The Way of Blessing

Transcript

GRM 906
06/20/2004
The Way of Blessing
Ruth 3:1-18
Gil Rugh

Chapter 1 of Ruth was a discouraging chapter from the standpoint of the events that happened to the key people in the book. It was a time filled with heartache and grief for Ruth and for her mother-in-law, Naomi. Naomi and her husband, Elimelech, had left the land of Israel, the region of Bethlehem because of the famine in the land. They had gone to the land of Moab to try to find enough food to sustain themselves. While they are in the land of Moab tragedy overtakes them and Elimelech dies. The 2 sons of Naomi and Elimelech have married Moabite women and then tragedy is added to tragedy. Both of the sons of Naomi die. Naomi sees the sovereign hand of God in it, difficult as it is she acknowledges that the sovereign God has brought trial and difficulty to her life. She referred to the fact that Shaddai, the Almighty, has dealt bitterly with me. The Almighty, Shaddai, has afflicted me. She has no understanding of why such tragedy upon tragedy upon tragedy should befall her. She hears the famine is over in the land of Israel so she determines to return. She tells her 2 daughters-in-law to return to their families, they are still young women. They could have marriages arranged with Moabite men and have families, be taken care of. There is no future with Naomi. Ruth determines to stay with Naomi. She would not be deterred.

Chapter 2 Ruth goes out to glean out in the fields. By the sovereign grace of God she goes to the field of Boaz who is a near relative of Naomi’s deceased husband, Elimelech. Boaz takes notice of Ruth, treats her kindly, provides extra food for her and so on. So you see God’s hand in mercy being upon Ruth and Naomi at this time. But as the chapter ends she is still gleaning in the field of Boaz. Even though Boaz has treated her kindly, she still is left with the responsibility to go out in the fields, to glean what she can and sustain her mother-in-law and herself by this means.

Chapter 3, and chapter 3 begins to see the sunlight, if you will, coming in with brighter rays even yet, because chapter 3 focuses on Ruth taking the initiative at the instigation of her mother-in-law, Naomi, in asking Boaz to marry her. This is within the bounds of what is provided for in the nation Israel and its laws. But much about it strikes us as strange. She’s going to ask Boaz to marry her and Boaz says I’m open to do it but there’s someone else who would be ahead of me. So let’s see if he’d rather marry you. And if he wants to marry you, fine; if not, I’ll do it. You’d think Ruth might say well thanks but just the same I think I’ll look for someone with a little more passion about me than you might be demonstrating. But it’s all part of the sovereign hand of God and His provision. This brings us to the subject of what will be known as a kinsman/redeemer--a kinsman, a relative, who is in the position to redeem a person and their property. Probably what we’ve come to know the story of Ruth about. It’s the story of a kinsman/redeemer, one who provides redemption as a near relative.

Well let’s look into chapter 3, see how the story continues to move along. Again I remind you, it seems such a beautiful story, and it is, but it’s good to remind yourself Ruth and Naomi live this out day by day, bear the burdens and the difficulties and the uncertainty of what each day will bring. It’s easy for us to look at it and say oh well it’s a beautiful story and it works out so well. But keep in mind they didn’t know that until they get to the end, either. We get to read the last chapter first and then go back to the first chapter and put it together. So in our lives what we learn from these accounts as well is the encouragement of God. Yes He is Shaddai, He is the Almighty, and the most grievous tragedies of my life only enter my life under His sovereign determination for the accomplishing of His sovereign purposes. Could God have done it differently? I don’t know, I’m not God. Could He have spared Naomi and Ruth such awful tragedies and still accomplish His purposes? I only know what He has done that is instructive to me on how I am to conduct my life. All I can do is trust the Lord for today. I don’t have the answers to everything, I don’t understand the whys to all that happens. Some tragedies seem overwhelming and seem pointless, but all I can be assured of is my God is El Shaddai, the Almighty, and He’s in charge. And what He is doing is right. It becomes clearer as we move into chapter 3.

The first 5 verses talk about the plan of Naomi. Don’t misunderstand, but women are never without a plan, and Naomi has a plan. Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, my daughter shall I not seek security for you that it may be well with you. Naomi has concern for Ruth. She was concerned for her other daughter-in-law, Orpah. That’s why she encouraged them both to return to their families in Moab, not leave the land of Moab. There is no future with me. Now she realizes she has an opportunity to do something to provide for the security or well-being of Ruth. Back in chapter 1 verse 9 she said to her daughters-in-law as she encouraged them to return to their families and stay in Moab. May the Lord grant that you would find rest. And that’s what she brings about here in chapter 3 verse 1, shall I not seek rest for you. That’s still her burden. This elderly widow with the bleakness of her life, she is concerned that here is Ruth, this young woman, her daughter-in-law, but with no husband to take care of her. What is her future? Naomi will die and then what will be left for Ruth, a Moabite woman living in the land of Israel. A concern for Ruth’s future, so she sees an opportunity to make provision.

