The work ahead.


Day 12

Ruth 2:1

Now Naomi had a relative of her husband's, a worthy man of the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz.

Foreshadowing. I’m sure you heard of it in high school English. It is a literary term that expresses something to come before it happens. A hint, perhaps, a subtle suggestion of what is to come, of what to expect in a novel or a story.

I wondered many times why the second chapter of Ruth starts by introducing us to Boaz. Just one isolated verse right there at the beginning. To some, it might seem like a distraction. We have been following Ruth and Naomi, their journey home,and  their relationship. Now, we are introduced to a character that we had not heard of before. A “by the way” so to speak. One verse, just one verse. And just like that, back to Ruth and Naomi.

As we keep reading, we will find out more about this man and his role in the story. He was a righteous man. The ESV version says “a worthy man”, others say “a mighty man”, “a man of wealth”. I am sure he was all of it. We also know he was a God-fearing man, a compassionate man. And he is placed there at the beginning of the chapter to give us a hint of what is to come. But for now, it seems like Naomi and Ruth have no clue. Although we read in retrospect and we know how the story ends, our friends do not.

How many times has God given us a hint of what is to come amid our trials and circumstances? How many times does God give us a foreshadowing of things to come? Better things to come? How many times have we ignored it, or we simply did not see it? We think of them as coincidences. But there are no coincidences with God. There is always a “by the way” with God. Naomi and Ruth only had their faith and the Word of  God. I am sure that later on, as He unpacked His purpose for their lives they understood. But for now, all they could do was trust. Trust that the One who brought them out of Moab and into the land of bread was able to redeem them.

We never really know what lies ahead. Only God knows our future. The good thing is that He is good and therefore our future cannot be anything other than “we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

#getittogethergirl, God knows your future. God is your future. Look to the foreshadowing found in His Word and move forward. He’s got your back.

Father, all I can say is that I trust you. Take me by the hand and lead me on Your ways. I know your love for me will not let me fall. I put all my hope in you, that you will be with me now and to the end of time. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

My reflections:

“Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:20

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