abandoned to Christ.

(thank you Meri for taking this beautiful picture for me to use today!)

"Then Boaz said to Ruth, 'Now, listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women. Let your eyes be on the field that they are reaping, and go after them. Have I not charged the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink what the young men have drawn.' Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, 'Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?' "
~ Ruth 2:8-10

The Lord recently brought me to this passage again. Yes, like many of us, I've read the book of Ruth about a million times. And a million times, the Lord opens my eyes to truth He desires to reveal to me as I come to feast at His table.

As I studied and meditated on what Boaz had done and what Ruth's response was, God asked me, "Would you, dear one, have responded the same way?" And I could honestly answer, with a resounding, "NO, I absolutely would have not. My response would've been: "Really?! Honestly?! WHOOPEEEE!!!! Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you Boaz! Thank you! How kind and gracious of you! I'm so excited I just can't believe your kindness to me! Praise the Lord God Almighty, He has seen my destitute state and has provided for me, just like my mother-in-law Naomi has told me! Oh, it's all true! WHOOPEEEE! Thank you, thank you!" And during all this, I would've been doing my "happy dance".

Then I was sobered with our Father's words to me, "I know daughter. That's why I asked you. Although you have much gratitude in your response, do you not see how self-centered that gratitude is? Instead of being humbled and soberly aware of your destitute and repulsive state, you were merely overjoyed with the gift, more than being humbled to be in the presence of the gift giver."

This is how I always respond when good things happen to me. I'm overjoyed for myself and the blessings so graciously bestowed upon me by my Father, who Is in Heaven. Basically I'm always cheering "Yay me! Look what I have! Look what God has done for me!" Rather than being like Ruth, who soberly saw who she was, a foreigner, filthy, and repulsive in the sight of Boaz. She was not an Israelite, no longer a relative, therefore unworthy to even be gleaning from his field, let alone be before his presence. And how did Ruth respond to the gracious way Boaz treated her? She responded with a godly attitude - one of humility - one like Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ruth's humility so moved the heart of God, that through Boaz was accepted as a family member as Boaz became her kinsman-redeemer, though she was not qualified to have one. Because of her humble gratitude towards God, He chose to make her part of His Family through Boaz and she became the great grandmother of King David; from who's family lineage was born, our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. (Ruth 4:13 & 17-22, Matthew 1:1-6)

Ruth didn't do a "Yay me!" dance and glory in the gift, but she fell down, bowed and was humbled by the gift giver, understanding that she was so unworthy of such favor.

Ahhh, the power of humility. The sobriety of Christ's love and His sacrifice, His kindness, His grace He bestowed upon us - foreigners, living against God, not part of the Family, but yet, regarded as such and adopted into a holy priesthood, made presentable, holy and pure before the presence of the LORD God Almighty, through Jesus Christ, our Kinsman-Redeemer.

Ruth was the a Proverbs 31 woman before any woman ever knew to be one! I wonder if King Lemuel's mother heard about Ruth and based her acrostic poem of the kind of woman Lemuel should seek for a wife. Hmmmm...I wonder. I guess we'll all find out when we get Home!

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