Ruth: A New Beginning – Part 2

Yesterday’s blog reminded us of the story of Ruth and how she came to leave her country, her family and her religion. It took guts and courage to head off to a country and a people she didn’t know; all the while being fully aware that she could never go back.

That being said, the point of today’s blog is on what we can learn from Ruth.

• First: She left the past behind her and she didn’t have an exit plan. She was fully committed. Ruth had given this some thought. She knew her options in Moab weren’t good. She saw goodness in Naomi and she saw hope in Naomi’s God. Our take-aways from this?
  • Compare the past with the future and if you decide to make a change, make it! Make it completely. Don’t look back. Tell somebody you trust what you’re doing and why. Then just go for it.
• Second: Ruth listened to the advice of the person she had trusted her life to, Naomi. Find yourself a “Naomi” when you are making a change in location, job, relationships, etc. Share your reasons and your expectations. Then along the way go to them for support, guidance and input. And most important of all…LISTEN to them. When they give you a suggestion that will take you to the next level do it. Women err more often on the side of caution than they err on the side of recklessness. I’m not advocating that you be reckless, but I am suggesting that doing something new or different is not an act of recklessness. It’s more likely a step of faith which will take you closer to what you are hoping to achieve.
• Third: Ruth wasn’t afraid to ask for what she needed. First, she asked the foreman in the field if she could pick up the grain that was left on the field after the harvesters had gone through it. That was risky but it turned out that it allowed her to be seen by the right person. Then, later in the story she lies down at the feet of Boaz, which was an offer of marriage. (Yes, that seems odd to us today, but it was appropriate in the Jewish community given her situation.)  Think of it as making sure your supervisor at work sees your work before you make an appointment to ask for a raise.
  • So, what we learn from Ruth in this situation is obvious: Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want or need. You aren’t being pushy. You’re being assertive and yes, there is a difference.
• Fourth: Ruth had also made a commitment to Naomi’s God when she left Moab. That commitment allowed her to follow a path guided by Naomi but was actually inspired by God. God honored Ruth’s commitment which not only provided her security and a place to live as the wife of Boaz but also allowed Ruth to have a son. That son’s name was Obed and he fathered Jesse who fathered David, the King and Jesus was born in the line of David. By following God’s direction for her life, Ruth became a key participant in the lineage of Jesus.
  • What do we learn from Ruth in this? We learn that when we follow God’s leadership we will experience His blessings. We also learn that God’s direction for us can come from many sources.
  • For example, I’d been wanting to write a book or something for a long time and just couldn’t quite figure out what I wanted to do or how to do it. So, in a conversation early last spring with a “mentor” he said, “Why don’t you write a blog?” So, I did!
• And that’s when this website was born!