Day 18: God’s Providence: Our Action, Part 2 (Ruth 3:6-11)
Today’s Passage: Ruth 3:6-11
Ever had a time when you agreed to do something, but when you were in the process of actually doing it, you thought to yourself, “I should stop now, I should turn around, and run the other way!” Yet, you knew that turning and running would be wrong.
Ever had that kind of a moment? Courage and confidence are needed in those moments.
Yesterday, in the text, it was mostly musing. Naomi instructed Ruth what to do, and I spent time trying to unpack that while Naomi’s direction fit her culture. In the end, Naomi and Ruth were trusting God and His Word while also being obedient.
It is one thing to know the right actions we are supposed to take, it is quite another matter to actually take them.
In the text today, two people have to take action.
First is Ruth. She no doubt has had time to think about it. As she was washing and getting ready, her mind must have been filled with “What if?” and “How and when should I?” thoughts. In the end though, she was either laying at his feet, or he wasn’t.
Boaz, on the other hand, wakes up out of a deep sleep and finds a woman at his feet. He has no time to ponder, unless of course he has been thinking about Ruth and this situation. In the end, he also has to answer yes or no.
There are episodes in the Bible that play out over many years. You and I can see God’s direction as He shapes the lives of the characters. There are also episodes where everything hangs in the balance of a moment. All the character-shaping leads up to a single point in time.
Life is like that for all of us.
Today we are in the scene where everything will turn one way or the other.
It’s easy to fall into “religious language and thinking” and almost dismissively chalk this up to God’s Providence—because in reality, God is sovereign. Yet I want to slow myself down, simply pause, and ponder this scene.
It is remarkable. Two people, being obedient to God. It reads as a beautiful love story. I doubt we picture obedience to God being beautiful (although I should). Further, I wonder if we were in their shoes, what would our emotions be?
Pause and ponder: if you were Ruth or Boaz, and you knew God’s Word about Kinsman-Redeemers, and you were either laying at the feet of this man dressed as a bride, or were the man startled awake in the middle of the night to find a bride at your feet—what would your emotions and thoughts be?
I ask the question, “What would your emotions and thoughts be?” because for me, my emotions would be pulling me in one direction and my thoughts in another. My emotions might be confusion, anxiety, even fear. My thoughts would be that God has instructed me in His Word.
I think this conflict between emotions and logical thoughts is often the case. I want to suggest we be keenly aware that when we find our emotions being confusion, anxiety and fear, that we recognize these are warning bells to stop, and turn to God and His Word and prayer.
We all need to know God’s Word. That is step one. Step two is doing God’s Word. Taking action requires courage and confidence. To be clear, having a spirit of courage comes through prayer and the very Spirit of God living in us. Having confidence requires placing our faith in the right place—that would be God, not ourselves.