THE REWARDS OF FAITH!

 

Friday, June 14, 2024

 

THE REWARDS OF FAITH!

 

Ruth 2:10-12

10 Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?

11 And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore.

12 The Lord  recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord  God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.

 

          Ruth’s past was tragic! She, being a Moabitess, married a Jewish man who died leaving her in widowhood. The same circumstance gripped her sister-in-law and her mother-in-law. Both decided to return home, which forced Ruth to make a life changing decision. Should she return to her former life in Moab or follow her mother-in-law to Israel? Her choice made all the difference.

 

          Many of us have tragedy and pain in our past. Often the events of life present us with life-changing choices. It is at these times we must avoid the temptation to sink into self-pity. Like Ruth, we must choose the path of trust and place ourselves under the wings of God. The choice seems easy when we read the story because we already know the outcome, but it is not so easy when the outcome is uncertain. Faith requires commitment.

 

          The long journey to Bethlehem with Naomi was filled with danger and uncertainty but Bethlehem was filled with wonderful “coincidences” that made Ruth the great-grandmother of the King!

 

As the hymn writer put it:

 

Well of water ever springing,

Bread of life so rich and free,

Untold wealth that never faileth,

My Redeemer is to me.

 

Hallelujah! I have found Him

Whom my soul so long has craved!

Jesus satisfies my longings,

Through His blood I now am saved.

(Clara T. Williams)

 

Dear Lord, who catches our tears in your bottle, recompense us who have fled for refuge under your wings. AMEN