The Lord says:
"New opportunities are coming your way! If you've been struggling and seeing no hope in your current situation, be it in ministry, career, business, or in any area of life, do not lose heart. As you look ahead in your life, you are entering a time of many new opportunities and divine appointments. Look to Me, and you shall begin to see many favors and good surprises."
As I was seeking the Lord the other day, the Lord reminded me of the book of Ruth. Now, your situation may not be exactly like Ruth's situation in the area of relationships or marriage. Your situation may be in the context of your ministry, your career, your business, or in any other area of your life. Whatever your situation may be, the Lord has a good news for you today!
Let's go to the book of Ruth now.
Ruth 1:1-2 says, 'In the days when the judges ruled in Israel, a severe famine came upon the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah left his home and went to live in the country of Moab, taking his wife and two sons with him. The man's name was Elimelech, and his wife was Naomi. Their two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in the land of Judah. And when they reached Moab, they settled there.'
Here's the background. Elimelech had to leave his homeland because of famine. By the way, Bethlehem was a rich agricultural land. That's why the city 'Bethlehem' means 'House of Bread'. But times were tough at that time. There was a famine. So, he went looking for a greener pasture. He went to the land of Moab. Of course, he left for the land of Moab with the intention of returning to Bethlehem one day. But before he managed to do that, he died.
Ruth 1:3-5 says, 'Then Elimelech died, and Naomi was left with her two sons. The two sons married Moabite women (the women in that foreign land). One married a woman named Orpah, and the other a woman named Ruth. But about ten years later, both Mahlon and Kilion died. This left Naomi alone without her two sons or her husband.'
And indeed, that was a huge tragedy for Naomi. You see, in that society those days, for a woman to be a childless widow or to lose her husband, that was a huge tragedy. There was no one to support her. There was no one to help her. It was a desperate situation. Not just that. Naomi had no family in that foreign land of Moab.
Ruth 1:6 says, 'Then Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had blessed His people in Judah by giving them good crops again. So Naomi and her daughters-in-law got ready to leave Moab to return to her homeland.'
Ruth 1:8-9 says, 'But on the way, Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go back to your mothers' homes. And may the Lord reward you for your kindness to your husbands and to me. May the Lord bless you with the security of another marriage." Then she kissed them good-bye, and they all broke down and wept.'
Ruth 1:14-16 says, 'And again they wept together, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye. But Ruth clung tightly to Naomi. "Look," Naomi said to her, "your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. You should do the same." But Ruth replied, "Don't ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go. Wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God..."'
Ruth 1:22 says, 'So Naomi returned from Moab, accompanied by her daughter-in-law Ruth, the young Moabite woman. They arrived in Bethlehem in late spring, at the beginning of the barley harvest.'
Yes, just on time for the harvest time!
Ruth 2:1-2 says, 'Now there was a wealthy and influential man in Bethlehem named Boaz, and this Boaz was a relative of Naomi's husband, Elimelech. One day Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, "Let me go out into the harvest fields to pick up the stalks of grain left behind by anyone who is kind enough to let me do it."'
For your info, the farmers in Israel those days were commanded to not completely harvest their fields. They were to leave some bundle of grains behind. This was a form of social assistance to the poor and the needy those days, so they could come and glean the remains of those grains. This would give the opportunity for the poor and the needy to be active and to be able to work for their food. In other words, this was a way to provide for them.
So over here, Ruth, on her own initiative, set out to glean in the fields in order to support herself and her mother-in-law Naomi. She would not allow herself to sit back at home and just wait for food to come.
Ruth 2:15-17 says, 'When Ruth went back to work again, Boaz ordered his young men, "Let her gather grain right among the sheaves without stopping her. And pull out some heads of barley from the bundles and drop them on purpose for her. Let her pick them up, and don't give her a hard time!"'
By that time, Boaz had already found out who Ruth was. Boaz knew that she's the daughter-in-law of someone close to him. Boaz gave her favor. You see, as a foreigner, Ruth would have had a very hard time in someone else's harvest field. But because Ruth was in Boaz's harvest field, she received such favor. Speaking of being at the right place, at the right time! Her steps were indeed ordered by the Lord!
Beloved, no matter what struggle you may be facing at the moment, or no matter what hopelessness it may seem in your life at the moment, keep looking to the Lord. The Lord has a good news for you today. The Lord is about to give you new opportunities and divine appointments. The Lord's face will begin to shine upon you, if you cling to the Lord, just as Ruth clung to Naomi. I'm going to show you later what is the significance of the name 'Naomi' and 'Ruth' in the context of us today.
But before that, let's continue with Ruth chapter 3 now.
Ruth 3:1-5 says, 'One day Naomi said to Ruth, "My daughter, it's time that I found a permanent home for you, so that you will be provided for. Boaz is a close relative of ours, and he's been very kind by letting you gather grain with his young women. Tonight he will be winnowing barley at the threshing floor. Now do as I tell you - take a bath and put on perfume and dress in your nicest clothes. Then go to the threshing floor, but don't let Boaz see you until he has finished eating and drinking. Be sure to notice where he lies down; then go and uncover his feet and lie down there. He will tell you what to do." And Ruth replied, "I will do everything you say."'
And you know what? As the saying goes, the rest is history.
Ruth 4:13a says, 'So Boaz took Ruth into his home, and she became his wife.'
Ruth 4:14 says, 'Then the women of the town said to Naomi, "Praise the Lord, who has now provided a redeemer for your family!"'
To cut the whole story short, Ruth then bore a son.
Ruth 4:17 says, 'The neighbor women said, "Now at last Naomi has a son again!" And they named him Obed. He became the father of Jesse and the grandfather of David.'
Now, why is this story so important? Because it has to do with the genealogy of David, whose father is Jesse, and whose grandfather is Obed, the son of Ruth and the grandson of Naomi. Because of the faithfulness and obedience of Ruth, Obed was born. And Obed begot Jesse. Jesse begot David. And why is David so important? Because David had a descendant named Jesus!
You see, God's hand is all over history. God always works out His purpose from generation to generation. God always sees farther. There is always a purpose when God allows something to happen. All things will work together for good to those who love the Lord. Amen!
Very interestingly, the name 'Naomi' means 'delight' in Hebrew. It can also mean 'pleasantness'. But for the purpose of our study today, let's focus on this word 'delight'. How about 'Ruth'? The name 'Ruth' means 'friendship' in Hebrew.
Now, Ruth clung on to Naomi. Ruth could have stayed in her own land and find a new husband among her people in Moab. But Ruth chose to cling on to Naomi. This is a 'picture' of you clinging on to the Lord and delighting yourself in the Lord. This is a 'picture' of you being a friend of God. And as you've seen in the story of Ruth just now, God showed her many good surprises and great favor, even beyond what she could imagine.
Beloved, it is the same with you, whatever situation you may be facing at the moment. God can show you many good surprises and great favor. God can set up divine appointments for you. God knows how to open a way for you, going forward!
Let's cross-reference to Psalm 37:4-5. This is a psalm of David. And yes, David was the great grandson of Ruth. David wrote, 'Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.'
In other words, He shall bring His purpose in your life to pass, and He shall bring His destiny in your life to pass. Hallelujah!
The word 'delight' here in this context can be defined in these three ways:
- A heart that finds delight in the Lord.
- A heart that finds pleasure in the Lord.
- A heart that is soft and pliable before the Lord.
It means you allow the Lord to turn you, like the Lord turns the river. You desire to flow with the Lord. And that's how your life is going to be restful, yet fruitful. Amen!
