HAPPILY EVER AFTER

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate and sat there. When the kinsman-redeemer he had mentioned came along, Boaz said, "Come over here, my friend, and sit down." So he went over and sat down.

Boaz took ten of the elders of the town and said, "Sit here," and they did so. Then he said to the kinsman-redeemer, "Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our brother Elimelech. I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you, and I am next in line."

"I will redeem it," he said.

Then Boaz said, "On the day you buy the land from Naomi and from Ruth the Moabitess, you acquire the dead man's widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property." At this, the kinsman-redeemer said, "Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it."

(Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactions in Israel.)

So the kinsman-redeemer said to Boaz, "Buy it yourself." And he removed his sandal.

Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, "Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelech, Kilion, and Mahlon. I have also acquired Ruth the Moabitess, Mahlon's widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from the town records. Today you are witnesses!"

Then the elders and all those at the gate said, "We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. Through the offspring the Lord gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah."

So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. Then he went to her, and the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. The women said to Naomi: "Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth."

Then Naomi took the child, laid him in her lap and cared for him. The women living there said, "Naomi has a son." And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

This, then, is the family line of Perez:

Perez was the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, Boaz the father of Obed, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David.

Ruth 4

This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Have you ever had a night that seemed to last forever as you faced an uncertain event the following day?

I know I have and maybe you do too…so we should be able to fully relate to what Naomi and Ruth must have endured as they waited for morning and Boaz’s encounter with the other kinsman-redeemer…the one who had first rights to buy the land owned by Elimelech and his two sons, and in turn, the hand of the widowed Ruth. If there was any good news, Naomi and Ruth knew one way or another that they would be claimed by a kinsman-redeemer. The suspense was found in whether or not that man would be Boaz.

Well as promised, we read where the aforementioned Boaz “went up to the town gate and sat there” the next morning, waiting for the “kinsman-redeemer he had mentioned” to come along and when he did, Boaz called for him saying:

"Come over here, my friend, and sit down."

As the man sat down where Boaz had told him to, “Boaz took ten of the elders of the town” and asked them to sit there as well. They would serve as witnesses for the matter that was about to be discussed. With everyone in place, Boaz explained the situation as follows:

"Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our brother Elimelech. I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you, and I am next in line."

It’s interesting here that Boaz only mentioned the land here…land that the other kinsman-redeemer was obviously interested in because he told Boaz and the elders:

“I will redeem it."

But then, we see Boaz play the “Ruth card” adding this:

“On the day you buy the land from Naomi and from Ruth the Moabitess, you acquire the dead man's widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property."

This changed the dynamics of the deal exponentially because it wasn’t just simply a land transaction. The kinsman-redeemer would be required to marry the widowed wife of Naomi’s son, Mahlon, and this changed the decision of the other kinsman-redeemer who says this to Boaz and the gathered elders:

“…I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it….Buy it yourself.”

And with that, he “removed his sandal” which the scriptures explain was a sign of a “legalized transaction”…one showing that “the redemption and transfer of property (had) become final”. The deal was then completed and we read where Boaz makes sure everyone knows it by making the following announcement to “the elders and all the people”:

"Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelech, Kilion, and Mahlon. I have also acquired Ruth the Moabitess, Mahlon's widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from the town records. Today you are witnesses!"

In response, we read where the “elders and all those at the gate” proclaimed:

"We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. Through the offspring the Lord gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah."

And so it was.

Boaz became the kinsman-redeemer for Naomi and Ruth, taking the latter as his wife. After their marriage, we read where “the Lord enabled her to conceive” and she gave birth to a son who they named Obed, which means servant or worshipper. This son, Obed, would end up being the father of Jesse who would become David’s dad, afterwards being selected by God to become the King of Israel. Further, this would later place Obed in the genealogy of Jesus where we find Boaz and Ruth mentioned as well (Matthew 1:5).