“Now is not Boaz our kinsman, with whose maids you worked, the man in whose field you went and gathered, he is our kinsman.” And this is key to everything that happens in the book. If Boaz was not a relative there would be no story. This is what makes it go and this is the beautiful emphasis in the book. She knew that Boaz would be winnowing barley at the threshing floor tonight. He would be threshing the grain, guarding the grain that night and he would remain at the threshing floor, part of protecting the grain and so on.

So she tells Ruth, “wash yourself therefore and anoint yourself, put on your best clothes. Go down to the threshing floor, but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking.” Get yourself all fixed up, Ruth, look your best, smell your best and go down to the threshing floor. Wait until the celebrating is over. Threshing was a time of festivity, celebration, the harvest is over, God has blessed. Remember this time was preceded by an extended period of famine in Israel so that there would be even greater celebration over the harvest that the Lord was now blessing in the nation. So it was a time of festivity, celebration. You oughtn’t to think of it as a drunken kind of festival, it’s just celebrating in an appropriate way.

Verse 4, here is further what you do, Ruth. It shall be when he lies down that you shall notice the place where he lies. So she goes there but she stays in the background and there’d be quite a number of people here--people involved in the harvest, the servants and everything. So it would be easy for Ruth to go stand in the shadows and she is to observe as the celebration winds down and Boaz goes to find a place to lie down, you watch where he goes. And after he goes and lies down and goes to sleep you go and take the robe that’s covering his feet, and you lift it up and you put part of it over yourself. Beautiful spirit in Ruth. She says all that you say I will do. You might think she’d say this just doesn’t seem like a good idea, don’t you think this is a little bit forward, don’t you think this is a little bit pushy, don’t you think this would give the wrong idea? Ruth said I’ll do what you say. She has complete confidence in Naomi, a willingness to do what Naomi sees as best.

Verses 6-13, Ruth carries out the plan. She appeals to Boaz as the near kinsman to redeem her and her mother-in-law and the property that would have been theirs. Look at verse 6, “so she went down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law had commanded her. When Boaz had eaten and drunk and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. She came secretly and uncovered his feet and lay down.” Now there is nothing immoral implied here. There is a ceremonial significance, and Boaz will recognize it immediately. He has an understanding of the laws in Israel. His heart was merry, he’s been celebrating. Again, he’s not drunk. When he wakes in the night his wits are about him, he has clarity of thinking and understanding. But he has been celebrating, God has been good to him.

It says “she came secretly,” at the end of verse 7, “uncovered his feet and lay down.” Secretly, softly, quietly. In the middle of the night, and it happened in the middle of the night, that the man was startled. He bent forward, he leans up, something is at his feet. Leans up and behold a woman was lying at his feet. Now it’s dark, he says, who’s there? “Who are you?” verse 9. She said “I am Ruth your handmaid, your maid. So spread your covering over your maid for you are a close relative, you are a redeemer. Spread your covering over you maid.” This is a metaphor, figure of speech—take me as your wife, put me under your protection, under your care.

Turn over to the book of Ezekiel, just past the middle of your Bible to that large prophet Ezekiel, chapter 16, Ezekiel chapter 16. You’ll see this same figure is used of God’s marriage relationship to Israel. And in Ezekiel 16 He talks about Israel’s pitiful condition, their hopeless condition. Verse 8 of Ezekiel 16, then I passed by you and saw you and behold you were at the time for love. So I spread my skirt over you, that word skirt is the same word translated wings earlier in Ruth, spread my wings over you, my garments over you, the hem of my garment. Covered your nakedness, I also swore to you, entered into covenant with you so you became mine, declares the Lord. Israel became the wife of Jehovah. So you see that picture of spreading my garment over you. That’s the picture of when she says spread your garment over me, take me as your wife, assume responsibility for me, that you become my security, my protection, the one who provides for me.

