It may seem hopeless. Your life is shattered into a million pieces. You are broken and empty. God is calling you to Himself. He is the master artist who can take your broken pieces and assemble them like a stained glass masterpiece. Amanda Nolan sings about that in her song "Broken Pieces."  Let's explore a "broken pieces" story in the Old Testament. In this episode, I discuss the following: Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture – this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include: Read in context Listen to an audio version of the text Repetition Consult an outside resource Start with God Follow the cross-references Remember, the characters described in the Bible were REAL The free one-page PDF Episode Guide to guide your study - Episode 461 Download A valuable resource to study Ruth - Teaching Ruth and Esther by Christopher Ash - Amazon paid link Reading Old Testament narratives correctly - Bible Project Video A word study on loyal love (translated kindness in Ruth) - Bible Project Video When reading Old Testament narratives, the line is not from Old Testament hero to me, it is from Old Testament to Christ, then to me in Christ Reading the book of Ruth as a foreshadowing of the gospel Five threads to examine as you read: Names of people Places Bethlehem Moab - Numbers 22-25; Deuteronomy 23:3-6 The verb to "turn" or "return" Chesed - loyal love, translated as "kindness" in Ruth Ruth 1:8 Ruth 2:20 Ruth 3:10 Emptiness to fullness The costly and sometimes painful journey to return to Christ   Even as we see the broken pieces of Naomi’s life, we see that it was God who caused her to return to the place of promise and hope.   More Than a Song Playlist Additional Resources My new favorite Bible Study Software - Logos Bible Software Affiliate Link This Week's Challenge Read and listen to Ruth several times. One time pay attention to the names of people — when they are used and when they are not. In another read-through, consider the places and the significance of these places. Following some cross-references may give you the historical context you need. Read Ruth again to consider the theme of turning and returning. Consider what you know of God's loyal love — His chesed — and how it is displayed in this narrative. Finally, give thought to the change from empty to full and all of the beautiful drama that unfolds to lead from one to the other as you give your broken pieces to God to make a masterpiece of your life.