's unconditional love binds the two of us in a true covenant relationship - like the biblical Ruth and Naomi. In Ruth Chapter One we learn that Naomi and her husband Elimelech, and her two sons Mahlon and Kilion, were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. They had fled to Moab because there was a great famine in the land. Years later the famine was over and there was food now available in Judah. I have personally found that God will allow you to believe whatever you want to get you to the place of destiny. Naomi believed it was the famine that brought her to Moab; but, that was the earthly reason only. God's divine destiny for Ruth and Naomi, demanded that Naomi go the land of Moab for that divine appointment to meet Ruth and marry one of Ruth's sons; and after being widowed, to return ten years later to Judah for Ruth's and Naomi's divine destination, meeting and marrying Boaz, and becoming a member of the lineage of Jesus Christ. Both women did not see what God had planned as they traveled the road to Moab. Their physical circumstances looked pretty dreary - two widowed women returning to a land without hope. In order for this covenant relationship to work and for both women to meet her destiny, the younger woman had to submit to the older woman as a daughter submits to her mother. Back then this meant Ruth listened and following the guidance and instructions of Naomi; in modern day this concept is foreign to most young women, just like seeking God is also a foreign concept with most young women today. Ruth and Amanda both sought to know the "God" of their adopted mothers. Amanda came with a desire to know God and had been crying out and praying for Him to save her for over a year when we met. Like with all of us who listen, the Holy Spirit was drawing her to know her Maker, and she was answering Him on her way to her divine destination and appointment.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1479178616
• ISBN13: 9781479178612
• Release Date: November 2012
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 158 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.4" x 6.0"