Bible Verse of the Day Wednesday November 2nd, 2022

Ruth 2:3 So she went out, entered a field and began to glean behind the harvesters. As it turned out, she was working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelek.

From the beginning, God has always provided for His most precious creation, humankind. He created a beautiful, abundant, and flourishing garden that provided for all the needs of Adam and Eve. He also placed water inside a rock so that His children wandering in the wilderness would have abundant life-giving water. He planted the "seed of the woman" promised in the Garden of Eden, the promised son of the line of Abraham that would save the world from their sins. God also protected His people by Initiating the "Law of Moses" that would guide and direct their lives in a direction that would lead them to the Promised Messiah. One of these Laws directly affected Ruth's life, the daughter-in-law of Naomi (Leviticus 19:9-10). This law directed the farmers not to pick up the gleaning of the fields but leave them for the poor and foreigners.

Naomi's husband, Elimelek, had died in Moab, the Pagan land where they had taken up residence during a famine in their homeland, Judah. Their two sons, Mahlon and Kilion, had married women from Moab, Ruth, and Orpah. Naomi's two sons died, leaving her and her two Daughters-in-law living in poverty in Moab due to a famine there. Naomi had decided to return to her homeland and suggested that the two women return to their families. Orpah did as Naomi said, but Ruth would not leave her mother-in-law; she said: "Where you go, I will go, and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God (Ruth 1:16). 

Now some might contend that it was a coincidence that Naomi had ended up in a foreign land and a coincidence that her sons married two Moab women. Likewise, it might seem to the world that it was a coincidence that Ruth came back to Bethlehem with Naomi and ended up gleaning the fields of a close relative of Naomi, Boaz. Furthermore, it was no coincidence that Ruth ended up marrying Boaz, becoming King David's great-grandmother, and becoming a matriarch in the Royal line of the promised Messiah.

The story of Ruth is an excellent example for all to follow. She turned her back on all the pagan ways of her homeland, Moab, and followed the one true God. She placed all her faith in Him and trusted Him to provide for her needs, amid all the struggles and hardships she faced in a new land away from all she had previously known. When we do the same as Ruth, turn our backs on the world's ways and place our faith and trust in God, He will not let us down. Through the indwelling of His Holy Spirit, He will lead, guide, and direct our every step. God rewards all of those that sincerely seek after Him. He did that for Ruth, and he has done that for untold millions of people. Furthermore, He will do that for you and I (Hebrews 11:6), when we surrender all of our being, heart, soul, body, mind, and spirit to Our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus.