A Most Beautiful Truth!

Reading: Ruth
My verse:  "“and the Lord caused her to conceive, and she bore a son" (4:13b)

This is an achingly beautiful story of loss, kindness, loyalty, love and redemption.  It also is a beautiful example of how You, LORD God, work in our lives - in the smallest details of our lives.  I like this because it shows how our lives are not random, nothing is really by chance.  You, LORD God, are in all things. This is a most important truth.

Ruth is a Moabite, a widow, and though she had been married was childless so likely she was barren.  Yet, because she decided to love and care for her mother-in-law, Naomi, You LORD God blessed her in the most wonderful way.

Ruth persisted in her kindness to Naomi, even when it was difficult.  Her prospects did not look good from the human point of view.  She chose to go with Naomi, her mother-in-law, back to Israel where she, Ruth, would be a foreigner.  Once in Israel, she chose to do whatever she could to provide for her aging mother-in-law.  She went to the fields to glean, much like a slave.  It was dangerous - there was the strong possibility of her being molested in the fields.

Then enters Boaz, another person who has chosen to follow Your precepts of love and kindness.  He notices Ruth right off, makes a point to make her feel safe and even gives her advice.  He instructs his workers to look out for her. So Ruth worked the entire season, laboring in his fields as a gleaner.

Then at the end of the harvesting season Naomi tells Ruth to do a very strange thing.  She tells her to "Wash therefore and anoint yourself . . . observe the place where he (Boaz) lies.  Then go and uncover his feet and lie down, and he will tell you what to do" (3:3,4).  This is an incredibly bold and risky thing to do.  Ruth is seeking out Boaz as her redeemer -she is basically asking him  to marry her.  While there is that very great possibility of rejection and ridicule she obeys her mother-in-law, Naomi and does what she is told.

The result is quite beautiful. Boaz does the right thing and marries Ruth, they have a child and Ruth, the  Moab widow, becomes a part of Your great lineage, LORD Jesus!

Thank You, LORD God, for this most beautiful illustration of how You work in our lives.  Sometimes, especially when we are in the midst of difficulty it is hard to hang onto that truth. 

"One God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all" (Ephesians 4:6).

Help me today to see You at work in all the happenings of my life!

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!