The Old Testament includes many stories about God using great leaders like David and Moses. However, in the pages of Ruth, we read a story where God intervenes in the lives of two ordinary women. Throughout scripture, God used the lives of everyday people to achieve His extraordinary purposes, and Ruth is no exception.
In the book of Ruth, we read about Elimelech’s disobedience, which displayed his lack of trust in God. When things suddenly went wrong for him financially, he packed up his family and moved away from the land God had given him, which invited God’s discipline. Despite God’s directions, Moab became the family’s new home, and this move disregarded his will. The famine was God’s judgment on Israel and Bethlehem, which is ironic because Bethlehem means “house of bread.” Elimelech led his family poorly, showing a lack of faith and wisdom. They would suffer severely as Elimelech and his two sons died. However, God worked even in times of sorrow and worked to move Ruth and Naomi.
With Ruth and Naomi, we are reminded that God is not concerned only with people of power or status. They were women who had neither power nor position, and both were widows. Ruth, a Moabite, had to leave behind her entire life and adapt to a new culture, customs, religion, food, and lifestyle. She would face ethnic tensions and be labeled ‘Ruth the Moabite.’ Yet, even amid these challenges, God was silently moving. Circumstances were grim, and they had little hope for the future, but God used these events in the lives of Ruth and Naomi to pave the way for the Savior of humanity. Out of despair came the ultimate hope, a testament to their resilience and faith.
Life confronts us with daily problems, and we have various ways to handle them. We can face them and work through them, ignore them and pretend they are not there, or we can run (like Elimelech) and try to avoid them. With this move to Bethlehem, Ruth was willing to be uncomfortable and to honor her commitment. Ruth found an opportunity to trust the Lord in a time of trouble.
We tend to see God working in our victories, where we see His blessings and gifts as evidence of His love. But in the midst of our hard days, are we looking for His hand? In times of trouble, we need faith, wisdom, and the ability to see life through God’s perspective. We can do that by trusting He is sovereign and acting according to His Word. Instead of running from our problems when times are tough and days are difficult, we should run to our God. We have an opportunity to ask ourselves: ‘What does God’s Word say? What is God trying to teach me?’ God works beyond the victories, and His guidance in our troubles can bring us comfort and reassurance.
God’s promises are not dependent on our circumstances. Although we cannot always see what God is doing, we can trust that He is constantly at work for our good and His glory. We can trust that God works in the minor events in our lives, weaving together His purposes. Let us believe His promises and trust His plan, for it is a plan that can transform even the most dire situations into opportunities for His glory to shine through.
“There is no power in the universe that can stop God from fulfilling his excellent plans for you.” – John Piper
Debbie Swindell 