What a blessing God bestowed on Boaz and Ruth!

He also richly blessed Naomi…a point recognized by the town women who said:

“Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth."

For her part in this wonderful ending, Naomi took Obed in her lap and “cared for him” like any other proud grandmother would.

You know, we can sum up this story’s ending by using an age-old cliché for we find everyone - Naomi, Ruth and Boaz – living “happily ever after”. My friends, this is what happens when redemption becomes a reality for a person’s life is changed forever. The sure salvation found through belief in Jesus leaves one “happily ever after” because we have the sure guarantee of Heaven. One is rescued from the everlasting torment and damnation of Hell, gaining infinite peace and joy in knowing that death has lost its proverbial sting (1 Corinthians 15:54-57). In other words, through faith in Christ, every single Christian believer is victorious.

Jesus Himself said this:

“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10

Indeed, in and through Him, all Jesus followers get just that.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

A DIVINE REDEMPTIVE RELATIONSHIP

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

One day Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, should I not try to find a home for you, where you will be well provided for? Is not Boaz, with whose servant girls you have been, a kinsman of ours? Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. Wash and perfume yourself, and put on your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don't let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do."

"I will do whatever you say," Ruth answered. So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do.

When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile. Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down. In the middle of the night something startled the man, and he turned and discovered a woman lying at his feet.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I am your servant Ruth," she said. "Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a kinsman-redeemer."

"The Lord bless you, my daughter," he replied. "This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor. And now, my daughter, don't be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All my fellow townsmen know that you are a woman of noble character. Although it is true that I am near of kin, there is a kinsman-redeemer nearer than I. Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to redeem, good; let him redeem. But if he is not willing, as surely as the Lord lives I will do it. Lie here until morning."

So she lay at his feet until morning, but got up before anyone could be recognized; and he said, "Don't let it be known that a woman came to the threshing floor." He also said, "Bring me the shawl you are wearing and hold it out." When she did so, he poured into it six measures of barley and put it on her. Then he went back to town.

When Ruth came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, "How did it go, my daughter?"

Then she told her everything Boaz had done for her and added, "He gave me these six measures of barley, saying, 'Don't go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.'"

Then Naomi said, "Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today."

Ruth 3

This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As we finished looking at the second chapter of this book, we saw Naomi and Ruth had been buoyed up in hope after discovering that a kinsman-redeemer named Boaz was in their midst in Bethlehem. We know Ruth ended up gleaning grain from a field that belonged to him and he had treated her kindly, ensuring that she and her mother-in-law had plenty to eat.

After these events, Naomi obviously began thinking about Ruth and her future and just as we had seen Ruth being loyal and devoted to Naomi in her time of need, now we see Naomi doing the same for her daughter-in-law. For despite knowing that life as a widow wouldn’t be easy, she couldn’t bear to see Ruth have her best years of life pass by…years that would allow her to marry again and possibly bear children.

And so we read where Naomi said to Ruth:

“My daughter, should I not try to find a home for you, where you will be well provided for? Is not Boaz, with whose servant girls you have been, a kinsman of ours? Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. Wash and perfume yourself, and put on your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don't let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do."

Based on Boaz’s prior behavior towards Ruth, Naomi felt he had displayed a liking of her and so we read where she advises Ruth as to how she should present herself to him as a possible wife. If he accepted her, Boaz, as a kinsman redeemer, would be eligible to marry Ruth and fill the role of her deceased husband, rescuing her from a life of isolation and loneliness.

For her part in this, we find Ruth promising Naomi that she would do as she was asked and “went down to the threshing floor” where she waited for Boaz. The scriptures tell us that he was “in good spirits” after he had “finished eating and drinking”, lying down “at the far end of the grain pile” afterwards. And as he did, “Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down”, just as Naomi had told her to do. She remained there until Boaz became startled “in the middle of the night” and “discovered a woman lying at his feet”, quickly asking:

“Who are you?"

