10.02.09: Ruth 1 - 4

When we first met Ruth, she is a destitute widow. We follow her as she joins God's people, gleans in the grainfields, and risks her honor at the threshing floor of Boaz. In the end, we see Ruth becoming the wife of Boaz. What a picture of how we come to faith in Christ. We begin with no hope and are rebellious aliens with no part in the kingdom of God. Then as we risk everything by putting our faith in Christ, God saves us, rebuilds our live sand gives us blessings that will last through eternity. Boaz's redeeming of Ruth is a picture of Christ redeeming us.

1:16. Ruth was a Moabites, but that didn't stop her from worshipping the true God, nor did it stop God from accepting her worship and blessing her greatly. The Jews were not the only people God loved. God chose the Jews to be the people through whom the rest of the world would come to know him. This was fulfilled when Jesus Christ was born as a Jew. Through him, the entire world can come to know God. Acts 10:35 says that, "in every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what it right." God accepts all who worship him; he works through people regardless of their race, sex, or nationality. The book of Ruth is a perfect example of God's impartiality. Although Ruth belonged to a race often despised by Israel, she was blessed because of her faithfulness. She became a great-grandmother of King David and a direct ancestor of Jesus. No one should feel disqualified to serve God because of race, sex or national background. And God can use every circumstance to build his kingdom.

"Don't call me Naomi, she responded. Instead call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me." Ruth 1:20,21. Naomi had experienced severe hardships. She had left Israel married and secure; she returned widowed and poor. Naomi changed her name to express the bitterness and pain she felt. Naomi was not rejecting God by openly expressing her pain. However, it seems she lost sight of the tremendous resources she had in her relationship with Ruth and with God. When you face bitter times, God welcomes your honest prayers, but be careful not to overlook the love, strength, and resources that he provides in your present relationships. And don't allow bitterness and disappointment to blind you to your opportunities.

Ruth's life exhibited admirable qualities: She was hardworking, loving, kind, faithful and brave. These qualities gained for her a good reputation, but only because she displayed them consistently in all areas of her life. Wherever Ruth went or whatever she did, her character remained the same.
Your reputation is formed by the people who watch you at work, in town, at home, in church. A good reputation comes by consistently living out the qualities you believe in - no matter what group of people or surroundings you are in.

TODAY IS ALWAYS A NEW OPPORTUNITY FOR EXPERIENCING GOD'S CARE.

When you're immersed in a problem, it can be difficult to see exactly what to do. But afterward, when you look back on the situation, you can see it all perfectly, and the solution seems obvious. You can see what you couldn't see before. As the saying goes, hindsight is 20/20.
The book of Ruth has that rare quality of showing us how the past has affected today. How could Naomi have seen, while feeling her pain of bitter losses, that her future would hold more than ten times the good? She couldn't - she could only trust God - and that's a crucial lesson to learn.
To some, the book of Ruth may be just a nice story about a girl was fortunate. But in reality, the events recorded in Ruth were part of God's preparations for the births of David and of Jesus, the promised Messiah. Just as Ruth was unaware of this larger purpose in life, we will not know the full purpose and importance of our lives until we are able to look back from the perspective of eternity. We must make our choices with God's eternal values in mind. Taking moral shortcuts and living for short-range pleasures are not good ways to move ahead. Because of Ruth's faithful obedience, her life and legacy were significant even though she couldn't see all the results. Live in faithfulness to God, knowing that the significance of your life will extend beyond your lifetime. The rewards will outweigh any sacrifice you may have made.