The first half of Ruth 2 is beautiful, expressing two simultaneous truths: 1) God is completely sovereign over our lives, and yet 2) we are completely accountable before him. Nothing we do, or decide, or pursue will in any way shape or unravel the perfect purposes of God. Yet, God has given us means of grace by which we come to greater understanding of his ways, greater dependence on his strength, and greater joy in his service.
In short, God graciously and sovereignly acts in our lives by drawing us to himself — which drawing is evidenced in our free and joyful obedience to him in his Word. Grace in our lives is evidenced by fruitfulness in our lives.
We see this reality unfold in this passage in the form of its three main actors: Ruth, Boaz, and God.
1) Ruth:
Point to ponder: We must be faithful and diligent in the midst of uncertainty and difficulty.
Question to consider: If your future seems uncertain or even scary at the moment — what is the next, single step of obedience you can take by God’s grace?
2) Boaz:
Point to ponder: An accurate and practical measure of your relationship with God is how deeply your faith saturates your real life.
Question to consider: What are some ways you can see the perfect character of Christ reflected in the life of Boaz?
3) God:
Point to ponder: God is working for his people before we’re even born, and before we even know him.
Question to consider: God deals with us according to his grace and mercy.