Read

Ruth 4:13-22
1 Chronicles 2:9-55
1 Chronicles 4:1-23
1 Samuel 1:1-18

Think

Ruth 4:13-15, "So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son... ‘Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! He will renew your life and sustain you.'"

Difficult circumstances come upon us and shake our world. People come and go as we intersect their existence. But is there any rhyme or reason for the timing and happenstance of it all? Even though things may look bleak, and we feel stuck within our routines or struggles, there is hope. God provides; He uses the interweaving of lives and experiences for His glorious plan and purpose.

Ruth was surrounded with difficult circumstances of her own. She'd lost her husband, left behind all that was familiar, and was caring for her mother-in-law, Naomi. In biblical times, if a husband died, a woman had to fight to survive. It was almost impossible to live without a male guardian or husband. So, Ruth had to literally work for scraps just to have enough food. One of the few solutions was for a male relative of the husband to step into the gap the husband had left behind. As the kinsman-redeemer, his role was to deliver and rescue the family member in need.

Enter Boaz, a relative of Naomi, who qualified for the part. And raise the curtain on one of the greatest love stories of all time! Ruth and Boaz fell in love, and he took her to be his bride. As their kinsman-redeemer, Boaz delivered and rescued Ruth and Naomi and gave them hope. And, the son that he and Ruth had continued the lineage that eventually led to Christ – the ultimate Redeemer.

This story foreshadows Jesus as our Redeemer, who delivers and rescues us from sin. And like Ruth, the Church is His Bride - made up of people who have accepted His gift of grace. When we look back at how God has worked in our lives, we can see that His timing is perfect. We are a part of His majestic tapestry. And just like Ruth and Boaz, we'll live happily ever after face-to-face with Jesus in the great hereafter! And there's no better love story than that!

Pray

Lord, Thank You so much for being our Kinsman-Redeemer, giver of grace. We praise You for intersecting our lives and blessing our path with Your goodness. Amen.