Giant Step For Ruth

More in Ruth...

“One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, I must find a home for you, where you will be well provided for.”

‭‭Ruth‬ ‭3:1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Naomi is actually saying Ruth to find “rest” in the home of a husband. 

“May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.”

‭‭Ruth‬ ‭1:9‬a NIV‬‬

We need to understand what Ruth is being asked to do. She has left the Moabites and their customs that she is used to. She is going to have faith in the advice that Naomi is giving her. She will throw herself at the feet of this man. 

“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.””

‭‭Ruth‬ ‭3:4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Two points here...Naomi is leading Ruth to take a step. Naomi loved Ruth so much that she is willing to share the way to be redeemed by their nearest relative. Do I love my friends and family so much that I want to share the way to redemption? If we know that way to salvation, why don’t we share? 

Next point, Ruth is humbling herself big time! Would you follow the advice of someone that has not grown up with the same customs and belief system as you? She is giving up every single thing she has ever known that is safe and secure. She takes a giant step of faith in what Naomi is suggesting that she do. She throws herself at the feet of this man. 

““Who are you?” he asked. “I am your servant Ruth,” she said. “Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer of our family.””

‭‭Ruth‬ ‭3:9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

What a gospel moment! Jesus is telling us to cover ourselves with his garments. He promises to redeem us. The rewards are too great to describe. Many of those promises will be discovered long after our life is over. 

The rewards were unspeakable for Ruth. She receives much rewards for the rest of her life. But in eternity, she will find out that she became a part of the lineage of the Savior.

 When we receive the protection and security and salvation of Christ, we won’t see all the promises this side of heaven. There will be struggles and heartache and pain this side of heaven. But we can trust that we chose the best. We chose wisely when we throw ourselves at the feet of Jesus.

WOW GOD'S HEART

“Every time you find work to do, do it the best you can. In the grave there is no work. There is no thinking, no knowledge, and there is no wisdom. And we are all going to the place of death.”
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭9:10‬ ‭ERV‬‬

I was thinking about this verse this morning. Luke always says to me, “Mom, we all have limited opportunities to wow God’s heart.” Let this soak in. When our life is over, there are no more opportunities to earn heavenly rewards. None. It’s over.

“Remember that the Lord will give everyone a reward for doing good. Everyone, slave or free, will get a reward for the good things they do.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6:8‬ ‭ERV‬‬

“He will reward or punish everyone for what they have done.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭2:6‬ ‭ERV‬‬

And maybe the best one,

“But the work that each person does will be clearly seen, because the Day will make it plain. That Day will appear with fire, and the fire will test everyone’s work. If the building they put on the foundation still stands, they will get their reward.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭3:13-14‬ ‭ERV‬‬

“Every time you find work to do, do it the best you can.” This is so much more than performing your job well. It is the sum total of all the opportunities that God gives you. It would be a wrong interpretation to limit this to your “paying job.”

Pray for open eyes today to see “work to do and do it the best you can.” Are your spiritual gifts being utilized? Do you have a gift of teaching. Then teach a group of kids at church. Do you have a gift of compassion? Write encouraging notes to people that don’t get any notes, not just the “cool” people. What about the gift of giving? Show radical generosity to someone. If you have a gift of service, rake leaves for an elderly person or babysit for a single mom.

I want to look for opportunities to wow God’s heart. This may be one of the most ignored or misunderstood concepts in scripture...the concept of earning a reward. But God’s Word is clear. When our life is over, there will be rewards or lack of rewards for the things he has put in our path. Some people will say, “As long as I get in, I’m good.” No, you really won’t say that because “ the Day will make it plain.” We say stupid stuff like that because we are too lazy to work.

Ask him for some work to do today. Take a step in the right direction. We will never regret the things we tried to do that he puts in our path. We will totally regret the opportunities that we said “No, not today. I’m too busy. I’m too tired. I’m not qualified. My shoulder is broken.” I had to put that in for me:).