David is a powerful communicator. It only took me two verses to get pulled into what he was saying. His description of God totally grabbed my heart: my rock, my steadfast love, my fortress, my stronghold, my deliverer.

So take a few minutes today and think about David's very personal description of God. How has God been your rock, steadfast love, fortress, stronghold and deliverer? Tami W.

Esther 7:1-8:17

All the pieces fall into place for Esther today. Haman's plans are revealed to the king, Haman is executed and then Esther and Mordecai write and distribute an edict for the king that saves the Jewish people. Pretty amazing. What a confirmation that with God, all things are possible.

So what did today's passage (actually all of Esther) show you about God's involvement in the details of our lives? Has the Book of Esther impacted, influenced or changed the way you think about trusting God? Tami W.

Esther moves into action today in Esther 5:1-6:14. And I have to say I like her plan and how she was patient in working out every detail. But it was really Haman who caught my attention today. His arrogance and pride permeated the entire passage. I even rolled my eyes and thought to myself Really, Haman? Well, as we'll see, this sinful attitude ultimately leads to his death.

So what did Esther 5:1-6:14 show you about pride, arrogance and conceit? What are some things we can do to squelch those ugly desires when they surface? Tami W.

Today we meet Haman, the man king Ahasuerus promotes to be head official in the kingdom. Haman is infuriated because Mordecai will not bow down and worship him. So, he comes up with a plan to have all the Jews under the king's rule executed via an edict Haman secures from the king. Mordecai gets word to Esther about this plot to kill off the Jews and implores her to speak to the king. That sounds simple enough, but Esther can't approach the king unless she is summoned, and if she does, she risks being put to death. But Esther rises to the challenge sending this message back to Mordecai "I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish" (Esther 4:16).

Esther makes the commitment to do whatever she has to do to help the Jews, even if it means her life. So what does this show you about Esther? If you found yourself in an "Esther" situation, how much would you be willing to risk for the sake of Christ? Tami W.

Esther is literally taken from her uncle and caregiver, Mordecai, and made part of the king's harem. Now at first read, that may sound intriguing and like some dramatic scene from a movie, but this isn't fiction. It's a true account of Esther's life. So think about Esther and what she was experiencing. We're told that she was a "young woman." Now I'm guessing a young woman at this point in history was probably a teenager. Just imagine how frightened she had to have been as she went through these events. Yet, Esther handles herself marvelously. We're told she had "found favor" in the eyes of her caretaker in the king's palace (vs. 9) and a little later that she "was winning favor in the eyes of all who saw her" (vs. 15).

What did you learn from Esther's example about responding to unexpected and perhaps unwanted events? What else did you learn from Esther today? Tami W.

All this week we'll be reading through and considering the Book of Esther. As we start into this Book, the first chapter is pretty much background information that will give us context for the rest of the story. So here's a slightly different assignment today.

Read Esther 1-2:4 and do your best to imagine what the general environment of the country was and what is taking place there, think about the feast that is taking place, and consider the main characters in the story. Basically, try to imagine yourself being there. That should get you prepped to meet Esther and start learning the details of her story tomorrow. And if you see anything you want to discuss, don't hesitate to shoot over a comment on the blog. Tami W.

P.S. For the full and close up story of Esther, join us on Back to the Bible this week.

We've just spent a week going through the Book of Ruth in chunks. So today, take a little extra time and read through the entire Book in one sitting. Then, consider the questions below.

What did the Book of Ruth show you about God's protection? God's faithfulness? God's love? What else did God reveal to you through this powerful little Book? Tami W.

I love how God has a way of taking some of our worst times and using them for our good and His glory. That's what I see with Ruth and Naomi today but especially with Naomi.

This passage made me think about when my husband, Jeff, got cancer. He was so sick and we didn't know if the treatment was working. Jeff wasn't even 40 years old yet and here he was fighting for his life. But as awful as that was, God used Jeff's cancer for His glory and Jeff's and my good. You see the cancer opened up many opportunities for Jeff, and even me, to witness to others about Christ. His cancer also drew Jeff closer to God, and Jeff and I closer together in our marriage.

So when have you experienced hardship that, when you look back, you can see it was ultimately for your good and God's glory? I'd love to hear your story. Tami W.

In Old Testament times Jewish people observed something called the law of levirate marriage. Levirate marriage simply means this: If a man dies, and he has no children, it's the responsibility of one of his brothers to marry his widow, not just to care for her but also to raise children by her in the name of his dead brother. That means then that his dead brother will not lose his inheritance in Israel. That part of the inheritance that was allotted to all the tribes would be intact if the brother had a son and sons after that.

So, the law of levirate marriage is what Boaz is following when he goes to the gate and meets with the other relative of Naomi's husband who is closer in bloodline than Boaz.

So, what additional information or details did you discover about Boaz today? What does Boaz show us about operating honorably and following laws and established guidelines and procedures? Tami W.

We've all been there, we find ourselves in some sort of predicament and we know exactly how we want it to turn out. So, we jump in, we grab the bull by the horns, and do our best to make what we think should happen, happen. But as I'm learning over the years, there is wisdom in waiting and having patience. That's one of the things I see in Ruth 3. Ruth didn't try to rush ahead and make something happen with Boaz. She and Naomi didn't try to take matters into their own hands. Likewise, Boaz also didn't rush ahead to try and make a marriage to Ruth happen. He followed Jewish law and tradition and trusted that if it was meant to be, he would get to marry Ruth (verses 12-13).

So what's your experience been with waiting patiently for God to act or to give you direction? What did you learn about patience from Ruth 3:1-18? Tami W.

Ruth is poor and she really doesn't have a lot of options. Boaz, on the other hand, is wealthy and a powerful businessman and his options are wide open. Ruth puts before us example after example of God-honoring living and thinking. Boaz does as well.

So what does Ruth 2 tell us about godly living? What were two godly qualities you saw in Ruth? What about demonstrated by Boaz? Tami W.

Based on what I see in Ruth 1, Naomi must have been an incredible mother-in-law. But, like each of us, Naomi wasn't perfect. She had flaws, and I say that because every time I read the Book of Ruth I notice (actually I'm bugged by) the way Naomi blames God for her circumstances. And, she isn't shy about it. The first time this happens is in verse 13, "it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me" and then in verses 20-21 she says this. "'Do not call me Naomi, call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi when the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?'"

So what's going on with Naomi here? And if we find ourselves with a similar mindset or attitude, what are some things we probably need to do to go about changing it? Tami W.

Devoted, committed, loyal, caring, faithful, dedicated, flexible, helper--those are some of the words that came to my mind as I was putting together a mental description of Ruth. She was nothing short of amazing. Her situation was not good (actually it was pretty bleak) yet it didn't shake her or her commitment to her mother-in-law Naomi one bit. What an example of loving your family.

So how would you describe Ruth based on Ruth 1:1-18? What did you learn from her today? Tami W.

P.S. All this week on Back to the Bible Dr. Kroll is teaching on the Book of Ruth. We'd love to have you join us!

David is so real, so genuine with God. I love how he speaks openly and honestly with Him. David pours out his heart to God but he also recognizes God for being God and asks Him for instruction and direction.

So what does the way David talks with God show you about his relationship with God? How did Psalm 143 speak to you about your relationship with God? Tami W.

Going through valleys and dark times is part of life--even as a Christian, and we see that loud and clear in Psalm 142. David is in a major valley and he is crying out to God. Why? Because as David writes, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living" (vs. 5).

So how do you compare with David? Do you fully believe that God is your refuge and portion? What does taking refuge in God look like in your life? Tami W.