Back in Ruth 3, the reason for her asking is you are a close relative, you are a redeemer. Now we had touched on this, I just want to remind you of what is involved here. The law made provision, and this was practiced even before the Mosaic Law was given, but the law incorporated it as part of the required practice in Israel, that there be provision. And there are two provisions here. Come back to Leviticus chapter 25, Leviticus chapter 25, and both the provisions we’re going to mention are involved in what Boaz will have to do in taking Ruth for a wife. Leviticus chapter 25 verse 24. Verse 23 says the land shall not be sold permanently, the land is mine. The land belongs to God, He has delegated it to Israel, but they are not allowed to sell it permanently. Thus for every piece of your property you are to provide for the redemption of the land. Now note this, here is what impacts Ruth and Boaz. If a fellow countryman of yours becomes so poor he has to sell part of his property, then his nearest kinsman is to come and buy back what his relative has sold. This gets involved in what will take place if Boaz assumes responsibility for Ruth. He will also have to pay the debts on the property and thus redeem the land.

But there is a second provision here. Turn back to Deuteronomy chapter 25, Deuteronomy chapter 25. Look at verse 5, when brothers live together and one of them dies and has no son the wife of the deceased shall not be married outside the family to a strange man. Her husband’s brother shall go in to her, take her to himself as wife and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her. Takes her as his wife and will father children through her. And note verse 6, it shall be that the firstborn whom she bears shall assume the name of his dead brother so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel. Now things get complicated, because now he is going to take responsibility for his brother’s wife. But the first male to be born to his brother’s wife will be considered his brother’s son. This man has assumed responsibilities for debt and care, but the property will not be his ultimately. It will stay in the line of his brother and this son that he has fathered through his sister-in-law, really, will be considered his brother’s son. Well now things are complicated because I’m draining my resources, paying to take care of any debts on the property. It’s not going to be mine, not going to pass to my family. Now that’s all involved in what Boaz will have to consider with Ruth if he takes responsibility for her. This idea of what is called a levirate marriage, a marriage of taking responsibility for a deceased brother’s wife and raising up seed. Genesis chapter 38 verse 8 records that and we are some time before the Mosaic Law. God struck Onan dead because he refused to raise up seed to his brother in Genesis 38.

All right come back to Ruth chapter 3. So really what Naomi has instructed Ruth to do may seem rather brazen. We would think well if the Lord is Shaddai, the Almighty, he’s already taken notice of Ruth, we’ll just let things happen. You just wait and let Boaz take the initiative here. But Naomi understands the provision God has made in Israel and it’s within those provisions that Ruth will take the initiative here. So that is within the plan of God. So if they seem brazen, we might say well it would have been more spiritual if we had just waited and let Boaz take the initiative and God burdened Boaz’ heart. We ought not to hesitate to do what God has instructed to be done and God uses that and He’s going to use it here.

So verse 10, Ruth chapter 3, then he said may you be blessed of the Lord my daughter. Boaz doesn’t take this wrongly; he sees it as the right thing Ruth has done. He’s impressed with how she’s handled the situation; she’s handled it exactly like it should be handled. She’s taken just the initiative that ought to be taken to approach the one that she understands who has this responsibility. May you be blessed of the Lord my daughter. You have shown your last kindness to be better than the first by not going after young men whether poor or rich. Evidently Ruth is a young woman. All the indication is Boaz is somewhat an older man. He refers to her as my daughter, he did that back in chapter 2 verse 8 when he talked to her, and he does it here again. Verse 10 refers to her as my daughter, verse 11, now my daughter. Then he refers at the end of verse 10, “your last kindness to be better than the first by not going after young men.” Evidently Ruth is attractive and Boaz realizes, as Naomi did, that it would not be difficult evidently for Ruth to find a husband that would be glad to take her under his care and establish a family with her.

Her first kindness had to do with how she treated Naomi, and Boaz referred to that, remember, in chapter 2. He had heard how she had showed such kindness to Naomi. But now this last kindness refers to the fact she hasn’t sought personal satisfaction, she hasn’t done what you would think would be the natural human thing. I’m going to look for a young man, preferably a rather well-to-do young man who’s pretty good looking, and the things that might be appealing to a young woman. She’s not putting herself first. And here she is acting within the provision of the law that really will bring benefit not only to her, but to Naomi, because this will help establish the line of Elimelech through his deceased son. She’s shown real admirable character here. She has sought a kinsman/redeemer. She’s just not sought someone even to take care of her and Naomi. If I find a young man who will marry me and perhaps he’s from a well-to-do family, they’ll take care of my mother-in-law as well. So it’s the best of both worlds. I get a good looking young man who is well off, no. She has not put herself to the fore in any of this. She’s just been willing to follow her mother-in-law’s advice and here to seek the husband that her mother-in-law has recommended to her.

