Faith’s great happenings!

The Book of Ruth—what a refreshing read! Exiting the Book of Judges, we read a story filled with kindness, faith, protection, and blessing. As broken as Israel had become, nestled in desperate times and national chaos, the Book of Ruth is a snapshot of faith’s great happenings!

The book opens with a famine. This famine is the judgment of God upon Israel for their idolatry (Deuteronomy 11:16-17). The book also begins with a terrible decision by a man named Elimelech. To escape the famine, he and his family leave Bethlehem in Judah for the country of Moab, a pagan people on the other side of the Jordan River. In Moab, Elimelech and his two sons die, leaving Naomi a widow with two daughters-in-law. This was a very unsafe place and a destitute situation for Naomi, so she decided to return to Bethlehem to find protection and provision. At the intersection of this decision, Ruth chooses to love Naomi’s God, the LORD God, and leave her pagan gods behind.

But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the LORD do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” (Ruth 1:16–17, ESV)

In the midst of some dark days in Israel’s history, here is a little pocket of faith shining out of the pages of the Bible with great intensity! Ruth’s faith, as a pagan foreigner in Israel’s eyes, is met by God’s kindness and reward. Ruth ‘happens’ to interact during harvest with a wealthy landowner who is a near relative of Naomi’s (Ruth 2:3). Ruth ‘happens’ to find plenty of barley to sustain her and Naomi (Ruth 2:15-16). Ruth ‘happens’ to see an unusual kindness from this man Boaz, and he protects her (Ruth 2:9 & Ruth 2:19). Ruth ‘happens’ to marry this man, and God opens her womb, and they have a son (Ruth 4:13). Ruth ‘happens’ to find herself great-grandmother to king David (Ruth 4:18-22)!

Happens? Yes! Faith is the root of great happenings! Because of faith, great things happen! Even amid God’s overall judgment upon Israel? Yes! To the casual observer, these happenings might look like happenstance or luck. But they are not; they are the blessing and reward of God.

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:6, ESV)

Here is what stood out to me this morning. Though the wicked may rage around us and iniquity may abound, our God takes a personal interest in us! He can and will bless our faith even in the darkest of times! Even then, things can still happen! It is not luck or happenstance but a great God rewarding that which pleases Him—faith!

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Thank you for joining with me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Ruth 1:1-4:22.

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