One of the great love stories of the Bible is contained in the book of Ruth. It is an account of a young woman who loved God and lived a selfless life.
Ruth was born in the country of Moab. The Moabites were descendants of Lot, Abraham’s nephew. Lot’s two daughters had incestuous relations with him, and the Moabites were one of the people groups who derive their roots from those relations.
God did not look favorably on the Moabites. Their worship of idols meant Israel was not to affiliate with them.
But God allowed “aliens/foreigners” to reject their pagan roots and join with the Israelites. This is what Ruth did. She clearly expressed her desire to serve the God of the Hebrews:
Ruth 1:16-17: “But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the Lord do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me.”
Ruth’s husband, father-in-law, and brother-in-law all passed away (Ruth 1:3-5). Their deaths left Ruth, her mother-in-law, Naomi, and her sister-in-law, Orpah, with decisions to make. The short account of the events has Ruth going with Naomi to Israel, while Orpah remained in Moab.
What Ruth didn’t know at the time of her decision, was that God had an amazingly blessed future prepared for her on this earth. Until such time as that all was revealed, what Ruth had to hold on to were the promises of God! (We don’t know how much she knew about God, but whatever it was, she was drawn to Him.)
We also have God’s promises to hold on to and lean on to carry us through each moment of our lives. When we look to Jesus as our Lord and Savior. (Note: Ruth would have known about the promised Messiah, but would not have known him by the name Jesus. It was the hope and faith in the promises of God regarding the Messiah (Genesis 3:15) that brought eternal life to those in the Old Testament.)
What are some of those promises?
God is always present with His own. Deuteronomy 3:16: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”
God provides His love, mercy, and grace for His people. 2 John 1:3: “Grace, mercy and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.”
He provides His help, His guidance, and His provision, which are additional “benefits” of one’s relationship with Jesus. Psalm 32:8: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.”
God has a perfect plan for each of His people. Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
God is our Advocate, our Avenger. 1 Thessalonians 4:6: “and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before.”
God is our Hope. Romans 15:13: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
God is our Assurance of eternal security. John 3:36: “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life;”
God is trustworthy. Psalm 9:10: “And those who know Your name put their trust in You, for You, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.”
God is so much more than these few points, and more than Scripture contains (John 20:30-31).
Equipped with the knowledge of God, Ruth, and all true Christ-followers, are able to walk into the unknown, without fear or anxiety.
The account of Ruth never records any possibility that she was anxious. God met her at every step, from protecting she and Naomi on the trip from Moab to Israel (always a danger in those days) until the birth of her son (Ruth 4:13).
Ruth could have chosen the path of fear and “what-ifs”, but instead she kept moving forward doing what needed to be done to sustain her life and Naomi’s. Ruth worked diligently to glean for their food (Ruth 2:2-7).
Ruth was guided by God to the field of their kinsman-redeemer, Boaz (Ruth 2:19-20). There were other fields, but God had His perfect plan for her, and He sovereignly brought it to light, one step at a time.
When we set about doing what honors God each day, we can trust Him to guide our lives in His perfect plan for us, just as He did for Ruth.
Ruth honored and obeyed Naomi (Ruth 3:1-9).
Ruth honored and submitted to Boaz (Ruth 3:10-18).
God had raised up Boaz to be that kinsman-redeemer for Ruth, and Naomi (Ruth 4:9-12).
Ruth waited patiently as God worked “behind the scenes”. That takes faith. That is the same faith you and I can live with as we trust in the promises of God.
I want to live a life dependent upon the Lord, trusting in Him, and not conjuring up “what-ifs” for my future.
How about you? How willing are you to allow God to guide and direct your life? If you are not His child, I highly recommend and urge you to make that decision to let go of everything to hold on to the Lord. When you are His, all the promises in the Bible are yours. They are solid ground, not the sinking sand of this world.
Living for Jesus, Donna
Extra verses to consider:
Deuteronomy 23:3; 1 Kings 11:33
P.S. If this has helped you, please feel free to share it with others!
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Copyright 2021 Donna Shappy
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