Verse 11, now my daughter do not fear. I will do for you whatever you ask, for all my people in the city know that you are a woman of excellence. Do not fear. Boaz is sensitive to the fact that this has taken some courage on Ruth’s part. Boaz could have gotten up in the middle of the night and said what kind of audacity is this? Remember we are in the time of the judges. It’s not a time when people are functioning as they should. Every man is doing what is right in his own eyes. We’re dealing here with people who are concerned to manifest proper, godly character. But Ruth doesn’t know what she’s getting into. Here she is at the feet of this man, he might get up and disgrace her, shame her for what she’s done, rebuke her. He tells her, don’t be afraid. I appreciate what you’ve done, I respect you for what you’ve done, I’m willing to honor your request. I will do for you whatever you ask. I mean the testimony through the city, all my people. Remember Ruth is a Moabitiess, not an Israelite. All my people, all the people of the city here, your character is well known. What a testimony of Ruth that they know your character.

“You are a woman of excellence.” This word was used of Boaz in chapter 2 verse 1. It was translated wealth there. Now Naomi had a kinsman of her husband, a man of great wealth. It’s the same word translated excellence. The indication is Boaz did have wealth, but he was a man of excellence. Isn’t it interesting how God is working to bring these two godly people together in the circumstances of life. Ruth coming out of great tragedy wouldn’t know anything about Boaz’ family life and situation. We just don’t know. Was he married? Is his wife deceased? Does he have children? We just don’t know anything about Boaz’ life to amount to anything, because that’s not pertinent to what God is developing in this story. You are a woman of excellence. You can trust the Lord. You say what will happen? What kind of husband will I get? The Lord knows what’s best.

Now it is true, strikes me as the most startling thing in the account here in chapter 3. Now it is true I am a close relative. However there is a relative or a redeemer closer than I am. There is someone in the line who is a closer relative to Elimelech, Naomi’s deceased husband, than I am. He has the right of redemption here. Remain here with me this night, stay here as you are. When morning comes, if he will redeem you, good. You know even if he had said if he’ll redeem you, it’s not what I really want but it will have to be that way. If he’ll redeem you, good. But if he doesn’t wish to redeem you then I will redeem you as the Lord lives. Lie down until morning. I am a relative, I’m willing to perform the right of a kinsman/redeemer, but there’s someone else ahead of me. There is just a factual dealing with this that is foreign to us in the way we look at marriage and man/woman relationships. Are there any emotional ties here? Isn’t his heart beating, and couldn’t he even say something—oh it would be the love of my life if you could become my wife, it would be crushing to me if the nearer kinsman takes you, I’ll never get over it. If he redeems you, good. Here’s Ruth, just like a piece of property. Well if he wants you that will be good, if he doesn’t want you I’ll take you. That’ll be good, too. How does Ruth feel in all this? What about her feelings? Well, what can you say? That’s where it’s left. How would Ruth feel going away?

I read an account recently, I meant to bring it but I didn’t, the person made a good point in that. True love is an act of the will, not a feeling of the heart. This demonstrates it. Remember, Ruth and Boaz are going to be in the line of the Messiah. The key factors in the book of Ruth other than portraying the kinsman/redeemer is it brings to the fore what Christ will do in becoming our kinsman, becoming humanity, and becoming our redeemer. It provides the necessary link to David. A beautiful relationship here, beautiful love story. It’s not driven by passion, emotion, but a willingness and a readiness to do the will of God. There’s a relative closer than I.

He tells her to remain with him for the night. It would not have been wise or safe for her to leave at this time, be out walking in the middle of the night. These are the days of the judges, what’s going to happen to her? Remember Boaz even recommended when she gleaned in the fields in the daytime, you stay in my field and he instructed his workers not to touch her. Naomi acknowledged the safety that would bring to her. So to go walking home in the middle of the night would not be a wise thing to do. So here he is, taking care of her. He’s a man ready to fulfill his obligation and do what would be right here.

Verse 14, so she lay at his feet until morning and rose before one could recognize another, so gets up before dawn. And he said let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor. He just tells them to keep your mouth shut, telling his workers and those around. Nobody says anything about the woman being here.

