Ruth 2:4-7 – AMPC And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers, The Lord be with you! And they answered him, The Lord bless you! Then Boaz said to his servant who was set over the reapers, Whose maiden is this? And the servant set over the reapers answered, She is the Moabitish girl who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves. So she came and has continued from early morning until now, except when she rested a little in the house.

In the previous chapter, we introduced Boaz as the saviour who will change the lives of Ruth and Naomi. But before we get to that point where the lives of these two widows take a radical turn, there are some very interesting things that are going to happen. In the section of the Bible that we just read above we meet Boaz as he arrives in his property and meets his servants who are busy working in the field. This portion of the scripture is going to teach us some key lessons that will help us to achieve our goals in this new year 2020.

A new year always brings along hope for a better life, for more success, for happiness and greater wealth. As the year 2020 has just begun, people all around the world, people from all nations, tongues and beliefs are wishing each other good health, success at every level and all the good things that we can imagine. People have made or renewed some vows, new decisions have been taken and nobody wants to make the same mistakes as they did in the year 2019. The whole world wishes the best to itself but few people on the globe truly know the key for success and a happy life. In this portion of the Holy Bible where Ruth is at the centre, let us draw some key information that can enlighten our lives and channel us on the way of success.

The powerful and influential man called Boaz has been introduced to us at the beginning of the second chapter of the book of Ruth as a man of wealth. He has a large field and he employs workers that he must pay at the end of the day. His field is large enough, so that the poor and needy can also gather some grain behind the reapers and have enough to eat. From the way Boaz greets his workers as he arrives in the field, it is obvious that he is a God-fearing man. The Bible says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and through wisdom we acquire wealth (Proverbs 3:16, 22:4, 8:21) Deuteronomy 8:18 AMPC says: “But you shall [earnestly] remember the Lord your God, for it is He Who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.” And in Isaiah 48:17 we read: “Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way that you should go.” God is the Owner of all wealth and riches that we can imagine. He is also the Teacher by excellence who can help us to be successful in our businesses, in our careers and in our daily life when we come to Him for direction. Jesus wants us to seek the interests of God’s kingdom first, and He promised that lack will not be our plea if we do so (Matthew 6:24-34). Every good and perfect gift comes from God and his blessings add no sorrow to it (James 1:17; Proverbs 10:22). The story of king Salomon is a very good illustration of God blessing someone with power, wealth and influence just because serving and honouring God were his main concern (2 Chronicles 1:6-12). This is to tell us that if we follow the example of Boaz who walked in the fear and knowledge of God, the God who has not changed and who cannot lie will also bless our projects and efforts in 2020 as we place Him at the centre of our lives.

As soon as Boaz arrives in his field, he notices a woman who is different from all the other ones who are gathering some grain. Immediately he wants to know who she is and the servant in charge of the reapers informs him that “she is the Moabitish girl who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab”. Boaz has certainly heard about her before and great is his surprise to see her working in his field. The overseer of the reapers continues by telling Boaz that Ruth has been working the whole day and has rested just a little. In those days, the Moabites did not have a good reputation as we know already. By the time Ruth decided to start going out to gather some grain in the fields outside, many things has been said about her already and Boaz had heard it. On this particular day when he meets her working in his field, it is confirmed to him that this woman is truly a virtuous woman. Everything resembling the evil customs of Moab had completely disappeared from her way of living and only virtue, integrity, dignity, courage and faith could be seen through her. But not only that, it was also obvious that she is a hard-working person. The chief of the reapers had to notice her because she was not distracted in her work. She was focused. She did not stop her work to babble around with the other women that she met in the field. Her voice was hardly heard. She had her goal set and Naomi her mother-in-law was constantly in her mind. Ruth showed absolutely no sign of laziness and she was thinking about what she could do to permanently provide for Naomi and herself. Maybe she could start selling some of the grain she was going to gather in the fields. The following scripture verses can illustrate Ruth’s diligence in her work:

1 Thessalonians 4:10B-12 we read: “But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you, so that you will behave properly toward outsiders and not be in any need.”

Proverbs 10:4-5 Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth. He who gathers crops in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.

Proverbs 13:4 Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper.

God’s vision for our lives is that we will become better and better in every area as time passes by. Thus John tells us in 3 John 1 AMPC: “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in every way and [that your body] may keep well, even as [I know] your soul keeps well and prospers.” Ruth knew that she needed to be courageous, bold and hard-working to change her condition and the condition of her mother-in-law. She knew that she could not fold her hands and expect a change. She believed in the faithful God of Israel who is able to provide for our every need, but she also understood that she needed to take some steps of faith to change her destiny. From the very moment she had decided to follow Naomi to Bethlehem, she had dared a giant step of faith into the unknown and the future would prove that she had done the right thing. She had decided to try something new and do what nobody else would do, and that is another important key to success and victory.

To conclude this section of our study, we can say that our success in the year 2020 and in the years to come will need the following ingredients: faith in God, living a righteous life, obedience to God’s Word, faithfulness, hard work, diligence, perseverance, steadfastness, being focused, establishing a plan and following a vision or purpose that are led by God. And the list goes on… HAPPY NEW YEAR 2020! md