Lessons from Ruth

I'm reading in the Book of Ruth these days. It's a very small book, only four chapters long, about an obscure woman named Ruth. She wasn't a queen or a descendant of Abraham or anyone special...or so it seems.

Do you feel like that sometimes? No one special? I do. As the youngest of five children, I often felt unseen. I was shy and quiet in school, so no one paid much attention to me. I've outgrown much of that shyness, but I'm still a relatively quiet person. I'd rather let everyone else be the center of attention and stand back in the shadows.

Ruth's story is a story of hope for everyone, but it's especially hopeful for people like me, the shadow lurkers. Ruth was born in Moab. Her husband's family had come to Moab because there was famine in their home country. They were of the Hebrew, or Jewish, faith, but Ruth was not. After Ruth's husband, brother-in-law, and father-in-law all died, Ruth's mother-in-law, Naomi, decided to return to the land of her birth. Ruth insisted on going with her, leaving behind her own blood relatives. When they reached Bethlehem, Ruth worked hard to provide for her mother-in-law by picking up leftover wheat in a field being harvested. The owner of the field, Boaz, turned out to be a godly relative of Ruth's father-in-law, and he married Ruth. They had a son named Obed who had a son named Jesse who had a son named David who became King!

What if Ruth hadn't gone with Naomi--hadn't obeyed what her heart was telling her was right--and had instead stayed in her homeland? King David would have never been born!

God had plans for Ruth that she could have never dreamed possible. He saw her there in Moab and chose her, not a Hebrew woman, to be the great grandmother of King David. She is listed in Matthew 1 in the lineage of Jesus! We remember her today and tell her story because of her obedience, her faith even when she didn't know what was ahead of her.

Ruth's story tells us to never give up and always trust God's plan even when it seems too big, too scary, too unknown. He sees the whole picture in a way we can't and probably never will. We don't know if Ruth lived to see David on the throne, but her obedience made it possible.

Is God asking you to trust him today about something?

Ruth's advice would be simple: Do it! You won't ever regret it! Always remember that He is El Roi, the God who sees you, knows you, and knows the plans He has for you!

Have a fabulous day! And be sure to enter the drawing for FREE books! I'm giving away a whole bunch of books at the end of January. Some of mine, some by favorite authors, and some Chicken Soup for the Soul books that have my stories included in them. All you have to do is type your email address in the "sign up for my blog" box at the top right of this blog page. Easy peasy! Winners will be notified by email. (US residents only, please!)

Blessings,

~Michelle