Böcker av Laurie Boulden

The story of Ruth comes to us in the time of the Judges. It is not difficult to imagine Elimelech and his family being sent to Moab while Israel was in a time of punishment for doing evil in the sight of God. It is not difficult to imagine the family met Judge Ehud when he went to Moab to kill the king. When we think on these events, are you awed at the intricate weaving of God's plan? I certainly am.Boaz and Ruth are a generation after the fall of Jericho and two generations before the birth of King David. Their story is not rife with war, but it is still an incredible depiction of the love God has for all of us.My name is Ruth. I am a woman of Moab. I know you've heard of me. I'm a stranger who gets to play a part in the greatest love story of all. Truth is, my story has love written all over it, which is weird, since I didn't know love until a wagon of foreigners built a house not far from where we lived.Listen to my story. Decide for yourself. It is no easy thing to fall into the hands of a fearful God without a willing heart.

God is working all things to His glory.Hadassah, an orphan raised by her cousin Mordecai, prepares for her night with King Xerxes. She's changed her name to hide her Jewish ethnicity, and everywhere she goes, she garners favor. Will her beauty and heart be enough to win her a crown, or will she go to the harem like so many others before her?This fresh retelling of the story of Esther isn't a traditional love story. It demonstrates the hand of God working in the background to bring about His plan for His people. Jeremiah 29:11- For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. (KJV)

The story of Rahab comes to us through Joshua. Forty years of wandering have brought the children of Israel to their Promised Land, now controlled by the peoples of Canaan. This remarkable story tells of Jewish spies and their unexpected saving. There is a call and a reason to answer. Through it all, the hand of God moves not only nations to war, but individuals to great risks and greater rewards.My name is Rahab. I am a woman of Canaan. I do not belong in the lineage of the greatest love story, and yet, I am here. Kings have come through me. My people would look in wonder or scorn. It matters not for they are no more. Rahabek is a strong name. I took it to myself and carried my head high. Now it has come down through the ages, the story of a whore who betrayed her people. But I do not think they were my people. The One who called from across the Jordan said I am His. He is mine. As such, His people have become my people. My haughty head I now bow low, for I am redeemed in love and joy.Listen to my story. Decide for yourself. It is no easy thing to fall into the hands of a fearful God without a willing heart.