GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU!

Ruth 2:1-23 (NRSV)

Ruth gleans in Boaz's field

Now Naomi had a kinsman on her husband's side, a prominent rich man, of the family of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, "Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain, behind someone in whose sight I may find favor." She said to her, "Go, my daughter." So she went. She came and gleaned in the field behind the reapers. As it happened, she came to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. Just then Boaz came from Bethlehem. He said to the reapers, "The Lord be with you." They answered, "The Lord bless you." Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, "To whom does this young woman belong?" The servant who was in charge of the reapers answered, "She is the Moabite who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. She said, 'Please, let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the reapers.' So she came, and she has been on her feet from early this morning until now, without resting even for a moment."

Then Boaz said to Ruth, "Now listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women. Keep your eyes on the field that is being reaped, and follow behind them. I have ordered the young men not to bother you. If you get thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn." Then she fell prostrate, with her face to the ground, and said to him, "Why have I found favor in your sight, that you should take notice of me, when I am a foreigner?" But Boaz answered her, "All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. May the Lord reward you for your deeds, and may you have a full reward from the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge!" Then she said, "May I continue to find favor in your sight, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your servant, even though I am not one of your servants."

At mealtime Boaz said to her, "Come here, and eat some of this bread, and dip your morsel in the sour wine." So she sat beside the reapers, and he heaped up for her some parched grain. She ate until she was satisfied, and she had some left over. When she got up to glean, Boaz instructed his young men, "Let her glean even among the standing sheaves, and do not reproach her. You must also pull out some handfuls for her from the bundles, and leave them for her to glean, and do not rebuke her."

So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley. She picked it up and came into the town, and her mother-in-law saw how much she had gleaned. Then she took out and gave her what was left over after she herself had been satisfied. Her mother-in-law said to her, "Where did you glean today? And where have you worked? Blessed be the man who took notice of you." So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked, and said, "The name of the man with whom I worked today is Boaz." Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, "Blessed be he by the Lord, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!" Naomi also said to her, "The man is a relative of ours, one of our nearest kin." Then Ruth the Moabite said, "He even said to me, 'Stay close by my servants, until they have finished all my harvest.'" Naomi said to Ruth, her daughter-in-law, "It is better, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, otherwise you might be bothered in another field." So she stayed close to the young women of Boaz, gleaning until the end of the barley and wheat harvests; and she lived with her mother-in-law.

DEVOTION

Yesterday on Twitter one of my “followers” wrote, “Pastor, you are blessed and loved beyond measure.”

You cannot begin to imagine how it made my heart feel to hear those words. It struck me in a secret place that I had failed to take notice of before.

As I meditated on those words, I came to the realization that all human beings desire to be blessed and loved unconditionally!

In today’s scripture reading, Ruth was without husband, without income, and in some ways without hope. She was a foreigner in a strange land, accompanied only by her equally powerless mother-in-law, and without the protection of a husband, father, or brother. She must have felt very, very vulnerable indeed!

As I read her story, I realized that her story is our story. For who amongst us has never felt lonely, afraid, unloved, and uncovered by the scrutiny of others?

As Christians, we can learn from Boaz. He was an observant man and took notice of the “needy” one within his sphere of influence.

All too often, as Christians, we miss great opportunities for witness and evangelism, because we fail to take notice of the people around us. If we would but notice the many “Ruths” within our spheres of influence, we would have countless opportunities for servant evangelism ministries and outreach.

Take a look around your home, neighborhood, work place, and church. Do you have a child who spends a lot of time alone in his or her room? Do you have an elderly neighbor who never gets any visitors? Do you have a co-worker who seems sad all the time? Is there a visitor in your church who seems bewildered or lost?

Each of these people has the potential to “glean in our fields.” We can bring them into the safety of our friendship and compassion as we offer them the Living Bread, who is Jesus. We can allow them to “pick up” God’s love, joy, peace, hope for the future, and attitude of gratitude as it is expressed through our lives and witness. We can help them to understand that “God will take care of us!”

Listen my friends, everyone needs to know—and believe--that they are “blessed and loved beyond measure.”

As we share the GOOD NEWS that God loves the world so much that God gave Jesus to die on the cross to save us from our sin and gift us with eternal life, our family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers will encounter a life-giving--and life-saving message--that will fill their hearts to overflowing!

Today, will you make up your mind to tell someone that they are “blessed and loved beyond measure?” If so, please pray with me:

Loving God, you are amazing! Thank you for allowing me to “glean in your fields” as you offer me Your love, care, and protection. Thank you that You not only care for me, but for the entire world! Please help me to share this GOOD NEWS with others. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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From Pastor Yolanda's blog http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com