Good morning. It’s Wednesday, April 6th, 2022. Today we have the privilege of sitting with Ruth again and watching the results of her obedience. She wasn’t praying for significance, nor was her goal to become financially independent. However, because her heart simply desired to obey, God added everything else. Could the same go for us? Read on …
Today's Reading:
Ruth 3,4; Psalms 64,65; 2 Corinthians 6
Scripture
"The women said to Naomi: ‘Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer …’ 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." (Ruth 4:13, 16-17)
Observation
There's no way in a million years Ruth could have known what God had in store for her. Did she realize how closely her obedience would tie her to David, Israel's greatest king? Would she ever recognize how, through all the horrible circumstances in her life, her "Kinsman-Redeemer" would be the Messiah? Could she ever comprehend how close she was to royalty when begging in Boaz's fields? You and I can't see through to the future. Looking forward is often cloudy and muddled except for one thing: obedience.
Obedience is like a sonar. It keeps us single-minded. It will notremove obstacles, but it will help us navigate them. Obedience compels us to live by trust and obedience, not results and rewards. There are no pre-set guarantees, only promises. Ruth obeyed her mother-in-law Naomi's instructions and kept herself chaste. Ruth stands out in an ancient world where begging women were not always connected with virtue. She remained faithful to God's instructions and her mother-in-law's intuition until Boaz recognized her faithfulness: "You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor ..."
Application
I wonder how often I have been close to regal results, but I have bailed out too early. Today, Ruth's counsel refreshed my soul, and her narration stirred my heart. I seldom know the future outcomes of today's decisions, but I must obey, regardless of what fears assail me.
Today we have been made fortunate for we have had the opportunity to travel in the company of Ruth, a beggar turned royal. How heartening it is to have a friend like Ruth recount an experience in her past so that we can be emboldened to walk with confidence, even though we may feel like beggars for a season.
Prayer
Dear Father: I know You have my best at heart, and all You ask is for my step-by-step obedience. I renew my heart today. Please forgive me for the many times where I have balked and bailed. Thank you for being so patient toward such a surly saint as I. And thank You for Your obedience at Calvary when all of hell was against You. May I take heart today knowing that all of heaven is for me!
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