A God Who Cared

04.05.12

Ruth 2.11,12 11 Boaz replied to her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband has been fully reported to me, and how you left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and came to a people that you did not previously know. 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.”

In Matthew 6, Jesus said, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. “So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. (Vv. 1-4 NASB)

From what we read in the story, Ruth seemed to only notice Naomi. The sole focus of Ruth’s existence was to take care of Naomi and help her. Ruth seemed perfectly content to put all of her wishes and dreams aside so long as Naomi was taken care of.

I realize that times were different back then than they are from now. I realize there were cultural norms that differed from ours. But, Ruth’s example is one that endures: she loved Naomi and felt a huge obligation to care for her mother-in-law despite the fact that her own husband had died, and there was really no apparent reason for any obligation other than love. Ruth loved Naomi. Perhaps Naomi met a need in Ruth that Ruth’s own mom hadn’t…

And Ruth told Naomi, “Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the LORD do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me.” (Ruth 1.16-17 NASB) Naomi heard those words, and so did God.

God saw Ruth’s life even though, I suspect, Ruth didn’t see God (or at least understand who He was). But God saw her life and her attitude and her willingness; and God rewarded that. And God heard her words, “Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.” God gives grace to those who accept Him – and Ruth whether she realized it or not: He did just that.

Ruth was no different than the rest of us, she was a sinner; but for some reason God arranged that Naomi would be part of her life and Naomi made such an impact on Ruth that even when life took a really weird turn, Ruth would rather go with Naomi and take life as it came from there, than go back to her own people and what she saw they had. Naomi, to Ruth, was a gift from God.

There are people that God places in our lives that have an impact on us. Some have the impact of: I want to be just like them: may their people be my people and their God my God. God sees that, and I think, rewards that. Ruth didn’t follow Naomi to score brownie point; Ruth followed Naomi because Naomi had something that Ruth really wanted: devotion to a God who cared even in the worst of times. God can make the worst of times the best of times if we’ll but listen and follow…