Patience. Now that Naomi had a glimpse if God’s plan, it would be easy to want to run ahead and make things happen, but that’s not what she did. She had patience. Read Ruth 2:21-23. So she stayed close by the maids of Boaz in order to glean until the end of the barley harvest and the wheat harvest. And she lived with her mother-in-law. RUTH 2:23 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/rut.2.23.NASB Do you see the patience there? Sometimes we miss patience in a story because we are reading to see what happens next. Ruth acknowledged the instructions Boaz had given her. Ruth followed the instructions of Boaz, and then… time passed. Several…

Understanding. In a flash, Naomi started to see the path that God was moving her and Ruth down. Like standing outside and getting the light to see by from a flash of lightning, Naomi caught a quick glimpse and all of a sudden, her entire thought process started to change. Read Ruth 2:20. Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed of the Lord who has not withdrawn his kindness to the living and to the dead.” Again Naomi said to her, “The man is our relative, he is one of our closest relatives.” RUTH 2:20 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/rut.2.20.NASB Now, to us reading this here in this day and time,…

Ever been so sure of something and then been surprised when it turned out different than you thought? Naomi experienced that. Read Ruth 2:17-19. Her mother-in-law then said to her, “Where did you glean today and where did you work? May he who took notice of you be blessed.” 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.” Ruth 2:19 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/rut.2.19.NASB Naomi had all but given up. She didn’t even go help Ruth when she volunteered to go glean. She knew she was abandoned and she wasn’t going to do anything more. So Ruth…

Continued generosity. Not only did Boaz take care of Ruth’s needs while she was right there, he also helped provide for her in a way that she didn’t even realize. Read Ruth 2:15-16. Also you shall purposely pull out for her some grain from the bundles and leave it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her.” Ruth 2:16 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/rut.2.16.NASB God knows our needs. And Boaz knew what Ruth needed. As a result, he worked to make sure that she had her needs met, even if she didn’t know exactly how those needs were being met. Boaz instructed his crew to leave extra for her. And so they…

Words into action. Boaz didn’t just say positive and encouraging things to Ruth, he acted in them. Read Ruth 2:13-14. At mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here, that you may eat of the bread and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar.” So she sat beside the reapers; and he served her roasted grain, and she ate and was satisfied and had some left. Ruth 2:14 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/rut.2.14.NASB He told her to stay near, but then he followed that up with actions that demonstrated the care that he had been promising. He provided for her needs. He became the answer to the prayer he had just prayed. God…

Unworthy, meet completely worthy. Yesterday, we saw that Ruth didn’t feel worthy of the notice and attention of Boaz. Today we see how he responds. Read Ruth 2:11-12. May the Lord reward your work, and your wages be full from the Lord , the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge.” Ruth 2:12 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/rut.2.12.NASB Boaz made it very clear that his notice and attention came from him doing what God was doing. Worth and value come from the Lord. And the Lord is the one who rewards all that we do and don’t do in obedience to Him. We see that Boaz is not…

Unworthy. Ruth felt completely unworthy of all that Boaz had offered to her and she truly didn’t understand. Read Ruth 2:10. Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your sight that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” Ruth 2:10 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/rut.2.10.NASB She really doesn’t understand why Boaz has made the statements to her and promised to take care of her. She wants to know why because it just seems so odd that someone would, out of the blue, tell her these things. Do we feel worthy of all that God has promised…

Down to business. Boaz doesn’t waste any time. He has heard Ruth’s story and he determines to take steps to take care of her. Read Ruth 2:8-9. Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen carefully, my daughter. Do not go to glean in another field; furthermore, do not go on from this one, but stay here with my maids. Ruth 2:8 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/rut.2.8.NASB He gives her very specific directions. She is supposed to stay there. He has told her that she should not move on and he will ensure that she is taken care of. Still, Ruth had a choice. She didn’t have to stay. She didn’t have to follow his…

What is your reputation? How do people recognize you and what do they tell others about you. Ruth had a reputation already, and she had only been in the area a short time. Read Ruth 2:6-7. The servant in charge of the reapers replied, “She is the young Moabite woman who returned with Naomi from the land of Moab. Ruth 2:6 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/rut.2.6.NASB Boaz was asking about this new woman and his servant shares with him about Ruth. He knows her story and shares that. If others were to ask someone about us, what would they say? Would they know and understand who we are and what are about? What…

“Who is this?” Boaz owned the field and had hired the workers, but when he cameto see how things were going, he noticed something different. Read Ruth 2:4-5. Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?” Ruth 2:5 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/rut.2.5.NASB There was someone in the field that Boaz didn’t recognize. And he’s sure he would have remembered her. He pulls his servant aside and starts to question him. Do we notice when things are different from what we expect? Do we ask about them? There are times that we see or learn things that are a bit out of the…