Yesterday, we left the story with Ruth meeting Boaz for the first time. He is a man of God who is providing for Ruth from his abundance. Ruth is surprised to have a man show her such kindness.
She asked him, "Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me--a foreigner?" Boaz replied, "I've been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband--how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge." (Ruth 2:10-12 NIV)
His answer: faithfulness. Ruth has been showing faithfulness to her mother-in-law, Naomi. Through Naomi, Ruth has been showing faithfulness to Naomi’s God as well. God blessed this faithfulness by sending Boaz to be a blessing to both women.
"May I continue to find favor in your eyes, my lord," she said. "You have put me at ease by speaking kindly to your servant--though I do not have the standing of one of your servants." At mealtime Boaz said to her, "Come over here. Have some bread and dip it in the wine vinegar." When she sat down with the harvesters, he offered her some roasted grain. She ate all she wanted and had some left over. (Ruth 2:13-14 NIV)
Boaz continued to show Ruth and, through Ruth, Naomi kindness. Boaz knew that he was representing the LORD in these transactions. He wanted Ruth to see the LORD through him. She did.
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!" So Ruth gathered barley there all day, and when she beat out the grain that evening, it filled an entire basket. (Ruth 2:15-17 NLT)
Ruth was being faithful to God, so God showed his faithfulness to Ruth. Boaz was the instrument of God’s faithfulness. We see God’s faithfulness when we are faithful. God is faithful whether we are or not. God is faithful whether we see it or not. The rain falls and waters the crops of the faithful and the unfaithful alike. But, when we are faithful we see the hand of God at work much more.
How about you? Do you see the hand of God at work in and around you? Have you been faithful to God? Do you see God’s faithfulness to you?