Then he gives her a sizable gift, verse 15. Give me the cloak that is on you, hold it. So she held it and he measured six measures of barley and laid it on her and she went into the city. Now he gives her a sizable gift. She’d probably put this on her head as we sometimes see. It would be about 60 pounds. Maybe he just wanted to make sure she’d make a good wife and could carry it. But she’s really doing it as a gift to Naomi. Again, in spite of his position he acts with excellence, graciously, kindly. He doesn’t give the sense of doing someone a favor here. He even sends a gift home for Naomi, a sign of respect. He doesn’t see himself above these people, more important, that which you would expect from a man of excellence and godly character.

Verse 16, when she came to her mother-in-law, can you imagine the sleepless night that Naomi had? I wonder what’s going on at the threshing floor? I wonder what Boaz said? I wonder what’s happened with Ruth? She’s going to come home humiliated. You don’t get the idea that Ruth is worried about it. She came home to her mother-in-law who said how did it go my daughter? She told her all that the man had done for her. She said these six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said do not go to your mother-in-law empty-handed. These are the processes underway here and Boaz is functioning as he should with his kinsman, and even if he’s not the one to do the redemption he is willing to take responsibility here and make provision for them in the meantime.

Don’t go to your mother-in-law empty-handed, verse 17. That word empty was used of Naomi and her situation back in chapter 1 verse 21. I went out full but the Lord brought me back empty. I went out full the Lord brought me back empty. But now the Lord who brought emptiness into Naomi’s life, has now begun to make provision and He’s bringing it into her emptiness. What a sovereign God we have.

Verse 18, “then she said, wait my daughter until you know how the matter turns out. For the man will not rest until he has settled it today.” Ruth all we do now is wait, probably the hardest part, to wait and see how it turns out. Boaz won’t let too much time go by, he’ll want to get this matter settled quickly. So he’ll be settling it today, so we’ll just wait and find out what takes place. And that’s in chapter 4. We have to wait until chapter 4 to find out how it works out. But let’s look at what we saw as some lessons in chapter 3.

The long period of trial and difficulty for Naomi and for Ruth is about to come to an end. Keep in mind this has happened over a period of years for Naomi. She was in the land of Moab for at least 10 years, having to leave her family and home and all that they had in Israel and journey to Moab because of the famine that drove them out of the land. But was it God’s sovereign hand that brought the famine? Of course. If Naomi and her husband didn’t go to Moab how would they have met Ruth? Everything is part of God’s plan. So He’s bringing the trial and difficulty to an end. But keep in mind it’s been a long time for Naomi, over 10 years at least. We sometimes look and say won’t the Lord ever do anything? Won’t it ever get better? And it just gets worse. We go from famine to the death of a husband, from the death of a husband to a death of a son, from the death of a son to the death of another son. It just goes from bad to worse to worser to worst. It just seems that over the years all Naomi can do is leave it in the Lord’s hands, take each day as it comes.

There are several lessons here in chapter 3, particularly. The first is what we’re talking about—obedience is the way to blessing. That’s been the characteristic in Naomi’s life—just to submit to the Lord and obey Him. Naomi follows the instructions that God had given regarding a kinsman/redeemer. Ruth was willing to follow Naomi’s instructions regarding the provision that God had made in Israel. Obedience brings blessing. They don’t know what it’s going to turn out, we’re just going to do what God says. Here’s the provision, let’s do it. Obedience is the way to blessing.

Secondly, faithfulness is to be the pattern of life. Faithfulness is to be the pattern of life. Verse 10, you have shown your last kindness to be better than the first. Rather than trying to help God out by determining what has to be the outcome, Ruth just manifests a simple, quiet faithfulness. That’s the pattern of her life. She was faithful to Naomi, now she’s continued that line of faithfulness and she’s doing what God would have her do regarding Boaz. If I worry more about that, if I make that the attention of my life. You know Lord, I get caught up when the pressure is on and difficulties come, I remind myself, Gil, be faithful. Make that the pattern of your life. Be faithful. That puts us in the position to experience the blessings of God, the work of God in your life, whatever He chooses to do.

Thirdly, godly virtue puts the well-being of others first. That’s in verse 10 as well. You know life gets a lot simpler for us, it’s amazing it’s so difficult, if we’re willing to put others before ourselves. Remember that little song, Jesus, others and you, what a wonderful way to spell joy. But we keep wanting to put ourselves up there first. You don’t find anywhere in this account Ruth thinking, what about me, what am I going to do, what’s going to happen to me after Naomi is gone, who will take care of me, who’s going to want me in my old age, what about me? And that godly virtue of putting others first is not unnoticed.

A life of godly virtue makes an impact on others. Verse 11, all my people in the city know you are a woman of excellence. Ruth didn’t do it to be noticed, but what Ruth did was noticed. We’re in the days of the judges, times of decadence and corruption, and here is a woman of excellence, and she’s noticed.

