Ruth 3: 7-10 And when Boaz had eaten and drunk and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then [Ruth] came softly and uncovered his feet and lay down. At midnight the man was startled, and he turned over, and behold, a woman lay at his feet! And he said, Who are you? And she answered, I am Ruth your maidservant. Spread your wing [of protection] over your maidservant, for you are a next of kin. And he said, Blessed be you of the Lord, my daughter. For you have made this last loving-kindness greater than the former, for you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich.

When Ruth arrived at the threshing floor that evening her heart was beating. How would Boaz react? And what if she just made herself ridiculous? She knew that she was the kind of woman that destiny had appointed for unusual things. Her mother-in-law had encouraged her to put on her best clothes, go to the threshing floor and lay at the feet of Boaz once he would be asleep. She had decided to trust and obey.

And she had been praying. “Lord God of Abraham, be with me like you have always been until now. I need you today more than ever before. The step that I am about to take is going to determine the rest of my life. I’ve been observing Boaz too and I must confess that I like him. I was so happy that day when Naomi told me that he is next to skin to her and that he has the right to redeem me. I hope he likes me. I hope he responds positively. Lord I trust you.” We don’t know exactly how much time had passed since Boaz and Ruth met for the first time. But surely enough they had had enough time to observe each other and something stronger than friendship had developed between them. As a young woman aspiring to marriage, she had the right to claim what belonged to her, and she had decided to do exactly that, regardless of what people would say.

That evening Boaz ate and drank and went to lie down at the end of a heap of grain. Ruth knew that she had to be very careful in her moves. She had to wait for the right moment to move and do exactly as her mother-in-law had advised. This was a delicate situation and she could not afford to react hastily nor could she afford to withdraw now. She had to fulfil the purpose for which she had come. Then the time came for her to act. She laid down at the feet of Boaz and waited until he would notice her presence. And it happened at midnight. Boaz perceived that there was somebody laying at his feet and his heart leaped in his chest. He discovered that it was Ruth the Moabite. She did not beat around the bush. She went ahead and asked her to be her covering and protection in the bonds of marriage because he was her closest parents who had the right to redeem her according to the Jewish custom. She said it straight: “I have realised that I need you in my life. Would you be my lord? Would you take me as your wife and allow me to fulfil my purpose as a woman? You are the only one in my sight who can do it. So, I humbly came tonight to lay myself at your feet and offer you my life.”

Boaz was impressed by the courage, humility and sound mind that Ruth was demonstrating once again. She was pouring her heart to him because she wanted to do the right thing. She could have offered herself to other men who were perhaps more handsome, or younger than Boaz. She could have reasoned and decided that she was not going to bow to a strange law. She could have attempted to find her happiness somewhere else with another man, but she decided to do the right thing in the sight of God, even if it seemed ridiculous at the first sight and this act just contributed in magnifying Boaz admiration for her.

As we have learned already in the previous chapters, Boaz is a type of Jesus-Christ. He is the only redeemer. He said it clearly and straight: “I am THE way, THE life and THE truth” (John 14:16). In other words, there is no other place where we can find true happiness if not in Jesus. There is no way we can have a fulfilled life if not in Jesus. He is the answer to everything we have ever needed. He is the answer to every question we might ever have. He is the only Saviour who is able to redeem us and give a meaning to our lives. People usually invite Him to be their Lord and Saviour in the midnight hour for their life when they can’t see their way through any more, when all hope seems to be gone.

Allow the Lord Jesus to come in your life today. Do not go around seeking for solutions where there are none. Jesus has the key to your destiny and He is the good Shepherd who will never lead you astray. Just like Boaz, Jesus is waiting for you to come to Him and surrender your life to Him. The Bible says: “Oh taste and see that the Lord is good.” (Psalms 34 :9) Have you tasted the goodness of the Lord? “Today if you hear His voice do not harden your heart like in the day of rebellion.” (Hebrews 3:7-8). Tomorrow is not a guaranty. The only moment that you can be sure of is now. Peter told Jesus: “Where can we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (John 6:68) Peter had acknowledged the fact that having Jesus as Master, Saviour, Lord, Shepherd, Redeemer and all the rest is having the assurance of eternal life. He is the only One who can redeem us because He is the only One who died for us out of love, we who used to be sinners. Our lives can be secured only in Jesus. When we trust Him completely, He holds our lives in His hand and upholds us in His everlasting love. We are no longer condemned when we come to Jesus. As you say yes to Jesus you are entering into a covenant of love with Him that will last for eternity and you will become a shining light in this world to bless many. Ruth decided to make the right choice. What will be your choice? (To be continued) md.