Ever After - Week 4
God always takes care of us!
Fairy tales are full of fantasy and imagination. We love them because they take what could be real and add extraordinary circumstances. But what if there was a story where the extraordinary circumstances were real? Could a story like this exist? This month, we are going to look at the story of Ruth to see how God truly writes the best stories for us — full of companions, hope, boldness, and the knowledge that God is always taking care of us!
Click HERE to watch this month’s memory verse video!
BIG IDEA: God always takes care of us.
MEMORY VERSE:
"The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." Psalm 121:8
TODDLER TWIST:
"God always cares for me!" Psalm 121:8
READ: Ruth Marries Boaz: Ruth 4
WATCH:
Preschool- Teaching Video
Elementary- Teaching Video
SONG: Oceans
COLORING: Ruth marries Boaz
DISCIPLE: Read Ruth 4 or retell to your children.
Do you remember what the relative who was supposed to be the guardian-redeemer gave to Boaz?
A sandal! By giving him one of his shoes, it became like a contract. Boaz was now the rightful redeemer for Naomi's family.
INSTRUCTIONS: Read the story, "The Elves and the Shoemaker" (or show a read-aloud video like this one).
How did the elves take care of the shoemaker and his wife?
How did the couple take care of the elves?
What are some ways people take care of you?
What are some ways you take care of others?
Grow Deeper- Read Matthew 6:26–34 and show this image
This passage tells us that just as God takes care of the birds of the air and the flowers in the fields, God cares about us way more than God cares about animals and plants!
But when we say God always takes care of us, we're not just talking about having food to eat or clothes to wear.
In the story of Ruth, Boaz took care of the family by becoming a redeemer.
When you hear the word redeemer, who else comes to mind? That's right . . . Jesus!
Jesus redeemed all of us, too. All people were filled with sin and disobedience to God – for which there are dire consequences.
But when Jesus died and rose again, he rescued us from it all. He paid the price for us. That is the greatest way God took care of us. God sent Jesus!
Want to know something even cooler? [Show genealogy map image] Ruth and Boaz are related to Jesus!
Pray: Dear God, thank you for showing us that you will always take care of us. Thank you for reminding us through Ruth's story that you have an "ever after" story for each of us. Help us believe and trust in you because you sent your son, Jesus, to be the ultimate redeemer we needed! Amen.
DISCUSSION:
What did Boaz do so that he would be able to marry Ruth?
How did this sequence of events bring comfort to Naomi?
Ruth and Boaz are ancestors to other famous people in the Bible. Can you name a couple?
Read Matthew 6:26–34. How do we know God will always take care of us?
If you could be in any fairy tale story, which would you choose? Why?
Describe one time you know God has taken care of you in the past.
What can you do this week to take care of someone else?