This past Sunday I preached part one of a two-part message from Ruth 2. A great passage with the main point revealing that we can trust God with our lives because of who he is. What an important principle to embrace and live by! This is in fact what faith is all about. Faith is not about knowing who God is, or about him giving you a better life in this world. Faith is about trusting who God is and believing that he will continue forever being faithful to all that he is.
God is faithful. He is so faithful that your life is safe in his hands. It is safe, not from physical danger, but from eternal harm. He calls his presence a refuge, a safe sanctuary, where all who are “under his wing” are cared for and protected from his wrath (that he was faithful to pour out on his own Son for his people, and faithful to execute in finality one day for all who reject him).
A Biblical Example
In Ruth, God worked in his timing to care for ordinary women, Ruth and Naomi. There was nothing special about these women that caused God to act on their behalf. He is faithful to keep his covenant promises. Naomi had complained about her predicament. And while Ruth gave one of the best confessions in the Old Testament (Ruth 1:16-17), she did not earn his kindness. God showed favor to her.
While the women endured hardship, pain even, they were not alone. And better yet, God was leading them through it to the praise of his glory. In verse 20, Naomi gives God the credit for the astounding turn of events in their lives.
In his perfect timing God provided food for the women. He guided Ruth to the field of Boaz, a relative. He showed kindness through Boaz’s generosity and telling Ruth to stay on his field. This also protected the women from potential assault and maligning. Under God’s care the women were given hope in their desperation. And this sets up what God will then do in chapters 3 and 4, that go way beyond daily provision and accomplishes God’s next step to provide the Redeemer for his people.
This Is Bigger than Bread
God gave the women more than bread. He gave Ruth and Naomi assurance of who he is. He lives up to his word. He is a faithful god who keeps his promises.
Ruth and Naomi didn’t see this coming. They had spent 10 years together in a foreign land scrounging for survival. They did not know what was ahead. But God planned their steps by bringing them back to Bethlehem and to Boaz’s field.
The book of Ruth is a great reminder to us of God’s loving care toward his people. God is immutable, meaning he does not change. He is the same God who sovereignly cared for Ruth and Naomi. And he is the same today.
You and I can trust God. His words act like anchors in the soul. They are unshakable truth that nothing in this world can take away or destroy. This is essentially what Jesus himself says in Matthew 10:28-33.
“28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.”
God will always do what he says he will do. We have to trust him, even if we don’t see the end result. The truth of it is he has told us what the outcome will ultimately be. He will forever care for all who trust him. Life changes, but God doesn’t. Trust him.