The Story of Ruth, An Opportunity for Humility

Ruth 2 New King James Version (NKJV) Ruth Meets Boaz 2 There was a relative of Naomi’s husband, a man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech. His name was Boaz. 2 So Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Please let me go to the field, and glean heads of grain after him in whose sight I may find favor.” And she said to her, “Go, my daughter.” 3 Then she left, and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers. And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. 4 Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, “The Lord be with you!” And they answered him, “The Lord bless you!” 5 Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?” 6 So the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered and said, “It is the young Moabite woman who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. 7 And she said, ‘Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.’ So she came and has continued from morning until now, though she rested a little in the house.” 8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, “You will listen, my daughter, will you not? Do not go to glean in another field, nor go from here, but stay close by my young women. 9 Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn.” 10 So she fell on her face, bowed down to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” 11 And Boaz answered and said to her, “It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before. 12 The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.”

Do we think about the fact that Ruth was not the only young woman who was gleaning in Boaz's fields? She probably wasn't the only attractive woman gleaning or may not have been particularly attractive at all. Ruth was where God wanted her to be as a reward for her faithfulness and as a part of His divine plan. Although few of us would admit it but most, if not all, of us have been guilty at some point of judging who was worthy and who was not. The story of Ruth is a reminder to us that we must be very slow to judge and avoid being as arrogant and stiff-necked as the Jews of old. Let's take a closer look at the story of Ruth and some of the characters God chose to use in bringing to us the fulfillment of the promise of salvation. The Boaz who saved Ruth and her mother-in-law, Naomi, was the son of Rahab, the unlikely heroine of Joshua's day. Joshua 2:1 New King James Version (NKJV)

Rahab Hides the Spies 2 Now Joshua the son of Nun sent out two men from Acacia Grove to spy secretly, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” So they went, and came to the house of a harlot named Rahab, and lodged there.

Boaz was a man who was in compliance with the law of God. Leviticus 23:22 New King James Version (NKJV)

22 ‘When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field when you reap, nor shall you gather any gleaning from your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the stranger: I am the Lord your God.’”

Boaz was a man of substance and, therefore probably a great catch for any of the young virgins already in his hometown yet it was a widow who caught his eye. Ruth was a woman with a sterling reputation, a reputation for faithfulness and loyalty.

11 And Boaz answered and said to her, “It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before.

God placed it on the heart of Boaz to recognize and reward her faithfulness.

12 The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.”

Think about this situation. If you were in a position of influence in the life of Boaz what would have been your advise to him? Would you have been accepting of this stranger? Would you have judged her as worthy of his attention, especially since his position gave him many options.

Matthew 1:5 New King James Version (NKJV) 5 Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse.....

Ruth was a part of God's “Divine Connection”. Would you have been one who tried to interfere with the plan through arrogance and self-righteousness? Hebrews 4:12 New King James Version (NKJV) 12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Father God, we pray that we use every opportunity You bring to glorify Your name and be in Your will. Let us be slow to judge and ever willing to lend a helping hand. May God Forever Be A Blessing in Your Life!!!

Colossians 3: 12 - 17
12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, and patience,
13 forbearing one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you,
so you also must forgive.
14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful.
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teach and admonish one another in all wisdom, and sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

How different our actions are when we truly do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus. What a wonderful, simple way to “clean up our act”.
I do thank You, Lord, for Your Word. I thank You for my nine year old grandson through whom You chose to show me this scripture this morning. I thank You because this is exactly the word I needed in my life this morning as I try to be more and more as You would have me to be.
It is truly a blessing to have the way so clearly laid out for us.

12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, and patience,

First, acknowledging that I am one of God’s chosen ones and therefore called upon to demonstrate the qualities of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, and patience. I know that I am elevated to a special place as a child of God, as one of his beloved. I know that I partake of His kindness and mercy every day and that there is nothing that I do which earns this freely given love.

How can I do less than to be kind and patient with my brothers and sisters in the Lord when I remember that they, too, are God’s chosen ones?

13 forbearing one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you,
so you also must forgive.

I looked back this morning at all of the little things that I had allowed to bother me over just the last few months and neither one of them individually or all of them collectively was worth the time it took to get upset about them. It is not a matter of forgiving someone; it is truly a matter of not having anything worth getting riled up about in the first place.

How sad I would be if God was as quick to get upset with me as I have been with my fellow believers.

14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

We are blessed to have two Great Commandments, love of God and love of our brothers and sisters and these two commandments truly do bind everything together in perfect harmony. When we base all of our actions on these two commandments there is very little room for error.

15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful.

I close my eyes and enjoy the fullness that comes with the peace of Christ. I understand that I don’t leave room for that peace when I allow foolishness to fill my heart.

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teach and admonish one another in all wisdom, and sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

It makes perfect sense that we are encouraged to be in fellowship with one another. It is in fellowship that we can grow in the Word. It is in fellowship that we can enjoy the spiritual uplifting of psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. It is in fellowship that we can rejoice with thankful hearts to God.

17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Father, God, my prayer is that You bring me closer to these simple truths every day. I ask the guidance and support of the Holy Spirit as I strive to do everything in the name of our Lord and Savior.

I do give thanks for all You are in my life and for the continued stirring in my spirit to be more and more what You would have me to be.

May God Forever Be a Blessing in Your Life!!!

Quiet little blessings sometimes get missed; therefore, it is good to give thanks for blessings seen and unseen.

Psalm 121 (New King James Version)
A Song of Ascents.
1 I will lift up my eyes to the hills—
From whence comes my help?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth.

I would not miss an opportunity to praise God for all that He is in my life, not just all that He does, but all that He is. He is Jehovah Shammah (The Lord Is There) through good times and bad. He is there in the quiet of the morning. He is there when all around me is turmoil. He is there.

3 He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

I live in the comfort of knowing that I am a child of El Shaddai (Lord God Almighty). To me this means that He has given me the right to come in supplication for all of my needs. In this sometimes stressful world what I need most is peace of mind and I thank Him for His peace which surpasses all understanding. I thank an all present God,

5 The LORD is your keeper;
The LORD is your shade at your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night

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Jehovah Jireh (The Lord Will Provide) . Sometimes we forget to thank God for the gift of imagination and the appreciation of natural beauty. How full our lives become when we can take comfort in the simple things of life. I thank God that His gift of provision is not limited to bread and lodging. I thank Him for making my time here full of pleasure in the gift of a sunset at the beach, a sunrise over the mountains or the smile of a grandchild.

7 The LORD shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.
8 The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.

Those of us who spend a good deal of time on the highways and city streets have special reasons to sing praises to God. I thank Him for the near misses that I know about as well as those I didn’t even see.

It amazes me how much joy I experience when in prayer and praise. My life is so much fuller as I grow in my relationship with Jehovah-Raah (The Lord My Shepherd), David’s Shepherd, my Shepherd.

May God Forever Be A Blessing in Your Life!!!