To which Ruth replied:

“I am your servant Ruth…Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a kinsman-redeemer."

We should take note of the humble way that Ruth comes to Boaz. She doesn’t force herself on him but rather respectfully requests that Boaz spread the corner of his garment over her because he was a kinsman-redeemer. Through this, Ruth acknowledged her reliance on Boaz for deliverance while at the same time, displaying a great deal of trust and faith in him. And as we see, her submissive, honorable attitude and actions were rewarded.

For we read where Boaz tells Ruth:

“The Lord bless you, my daughter…This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor. And now, my daughter, don't be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All my fellow townsmen know that you are a woman of noble character. Although it is true that I am near of kin, there is a kinsman-redeemer nearer than I. Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to redeem, good; let him redeem. But if he is not willing, as surely as the Lord lives I will do it. Lie here until morning."

Here, we see it’s obvious that Boaz was as committed to Ruth as she was to him and was willing to assume the role of her kinsman-redeemer immediately but there was only one problem. There was another kinsman-redeemer in line before him…one who had first right to marry Ruth ahead of Boaz.

Now, I’m sure this had to cause Ruth’s spirit to sag a little but we see Boaz promising to stay the course with her, vowing to inquire of the other kinsman-redeemer in the morning. There would be one of two possible outcomes.

1. If he decided to take Ruth as his wife, then she would go with him.

2. If the other kinsman-redeemer passed, then Ruth would marry Boaz.

All this injects some tense drama into the Ruth story. In fact, we almost could insert the three words, “To be continued”, at the end of chapter 3, such was the cliffhanging nature of how it leaves off.

Well, the scriptures tell us that Ruth returned to Naomi before anyone could find out the events of the evening. And once again, Boaz made sure Ruth didn’t return empty-handed, filling her shawl with “six measures of barley”. As she goes to her mother-in-law, Ruth details all that happened and after hearing it, Naomi states the obvious. For now Ruth would have to wait and see what happened, knowing that Boaz would do all he could for her and wouldn’t rest “until the matter was settled.”

Indeed, this is what a true redeemer does. He or she doesn’t rest until redemption happens.

As Christian believers today, we know this to be true through what the Lord Jesus has done for us for our relationship with Him is, at its essence, redemptive in nature. Like Ruth, every single person is destined to a life of isolation and loneliness without redemption unless they place their belief in Christ and in Him alone. He breaks the bondage of sin and liberates us to live, love, and learn, all under His leading.

Ruth required rescue from her widowed status. We require rescue from our sinful status.

In Ruth’s case, she recognized her chance for deliverance in Boaz and submitted herself to him humbly with faith and trust that he would redeem her. And as we see, Boaz did not disappoint her. Rather, he honored and blessed her, placing his covering over her.

In the case of people today, they need to also recognize their sole chance for rescue…a rescue from sin and the eternal penalty of Hell that only comes through belief in Jesus as Savior, the one and only Son of God who was sent to save and redeem us from our sins.

It was His shed blood on the cross of Calvary that washed our sins away and left us white as snow, placing a covering over us…a covering that identifies Him as our Redeemer. Indeed, Jesus does not disappoint those who come to Him humbly, confessing their desperate need for His redemption. He honors and blesses all those He saves and then sends them out to help others find their own rescue.

In the end translation, let us never forget the ultimate good news that we have every day because of Jesus for He willingly chooses to enter into redemptive relationships with any sinner who repents and comes to Him for salvation.

Thanks be to God for His Son…today and forever more.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

THE AWESOME NATURE OF HOPE

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Her mother-in-law asked her, "Where did you glean today? Where did you work? Blessed be the man who took notice of you!"

Then Ruth told her mother-in-law about the one at whose place she had been working. "The name of the man I worked with today is Boaz," she said.

"The Lord bless him!" Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. "He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead." She added, "That man is our close relative; he is one of our kinsman-redeemers."

