1 Thessalonians 3

And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you,  so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints. vv.12-13

Read chapter 3
Paul had heard of the love of the Thessalonians and now is saying he wants them to abound more and more and not just to one another but to all.  Oh how often I need to pray to not just love others one time or once in a while but abound in love towards others.  A lot of times I get encouraged to love others more as those have showed increasing love towards me.  It's increasing and abounding in love that establishes the hearts of believers.  Paul wants them fully established at the parosia of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Remember that the word for coming here isn't just a simple return, but when Jesus comes to be personally present on earth and rules. He doesn't want to just see the Thessalonians at the parosia but for them to be among all the saints, the set apart ones.
Is your heart being established in love?  How can you allow the Lord to abound you more in love towards all?

1 Thessalonians 2

"Therefore we wanted to come to you—even I, Paul, time and again—but Satan hindered us.  For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For you are our glory and joy." vv.18-20

Read chapter 2
Satan hindered Paul from coming to the Thessalonians again. It appears in the book of Hebrews that Paul and Silas were able to and did return, but Paul not.  We are not sure from few details in scripture about that as to why other than that Satan hindered.
The Thessalonians are the result of the work of the ministry of Paul, Timothy and Silas and that brought them much joy in them.  Of course he hoped to see them again during his lifetime but more so at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.  The coming here is the parousia- Christ personal presence on the earth that is yet to come.  Making it there is the eternal life being forever with Christ.  It's the ultimate goal that we should long for everyone.  That we would work with then end goal in mind of eternal life with Christ.  Who is someone you've labored for in the gospel and is your joy and crown of rejoicing?  Who are people you long to see at Christ's return?

1 Thessalonians 1

"remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father,  knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God." vv.3-4

Read chapter 1
In Acts 16 we see Paul with Timothy and Silvanus in Thessalonica teaching and reasoning to them about the Messiah in the synagogue and now are writing to them afterwards.
They were remembered or more commemorated because of their work of faith, labor of love and patience of hope.  We see here that faith is action as James says faith without work is dead.  These Thessalonians were exercising their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Just like you need to exercise to get stronger, so you need to exercise to grow stronger in Christ.  
Their labor of love is labor produced by love, doing something because of their strong love for others or something.  Also willing to stand up for Christ they had shown of this new faith to them.
Their patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ was patience in trails knowing the hope or expectation that Jesus will return.  Paul was only with them for three weeks yet exalts them for their patience.  
This was all because of their election by God.  Note that it's not predestination for salvation, but election, being chosen for service now that they have chosen to follow Christ.  Not chosen before they believe but chosen by Him having believed for His special purpose.
Who do you commemorate of their work of faith or labor of love or patience of hope in Jesus?  How can you show and grow in those areas in your life as to what you're being remembered for?  What do you want to be remembered of by others?

Ruth 4

So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and when he went in to her, the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son...Also the neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “There is a son born to Naomi.” And they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David. vv.13, 17

Read chapter 4
So Boaz marries Ruth and they have a son and this son is Obed who is David's grandfather.  So pretty cool that this lineage goes to David which then goes to Jesus Christ, but let's look back a generation too to where it came from.  Boaz' father was Salmon but do you know who his mother was?  Rehab!  Matthew 1:5, "Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse." Now if you don't know the story on Rahab I suggest you read Joshua 2 & 6.  In short she was a prostitute in Jericho who helped hide the Israelite spies before they conquered the city and her and her family was saved by the destruction because of her faith in the God of Israel.
So Boaz' mom was a gentile and he married a gentile.  Both foreign women who loved the God of Israel and showed their faith in powerful ways contrary to the culture around them.  Both in the lineage of Christ.
How have you seen radical change in someone that wasn't a follower of Christ or grown up in the Christian culture, come to not only know and love the Lord but also to raise a family to be followers as well?  Sad that there is a gap often in what the parents believe and what their children believe today in age.  Why do you think that is?

