We’re all familiar with the Christmas story, but do you know the story
behind the story?
Tucked away in the Old Testament, hundreds of years before Mary, Joseph
and the birth of Jesus, is the story of a girl called Ruth. And at a time when
we’re very aware of all that is not right in our world, this story is one that
rings true. It’s a story of sadness and tears, even of death, but it’s a story
where hope is found in the darkest of places.
Hope is what we need right now, isn’t it? After all, for most of us, these
have been the strangest years in living memory. Maybe the very idea of
‘celebrating’ at Christmas seems like a gear shift, given how things have been
recently. But that’s what makes Ruth the perfect book for Advent – and this
Advent especially.
As we prepare our hearts to celebrate the birth of our Saviour, the book of
Ruth will show us an aching world that we recognise all too well – and yet it
will also show us that the steadfast kindness of God brings hope for such a
world.
USING THIS DEVOTIONAL
Finding Hope Under Bethlehem Skies is made up of twenty-five written
reflections, one for every day in December, up to and including Christmas
Day.
For each day, you’ll be encouraged to read a few verses from Ruth and then
the written reflection. At the end, there are little suggestions or questions for
further consideration and prayer. You might like to commit to reading the
reflections with a friend and then discussing these closing questions
together.
Each day’s reflection finishes with a song or version of a carol by way of a
response. These can easily be found online, but we’ve compiled a Spotify
playlist that includes them all – just search for ‘Finding Hope Under
Bethlehem Skies’ on the Spotify app.
Ham, Robin. Finding Hope Under Bethlehem Skies: An Advent Devotional. 10 Publishing, 2021.