Fifthly, there are obstacles in the walk of faith. You know it might seem like this is an unnecessary complication. What a blow. Here Ruth has gone all the way to this point and now Boaz says you know what? There’s a closer relative, maybe he’ll want you. She didn’t have any idea who this guy is, she doesn’t know anything about him. At least she could experience some kindness from Boaz in chapter 2, when she worked in his field. Now out of the blue I’m told that maybe a total stranger, and who knows what he’s like. There are obstacles when you walk by faith. If they are going to determine that you won’t walk by faith because all of a sudden now I see problems. I was willing to do this, I did what Naomi told me, I’ve done everything that could be expected, so you just can’t expect me to open myself up now to this step. So there are obstacles in a life of faith. But that’s what a life of faith is, isn’t it? We trust God when we don’t see the outcome. We don’t know the outcome, I can’t guarantee the outcome, I don’t control the outcome. She has determined that she will do what she should do, and if that means the kinsman/redeemer is this stranger that all of a sudden has been brought into the picture, that’s who it will be. Simplifies her life, doesn’t it? We complicate our life by throwing in all these choices which we can’t choose if we’re going to live by faith. So all we do is make our lives more cluttered and more difficult because I can’t really walk faithfully before the Lord and do those things, but I want to think of them as alternatives because I’m not sure I really want to trust the Lord with it. I only have one choice, trust the Lord and do it.

Sixthly, God gives both emptiness and fullness. We saw in verse 17, don’t go to your mother-in-law empty-handed. But when we looked in chapter 1 verse 21 God had brought emptiness to Naomi. The God who brought emptiness to Naomi is now bringing fullness to Naomi. That will finally be seen in chapter 4, but you see the beginning of that provision of God. Like Job, should we accept good from the hand of the Lord and not evil? We only will accept blessing form him, not trouble? That’s the way we live. We have the idea we deserve only good things because we’re trying our best to be faithful. What I need to learn is to accept whatever the Lord has decided is best for me. So God gives emptiness and God gives fullness.

Seventh, when we have done everything we should, then we must wait until God brings the results, verse 18. Wait my daughter until you know how the matter turns out. Sometimes there is nothing for me to do and sometimes we’re frustrated--what shall I do? I think I should do something. Well sometimes there is something I should do. There were things that Ruth had to do, there were things Naomi had to do in instructing Ruth. But now they’ve done everything that they can do before the Lord. All they can do is wait to see what the Lord will do. Now they’re really waiting on Boaz and the other relative who has been brought into the picture. There is no indication, we don’t know whether Naomi knows who this guy is or not. What do they do? Wait. We would probably find out here some kind of argument going on with the Lord. Lord, this has to be Boaz. The Lord knows who it has to be and He knows who it should be.

One thing becomes clear in all this, doesn’t it? We serve a great and might God, and He’s a good God, He’s a faithful God, He’s a God who can be trusted in the worst circumstances and in the best of circumstances, in the most grievous trials and in the most overwhelming blessing. As we walk in obedience to Him we’re in His hand, we’re under His care. Where would you rather be? Does that mean we have all the answers, we understand everything? No we don’t. I just know that my God has said all things work together for good to those who are called by Him, those who are blessed to be the recipients of His salvation. So the worst of circumstances are for my good. When the last chapter is written it will be just as clear in my life as it is in the life of Naomi and Ruth. God meant it for good, He was working it for what was far better than I could have ever thought. That Ruth would lose her husband, leave her land, all of that, but God planned for her to be in the line of the Messiah. God planned for her to play a role that she couldn’t have imagined for herself.

We want everything God has for us, nothing else, nothing less. That means that we trust Him. Let’s pray together. Thank you, Lord, for your overwhelming grace. Thank you for the beautiful story that you’ve recorded in your Word of Ruth and Naomi, the grievous trials, the difficulties, the years of hardship, and yet to see your hand at work. We see your grace and love and mercy and kindness in it all. You did not mean it for their destruction, their ruin, you meant it for their good, you meant it for their blessing. Thank you for the testimony of their lives and their obedience, their trusting you. May we be encouraged in our lives, as we’re not yet able to read the last chapter. May we be encouraged to trust you day by day, to rest secure in knowing you are the Almighty. And everything that comes into our lives as your children is by your appointment and your purposes, that you might be honored, that we might experience all the goodness and blessing that you’ve prepared for us as your children. We praise you for it in Christ’s name. Amen.