Ruth 3

Now it happened at midnight that the man was startled, and turned himself; and there, a woman was lying at his feet.  And he said, 'Who are you?' So she answered, 'I am Ruth, your maidservant. Take your maidservant under your wing, for you are a close relative'...Then she said, 'Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day.'” vv.8-9, 18

Read chapter 3
Ruth proposed to Boaz!  Well she at least started it.  Seems a little odd to us that Naomi tells her to go lay down at his feet  and he will tell her what she should do, but we have to remember it was probably weird for Ruth as well being a Moabitess not knowing the culture and traditions of the Israelites at that time.  Yet still we see Ruth submitting whole heartedly to Naomi and her new culture and lifestyle.  
So Ruth goes and lays down at the feet of Boaz while he's sleeping and protecting the harvest, this is not some erotic thing going on, and even shows that the master is doing the  labor too, not just giving orders to do something he would never do himself.  Of course he's startled at first probably thinking it was a thief.  When he realizes it's Ruth she says take her under his wing.  This is asking to be under his power and protection, her proposal of marriage to him.  Bold woman!  We see though that after she proposes Boaz takes the lead from there on out.  Ruth may have initiated but the man assumes the lead.  Now it's the waiting time for Ruth and advised by her mother-in-law she is to sit still until Boaz concludes the matter.  Oh how hard that would have been and is still today for a lot of us woman waiting on our boyfriend/husband to marry or take the lead in any matter.
 How can you be both bold and submissive with your marriage or potential marriage partner?  Do you need to propose something right now or sit still and wait?

Ruth 2

Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, “The Lord be with you!” And they answered him, “The Lord bless you!” Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?” vv.4-5

Read chapter 2

Now we meet Boaz, who's a man of great wealth as described in verse one.  He's also close family as he's a relative Naomi's husband, Elimelech.  Since Elimelech died there lost the family inheritance, so rightly so the family of the husband would be concerned about loss of the family inheritance and do something to redeem it, which we will see happen later in this book.

I love seeing the influence he is to his employees.  He greets them with the phrase, "The Lord be with you."  Notice there response isn't the catholic tradition of "and also with you" but "the LORD bless you." Boaz is not quiet about his faith at his work and seems to have influence on his employees as they return the greeting bringing the Lord in it.  His employees were mostly all Israelites yet we know because of the famine back in chapter one and the time during the Judges when this book took place that not all Israelites were living to please the Lord, so this isn't just a normal cultural attitude at this time.

We also can tell that Boaz was a man of the Law for in Leviticus 19:9-10 it commands the Israelites to leave gleanings of the harvest for the poor and foreigners to reap.  So it was normal to see these gleaners in Boaz's field and that they were taken notice by Boaz too for him to recognize Ruth so quickly.  

What can you learn from Boaz as either being a boss to your employees or caring and taking ownership of your family's hardships?

Ruth 1

But Ruth said:

“Entreat me not to leave you,
Or to turn back from following after you;
For wherever you go, I will go;
And wherever you lodge, I will lodge;
Your people shall be my people,
And your God, my God.
17 Where you die, I will die,
And there will I be buried.
The Lord do so to me, and more also,
If anything but death parts you and me.” vv.16-17

Read chapter 1

The book of Ruth is such a unique and wonderful book mixed in with all the historical books of the laws and kings as one of everyday commoners.  It's an important book that shows how a gentile woman becomes part of the lineage of Christ.

I love these words of Ruth showing her dedication not only to her mother-in-law despite the death of her husband but also to Jehovah God.  She chooses to leave the gods of the Moabites and follow the One God of Israel.  It's unknown how much she knew of God of Israel, but having been married to a Jew and seeing the relationship and dedication of Naomi and her family had an impact on her.  I can imagine how hard  it could be to make the decisions Ruth and Orpah made, choosing a comfortable life being able to marry again or an unknown life perhaps never marrying again.  Yet the mindset Ruth has of sticking with her mother-in-law and her God no matter what the truth may be is one we all ought to have, that no matter what life brings we will follow and cling to the Lord God in all truth; nothing will change her or our mindset.

What godly woman, marriage or family has had an impact like this on you to follow after Christ?  How can you determine this mindset for the rest of your life in walking with Christ?