Then Ruth the Moabitess said, "He even said to me, 'Stay with my workers until they finish harvesting all my grain.'"

Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, "It will be good for you, my daughter, to go with his girls, because in someone else's field you might be harmed."

So Ruth stayed close to the servant girls of Boaz to glean until the barley and wheat harvests were finished. And she lived with her mother-in-law.

Ruth 2:19-23

This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Have you ever had a time in your life when you felt hopeless? A time when you felt oppressed by despair and sorrow? A time when things seemed so much more dark than light?

I know I have.

After learning about my first wife’s affair with my next door neighbor many years ago, I remember how devastated I was to learn that I had been deceived by someone I loved and trusted so very much. My family broke apart and I was left alone…single for the first time in 10 years...without my two girls. The isolation was maddening…my pain and sadness was worse.

For years, I wondered what I might have done to deserve my circumstances and I had trouble finding answers. I equally had trouble finding relief from my desolate, downtrodden spirit. Indeed, I felt little hope in my life then.

I can’t help but think Naomi must have felt the same way. Losing a husband was bad enough, particularly because widows weren’t particularly taken care of well in Old Testament society. Without their provider and supporter, they were often left to fend for themselves. Truly, tough times usually followed a woman after their husband’s death and Naomi knew this. But at least she had two sons who could now take care of her and soften the blow.

But then, we know what happened. Both of those sons died, not only leaving Naomi without immediate family but her two Moabite daughters-in-law widowed as well. And so fast forwarding to their arrival and subsequent attempt to settle in Bethlehem, hope had to seem very far off for Naomi and Ruth but little did they know that God was working in the background of things. Hope was right around the corner for them…and in a place they least expected it.

It happens like this sometimes in our lives as well. Just when we see things as dark and hopeless, God shines His light on us, often through a person that He sends to rescue us…a redeemer. For me, ironically, this redeemer was named Grace.

You see several years after my divorce, I was volunteering in an elementary school, tutoring two third grade classes. I had done this faithfully for around four months when one day I happened to run into the Assistant Principal on my way out of the building. I had spoken to her a few times before but it was always business-like conversation, so much so that I didn’t even know her first name. She was always Ms. White to me.

Well, that day the conversation was different because we talked about what we were going to do during the upcoming weekend. She told me she was going to the movies and, with all the courage I could muster (I wasn’t very good at being single, I’m afraid), I asked her if she was going alone. As I expected, she had a date and at first my hopes were dashed but then she added this about the man she was seeing:

“He doesn’t know what direction he’s going in.”

And with that, her name was called over the school announcing system and she  excused herself, leaving me wondering what she meant by what was said. Despite the confusion in her cryptic words, I have to admit feeling a spark of hope…something I hadn’t felt for a long, long time.

Going back to our scripture passage, we find Ruth returning to Naomi with all the wheat she had gleaned and the mother-in-law immediately marveled at the amount she brought as it was obviously more than one would see from a typical, gleaning outing. As we see, Naomi couldn’t contain her curiosity, asking Ruth:

“Where did you glean today? Where did you work? Blessed be the man who took notice of you!"

To which Ruth replied:

“The name of the man I worked with today is Boaz.”

Well, the name Boaz hadn’t resonated with Ruth as she was a foreigner in Bethlehem but as we see, Naomi instantly knew him and what he meant to their situation…and we can sense how she felt a spark of instant hope at that moment…something she hadn’t felt for a long time. God was moving powerfully in her situation and was doing so through the interactions between Boaz and Ruth.

Given the report from Ruth, we find Naomi exclaiming:

“The Lord bless him!...He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead….That man is our close relative; he is one of our kinsman-redeemers."

Here, we find Naomi fully understanding that the Lord was at work in the matter. He had made the way for Ruth to end up in Boaz’s field because he would end up being the one who would redeem Naomi and Ruth. God put him into their lives for a reason…to rescue, deliver, save, and, ultimately bring hope.

“He doesn’t know what direction he wants to go in.”

Going back to that fateful day at the elementary school 34 years ago, these words started to echo in my head over the weekend after talking with Ms. White. Although I didn’t really know what they meant, the Lord was working through them to set His plan in motion.

For I ended up taking a chance and sending flowers to Ms. White, asking her to go to dinner with me. I was in the Navy then and getting set to go to sea for seven weeks, an underway period which was serving as a work up for a deployment to South America starting in the late spring. And so as you can see, the window of opportunity was very narrow if there would be any chance that Ms. White and I were going to see each other regularly on a personal level.

And so the flowers were delivered the day before I was set to be back in the school and during that final visit prior to going to sea, I ran into Ms. White and learned that she was accepting my date invitation. We went to dinner the next night.

During that time together, it was obvious to us both that we had so much in common and there was potential for a relationship but not until Ms. White had laid down some ground rules. For I remember her words as clear as day today as she said:

“If we’re going to have a relationship, God has to be first in everything.”

I also remember how my heart was racing about a million miles an hour because I hadn’t been walking with the Lord in my life for well over 12 years.

Remember how I had wondered why things had happened in my first marriage for it to end the way it did. Walking without God for the duration of that time was really the root cause for as I learned, nothing good comes out of doing that.

Well, told her that I agreed with her spiritual ground rules and was committed to make the Lord first in our relationship. From that point forward, I dedicated myself to getting right with Him in my life and Grace and I would marry by the end of the year after that first dinner date.

That was 33 years ago now as we march toward anniversary number 34 in December and it has been absolutely incredible how the Lord has moved in and through all those years we’ve been blessed to share together. Over that time, the Lord has shown me the many gifts He has placed within to use to His glory and uses me in ministry every day to help others come to know Him…just as He used Grace (Ms. White) to reach me over three decades ago.

In the end translation, Grace was used as an instrument of my redemption…the one the Lord sent to rescue me, draw me back to Him, and help deliver me from despair to hope. In the Ruth story, God used Boaz to do the same thing for Naomi and Ruth…and the good news is that He is still using people each and every day to do the same thing. Who knows…maybe He’ll use you next.

My friends, we truly serve a Lord who is in the redeeming business. For He so loved the world that He gave up His Son Jesus to be crucified on the cross of Calvary to rescue us from the despair of sin and destruction in Hell and deliver us to the hope of a new, eternal life. This ensured that anyone who places their belief in Jesus need never fear death for it becomes the door to an everlasting life free from the afflictions of this present worldly existence. Through Christ, we have a hope that is secure and irremovable by anyone or anything.

So as I close this message, we have seen the awesome nature of hope through the actions of Jesus…of Boaz…of my “amazing” Grace, actions that were all part of God’s redemptive plan, actions that bring the awesome blessing of hope…not a worldly hope that is fleeting but rather a divine, holy hope that endures not just in the here and now but in the here after.

Today and every day, let us rejoice and give thanks for all the Lord has done, is doing, and is yet to do in our lives to move us from tough times into better days, providing deliverance into a hope that can only come from Him.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

BEING BLESSED, BLESSING OTHERS

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Boaz asked the foreman of his harvesters, "Whose young woman is that?"

The foreman replied, "She is the Moabitess who came back from Moab with Naomi. She said, 'Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters.' She went into the field and has worked steadily from morning till now, except for a short rest in the shelter."

So Boaz said to Ruth, "My daughter, listen to me. Don't go and glean in another field and don't go away from here. Stay here with my servant girls. Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the girls. I have told the men not to touch you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled."

At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She exclaimed, "Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?"

Boaz replied, "I've been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge."

"May I continue to find favor in your eyes, my lord," she said. "You have given me comfort and have spoken kindly to your servant—though I do not have the standing of one of your servant girls."

At mealtime, Boaz said to her, "Come over here. Have some bread and dip it in the wine vinegar."

When she sat down with the harvesters, he offered her some roasted grain. She ate all she wanted and had some left over. As she got up to glean, Boaz gave orders to his men, "Even if she gathers among the sheaves, don't embarrass her. Rather, pull out some stalks for her from the bundles and leave them for her to pick up, and don't rebuke her."

So Ruth gleaned in the field until evening. Then she threshed the barley she had gathered, and it amounted to about an ephah. She carried it back to town, and her mother-in-law saw how much she had gathered. Ruth also brought out and gave her what she had left over after she had eaten enough.

Ruth 2:5-18

This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

At the start of this second chapter, we saw Ruth heading out to the fields to glean some grain for her and her mother-in-law Naomi. As it ended up, she chose a field that was owned by Boaz who were learned was a relative of Naomi’s deceased husband, Elimelech. And as we examined in yesterday’s message, this turn of events was not by means of any coincidence or luck. Rather, it was all part of God’s plan for Ruth and Boaz as He put both people in the right place, at the right time, to fulfill what He wanted to happen.

Well, as Ruth gleaned, we read where she caught the eye of Boaz who had come to the field and greeted his harvesters in the name of the Lord. The scriptures tell us that he asked the foreman of his harvesters about her and was told that she was “the Moabitess who came back from Moab with Naomi”. The foreman added that she asked to “glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters” and had labored hard, working “steadily from morning” until that moment “except for a short rest in the shelter."

All this piqued Boaz’s interest to the point where he went to Ruth, saying:

“My daughter, listen to me. Don't go and glean in another field and don't go away from here. Stay here with my servant girls. Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the girls. I have told the men not to touch you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled."

In response, we read where Ruth “bowed down with her face to the ground” and asked Boaz:

“Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?"

Boaz goes on to explain that he had been told about what she had done for her mother-in-law since the death of her husband, knowing about the depth of her sacrifice…about how she left her father and mother and homeland to come and live with people she “did not know before”. And so he wished blessings upon her saying:

“May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge."

Humbly, Ruth replied:

“May I continue to find favor in your eyes, my lord…You have given me comfort and have spoken kindly to your servant—though I do not have the standing of one of your servant girls."

And so the stage was set for the Lord to unveil His master plan. Ruth’s loving devotion and kindness towards Naomi had resulted in her being treated likewise for Boaz would ensure that she was taken care of. We read that he allowed her to sit with his harvesters at mealtime and she “ate all she wanted” with “some left over”. And when she got up to continue gleaning, we see where Boaz gave his men orders to allow her to gather “among the sheaves” and to “pull out some stalks for her from the bundles and leave them for her to pick up”. In other words, Boaz made arrangements for Ruth to get more than just scraps as she “gleaned in the field until evening” before she “threshed the barley she had gathered (about an ephah) and “carried it back to town” to Naomi, who Ruth gave “what she had left over after she had eaten enough.”

Again, we see the kind of person Ruth was…loving, kind, sharing, and unselfish…the kind of person that God would love for all of us to be. In her, we see how He honors those who embody the principles of selflessness and caring for others…the same principles that would be central to His Son Jesus who He would send to teach, heal, love, and ultimately save all of mankind…surrendering His life so others might live…freely surrendering His earthly life to gain victory over death so that we could too one day when He returns.

In Ruth’s story, we see her dedicating herself to Naomi, her mother-in-law, leaving everything behind in Moab through the process, and in return, God sends Boaz to her…a man who would bless her now and later.

Indeed, just as Ruth had watched over Naomi…now Boaz, a man of the Lord, was watching over them both.

Brothers and sisters, we would be well served to try and be more like Ruth in our lives for as we see, she embodies many of the qualities we find in our Savior Jesus. In fact, when we strive to live as Christ did, then we will find ourselves behaving as Ruth did, seeking to bless others first and foremost each and every day we’re given. For when we live a life that selflessly places others first before ourselves, we find that the Lord takes care of our needs while we’re doing so, without us even having to worry or care about it. He has, is, and always will provide to make sure we are free to do what He wants us to do, when He wants us to do it. And like we see with Ruth and Boaz, this leads us to bless others just as He blesses us in life…and there’s no better life to live than that.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

THE LORD WILL PUT YOU WHERE HE WANTS YOU

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Now Naomi had a relative on her husband's side, from the clan of Elimelech, a man of standing, whose name was Boaz.

And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, "Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor."

Naomi said to her, "Go ahead, my daughter."

So she went out and began to glean in the fields behind the harvesters. As it turned out, she found herself working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech.

Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters, "The Lord be with you!"

"The Lord bless you!" they called back.

Ruth 2:1-4

This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

At the end of Ruth, chapter 1, we saw where Naomi and Ruth had arrived back in Bethlehem, a town in the Israelite region of Judah. You’ll recall that they had returned there from Moab because Naomi had heard how the Lord had provided His people with food in the midst of a terrible famine that had struck the land.

So once in Bethlehem, we see chapter 2 beginning with Ruth asking permission from Naomi to “go to the fields” so to “pick up” the “leftover grain” from “behind anyone in whose eyes” she would “find favor." Known as gleaning, this process was popular in Old Testament times as those who were less fortunate and struggling for food to eat would be allowed to collect grain, fruit, or vegetables that had been left behind by harvesters. In the case of Ruth, the scriptures tell us that she was targeting leftover grain.

Now we read where Naomi still had family in Bethlehem, ”a relative on her husband's side from the clan of Elimelech” who was “a man of standing” by the name of Boaz. And after Naomi gave Ruth her consent to go to the fields, we see where she “went out and began to glean in the fields behind the harvesters”. We should note that she didn’t look for any specific field that was owned by a certain person. A Moabite, she was a complete stranger in Bethlehem and so she simply looked for a good place to glean to provide food for herself and Naomi.

Well, as it turned out, Ruth “found herself working in a field belonging to Boaz”…yes, the same Boaz who was Naomi’s relative “from the clan of Elimelech”, her deceased husband. We further learn that Boaz was a man of the Lord for he greets his harvesters by saying:

"The Lord be with you!"

To which they replied:

“The Lord bless you!"

Indeed, the Lord was blessing Ruth and she even wasn’t aware of it yet.

Now, one could maybe say that Ruth ended up in the field of Boaz simply by luck but when it comes to God, we know He doesn’t operate on the principle of chance, does He? No, God had Ruth right where He wanted her to be…and the same applied to Boaz as we will see.

Friends, this is something we all need to remember for our Lord does the same with us. He puts us where He wants us to be so He can carry out His will in our lives...in, through, and around us.

Indeed, we never need to worry whether we are in the right place in the right time. We only need to submit our lives fully to the Lord, allowing Him to lead and guide us. For when we do this, we can always rest assured we’ll never be going in the wrong direction because we’ll be moving as He wants us to move to do what He wants us to do.

Speaking for myself, this is what makes so very exciting every day. For although I have no idea what any day holds, I do know that God holds my future in His hands, now and forever. I am in His hands and care every second of every minute of every hour of every day in God’s hands and this assurance keeps me knowing and trusting He’ll fill my days with His will, way, and purpose.

Given that, I can always look back at the end of the day and give thanks and praise, no matter what has happened, because He was walked with me through it all. Often times, that praise is around good things I have been able to do for others after He put me in position to do so, using an ordinary person like me to do something extraordinary in His name.

As I close, my hope is that you can see God moving in the same rhythm in your life, all because you surrendered your life to Him so He could put you where He wanted you to be, to do what He wanted you to do. For it’s there…in that place…that we find the true joy and value in this life as we continue to step toward the eternal one yet to come.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.