http://www.sayadi-al-nas.ae صيادي الناس
Index
 Print  printer

Message from the Monthly Flyer March 2020

RUTH – Part 11 – I know everything about you –

Ruth 2:11‭-‬13 AMP Boaz answered her, “I have been made fully aware of everything that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people that you did not know before. May the Lord repay you for your kindness, and may your reward be full from the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.” Then she said, “Let me find favour in your sight, my Lord, for you have comforted me and have spoken kindly to your maidservant, though I am not as one of your maidservants.”‬

On the day that Boaz met with Ruth in his field, he was delighted because many things had been said in town about her, and now he had the opportunity to express his thoughts and tell her what he knew. In the portion of Scripture above, Boaz did not hide his admiration for this unique woman called Ruth, and in this chapter, we are going to allow Boaz to go deeper and express his thoughts towards Ruth.

heart and cross John 15:12-13My dear Ruth, I am very happy to meet you in my field today. I know more about you than you think. I've heard so many good things about you. I've heard only good reports about you. You are just an exceptional woman, one in a billion. Your husband died and you could have started a new life by getting married again and having children. But you decided to practically give your life up for your mother-in-law. You gave up your privilege, your security, and the comfort you could find among your own people to become a servant unto Naomi. Even though you were also grieved after the loss of your husband you decided to wipe away the tears of your mother-in-law with your kindness, your love and your tender care. You were willing to be a helper, a support and a servant for your mother-in-law. You did not have to do it. But that is how God laid it in your heart and you followed the call. What demonstration of love! What beautiful expression of unselfishness. What a high character and pure heart. What demonstration of courage for you to be willing to start a brand-new life in a perfectly strange land, with strange customs and other beliefs! Everybody in my town knows that your people worship idols and sacrifice their children to the false god Moloch. But you were bold enough to come and settle down with us. It could cost you your life. Some people in this town could hate you and reject you because our law forbids that we should fellowship with idol worshippers. But you succeeded in winning the hearts of the Israelites through your genuine faith and commitment not only to Naomi but to the God we serve. You have helped us to change our mentality about strangers in general. You are indeed a rare virtuous woman, a most precious pearl among the precious pearls. You are a model of integrity and dignity. Women from all generations will for ever be inspired by your high character, devotion and love. Your husband did not live long enough to drink from the well of your pure love. But you decided to lavish it on his mother and on God's chosen people. You decided to find another receptacle to pour out your pure love. You fell in love with Machlon and his God. And since he did not live long enough to see you demonstrate your genuine faith in and love for God the creator of all things, you decided not to back up. You decided not to lament upon yourself. You decided not to be frustrated. You accepted to take up the challenge. You accepted to try that God that neither your fathers nor your forefathers have served. I've heard so much praise about you and I've been doing some thinking. Since you arrived in Bethlehem, you have become the main topic in people’s conversations because nobody has ever done what you did. Now that I meet you in my field, I want to tell you that you will by no means miss your blessing. Because you demonstrated such a high character in self-denial, compassion, love and devotion, the God that you decided to surrender to will definitely pour out such a blessing in your life that you will have no room to contain. When your husband died you were suddenly deprived of care and protection. But you decided to trust the Almighty God for care and protection. You lacked protection but you offered yourself as a protector for an old widow. You needed a husband to care for you but you decided to give up your primary need for love and care to care for your mother-in-law. In a world were the relationships between mothers-in-laws and daughters-in-law are often on fire, you decided to make the difference by allowing your light to shine brighter than the sun. You are indeed a woman of great impact. So, if I am treating you with so much favour in my field it is not only because I want to obey the law, it is mostly because you deserve it. You have sown a seed of honour and praise in the life of Naomi and you cannot reap less. And I know that you have not demonstrated your kindness to Naomi alone, but all those who come near you can profit from and have a taste of your sweet heart. As I know the God that I serve, He will open the windows of heaven and bless you mightily in due time. Even though you did not have much to offer in terms of material wealth, you have the character and the stamina that can touch God's heart in such a way that He will bless you with wealth beyond measure. Since you were willing to make the Lord God of Israel your refuge, He will make sure that your cup overflows with blessings and favour in everything you do. Ruth you are indeed a blessed woman.

When Ruth answered to Boaz, she did not have much to say. She just wanted him to continue to grant her the favour to come and work in his field without restrictions. Ruth was not carried away by the praises of Boaz. She remained down to earth. She was telling him: "I just want to be a good daughter-in-law for Naomi because I found no better way to express my gratitude and love for Adonai. I promised to care for her and this is what I will do. I promised to add value in her life by being there for her, and that is all I want to do. I don't want her to suffer or be worried as long as I am with her. I just want to be available and sow love everywhere I go. So please, just allow me to continue coming here to work with your servants, even though I am not an Israelite. I am not asking for more. I am not even expecting God to bless me in a special way. All I want is to let my light shine around me and be a blessing. I am the humble servant of the Lord, let Him do with me as He pleases.” Ruth had found the meaning of her life when she decided to consecrate herself to taking care of Naomi. Even though some voices were trying to discourage her from time to time and make her feel like she had made the biggest mistake of her life, she kept trusting and believing. She remained faithful to her promise to always be there for Naomi. Secretly she had been questioning the customs of her land with the idol worship and the practices that were attached to it. When she opened her heart to know the God of Israel, she knew that this was the true worship that her heart had always been longing for. It had not been easy to disconnect herself from her people and their customs but the more she persevered and remained steadfast, the more she came closer to the biggest surprise that God had in store for her, even though she did not know it yet. That day, Boaz blessed her with these words: "May the Lord repay you for your kindness, and may your reward be full from the Lord" And that is exactly what God was going to do in the life of this former idol worshiper.

Boaz told Ruth that he had heard everything she had done for her mother-in-law. He was aware of her story because he had heard it from somebody. The God of heaven and earth does not need anybody to tell Him about us. He knows everything that concerns you and I. He knows when we sit down and when we rise up. Even before we express a thought, He knows about it. There is nothing we can hide from Him. There is no place we can hide from His presence. Just like the psalmist David says in Psalm 139: 1-10, God is everywhere and sees everything. He sees all the sacrifices that we are willing to go through because we love Him. He sees the time we spend in comforting someone who is in despair. He is in the secret place of our prayer when we pour out our hearts before Him. He sees what others around us do not see and He understands our thoughts, our motives and our feelings. He is a good God. He is a just God and He promises that He will not forget the labour of love that we perform in His name, as we can read in Hebrew 6:10 AMP “For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown for His name in ministering to the needs of the saints (God’s people) as you do.” Our actions and work are all registered in heaven, and if our work is motivated by God’s love, in due time we will reap the fruits of our labour. In Colossians 3:23-24 we read: “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.” The Lord Jesus says in John 15: 12-13 “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” It pleases and honours our heavenly Father when His divine love motivates our decisions and actions. The life of Ruth is an excellent demonstration of this principle and as her story goes on, we will see how God honored her in return. md

http://www.sayadi-al-nas.com
صيادي الناس

arrow left previous message next message arrow right