Under His refuge
Scripture:
Boaz the father
of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Matthew 1:5b
Observation:
The third woman
listed in the genealogy of our Lord Jesus Christ was Ruth, whose story was so
important, a whole book in the Old Testament was based on her. Here was a story
of how a young foreign widow remained loyal to her Jewish mother-in-law, and
stayed with her, even in the face of poverty and a very difficult life. Her
beautiful character was so clear that in the end Ruth was deemed better than 7
sons to Naomi.
The book of
Ruth is rich with so many lessons, but we just want to focus on 3. Firstly,
through Ruth, we get a wonderful picture of what it really means to love. In
today’s brittle world, people forsake their marriage for the most trivial of
things, and divorce is rampant in most developed countries. The promise to be
loyal to each other for better or worse, for richer or poorer mean so little to
the generations of today. There is a breakdown in family life, and parents and
children, brothers and sisters squabble over money and possessions. However, in
Ruth, we see how her love led her to remain loyal to her mother-in-law even
when she had nothing. Her love was a pure, genuine love, not dependant on
circumstance.
Secondly, we
see God never forsakes those who come under His refuge. When Ruth committed
herself to Naomi and the God of Israel, she immediately walked under the
covering and protection of our mighty, living God. When Boaz blessed her “May
you be richly rewarded by the Lord, under whose wings you have taken refuge”,
little did he realize that he would be the vehicle by which the Lord would
bless her abundantly. For us too, when we commit ourselves to God, we are
assured that we have the most mighty God who is for us who will never leave us
nor forsake us.
Thirdly,
although sometimes we don’t understand why bad things happen, we will in the
end realize that God provides the very best for His own. Naomi returned to Israel
Application: Pray to God to give us the kind of love
and loyalty that Ruth had, which is exemplary for all generations. Praise God
that He never forsakes anyone who comes under His refuge. Trust God even in
difficult times, that He means the very best for us, and in the end, we will
understand. Trust God to lead us according to His divine directions, leading us
to the right place at the right time.
Prayer: Praise You, Father in Heaven, for Your
great love and loyalty to those who come under Your wings. Help us O Lord,
likewise love You so deeply and with great loyalty like Ruth. In difficult
times, help me always trust in You, that all things will work out for the good
of all who love You. Lead me O Lord, according to Your will to the right place
at the right time. May Your name be praised forever. In Jesus name, Amen.
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