Good morning! Dont forget to set your clocks back an hour tonight. Enjoy your extra hour of sleep! Here is your daily devotion: Read: Ruth 2:14-23 We previously reflected on God’s providence behind the scenes to rescue Naomi and Ruth’s family. We also looked at how Ruth’s family-devoted, non-quitting character made her a channel of God’s miraculous favor from Boaz. Now, let’s focus on Boaz. What kind of man was he? He was a “man of standing” (Ruth 2:1); the Hebrew words (gibbor hayil) clearly convey he was a powerful man of wealth, property, and substance. His name means “in him is strength.” Contrast Boaz’s status with Ruth’s. She was a Moabitess (non-Israelite foreigner), a gleaner (welfare recipient), husbandless, fatherless, provisionless, young, vulnerable, responsible-for-a-dependent, aging parent-in-law, and of less status than Boaz’s servants (Ruth 2:13). But high-status Boaz did not despise low-status Ruth. Boaz went way over the line of ordinary practice in showing favor to her. He welcomed her to walk with his servant girls for company and protection. (Ruth 2:8) He said she could drink from his water jars and told his men not to touch her. (Ruth 2:9) Then he told his men to let her glean even from among the grain already harvested. He even told them to pull out some of the harvested grain, bundle it up, and give it to her. All of this special treatment from a man of such high standing was remarkably gracious! Because of Boaz’s extraordinary graciousness and generosity, at the end of Ruth’s work day, she went home to Naomi with the equivalent of 20-25 pounds of barley (that’s a lot of harvested grain merely from one woman’s gleaning for one day!). She also brought home some scrumptious leftovers from Boaz’s rich table. What a day! And Jesus certainly has such days planned for your family. You see, Boaz is the lesser-picture of the greater Kinsman-Redeemer in your family’s life. Sure, you will have your hard days as a family like Naomi and Ruth did. But along with those circumstances, you can expect Christ your Kinsman-Redeemer to be even kinder and more generous than Boaz was to Ruth! You can expect your Redeemer to… . . . take a personal interest in your family and situation . . . be tender and understanding about your shortcomings and problems . . . make arrangements to give you an income and keep you all safe . . . commune with you at the table (notice how Boaz brings ‘bread’ and ‘wine’) . . . supply you with an abundance enough to give you some ‘What a day!’ experiences . . . convince you that you are a part of His loving family, His very own How might the Lord want to raise your expectations about the kindness and generosity He is willing to show to your family? Lord Jesus, our Redeemer, You are high and lofty, the King of kings and Lord of lords, Maker of heaven and earth, and all things are Yours! But I and my family are lowly in our sins and weaknesses and circumstances. But You are raising my expectations of Your goodness to my family. I receive by faith the ‘What a day!’ experiences You have planned for us. Thank You in advance! Amen. Naomi said to Ruth: “Blessed be the man who took notice of you!” (Ruth 2:20) I say to you: “Blessed be the Man who has taken notice of you!” All praise to Jesus Christ!
Posted on: Sat, 02 Nov 2013 13:33:32 +0000
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