I’ve been thinking about Ruth and Orpah a lot. God has stirred in me some thoughts about a controversial topic of which I’d rather not think about or write about, and truly I’m not ready to write about it. But as He continues to stir these thoughts, I began to think about Ruth more, and her decision to leave Moab. She had to accept that His ways were higher and better than the ways of life in Moab, even if His ways did not seem to jive with what she felt was true. I wondered what drew her into this truth. In what ways did she sense His goodness and love for her? You see Orpah thought life was good enough in Moab so she didn’t leave and presumably she missed a blessing. We don’t know what ultimately happened to her or if she remarried, but she missed an opportunity for a greater relationship with Yahweh. What was different about Ruth? Or was it simply her accepting an invitation? a softness of heart? A hunger for something different?
That aside, today we are looking at Ruth 2:1-3, which says,
“Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side, from the clan of Elimelech, a man of standing, whose name was Boaz. And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.” Naomi said to her, “Go ahead, my daughter.” So she went out and began to glean in the fields behind the harvesters. As it turned out, she found herself working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech.”
Here we see more evidence of God’s behind the scenes work. What are the odds that Ruth would find herself gleaning in a field owned by a relative of Elimelech and therefore, Naomi? Was it mere chance that she picked that particular field? Or was her footsteps directed in some way by a loving God?
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