2 Now there was a wealthy and influential man in Bethlehem named Boaz, who was a relative of Naomi’s husband, Elimelech.

² One day Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go out into the harvest fields to pick up the stalks of grain left behind by anyone who is kind enough to let me do it.”

Naomi replied, “All right, my daughter, go ahead.” ³ So Ruth went out to gather grain behind the harvesters. And as it happened, she found herself working in a field that belonged to Boaz, the relative of her father-in-law, Elimelech.

Ruth 2:1-3

Dear God, I wonder if I don’t need to spend some time with Ruth. I’ve spent a lot of time with Naomi, but I don’t know how much I’ve thought about Ruth.

I think what I like about Ruth is that there is no guile in her. She doesn’t think about manipulating or scheming. She just got up and worked with earnestness. She loved Naomi with earnestness. She didn’t sign up to return to Bethlehem with Naomi so that she could have any material gain. If anything she was setting herself up for an even more difficult life. But she loved her and wanted to help care for her. Then she got to Bethlehem and she had a job to do. So she got up and did it. Then when it came time later to approach Boaz, she doesn’t seem comfortable with Naomi’s plan (scheme?) but she goes along with it in the most humble way possible. She’s simply a good woman who does the best thing she knows to do in the moment without much regard for what the next moment will hold.

Father, help me to be like that. Help me to not let what I think the future will hold impact my decisions now. Help me to solve the problems that exist in front of me, not the problems I fear later. Help me to make the best decision you are guiding me to now without worrying about what it might cost me later. I think I’ll spend the next few days with Ruth. Teach me through this amazing example from thousands of years ago. Thank you that her life and the decisions she made literally led to the lineage of Jesus.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen