Faithful GodSample

The King Has Arrived

The last words in the story of Ruth are meant to remind us of the beginning. The genealogy of King David forms the final words of this tale. The line of this enduring kingship begins in the time when the judges ruled.

And the time of the judges, when “Israel had no king,” was the time when “everyone did what was right in their own eyes" (Judges 21:25).

It is impossible to miss the significance of this turn. Though things are falling apart in Israel, God is still at work. The author of the story deliberately, if subtly, turns the readers’ attention from what Israel was doing to what God was doing. And it reminds us that there is more to this life and our experience than we may be able to see in any snapshot of time.

Despite the faithlessness of Israel or the maneuvering and selfishness of any individuals, God is always progressing toward His ends. He works sometimes with human cooperation, and sometimes despite its absence, but always through fallen humans (as there is no other kind of human to work through).

Ruth’s story invites us to remember that there is a curtain we cannot see behind. It asks us not to attempt to see behind the veil, but to live our lives faithfully in front of it, while showing us that we can choose not to do so.

In our own lives, we are presented with choices that mirror those of all the characters in this familiar story. We are offered the opportunity to ask what kind of men we will be.

Will we be concerned only with ourselves, or will we look out for the good of others?

Will we care for our own interests and ignore the actions of others, or will we be willing to step into a situation and act when we can, all the while acknowledging that God is at work and may be doing things we cannot see?

In the worst of times, and sometimes in the worst of circumstances, God is still at work to redeem His Creation. It doesn’t always happen in the way or at the time that we would like. And sometimes, the veil seems thicker than others.

But that is not our concern. Our concern, as Gandalf would say, is to “decide what to do with the time that is given to us.”

Prayer: God, I confess that I am often confused by what may be happening behind the curtain of my life, where You are and what You are doing. But I do know that while I’m in front of the curtain, what I do matters. Help me to live faithfully in the knowledge I have, and not timidly in the uncertainty of life. Amen.

Reflection: What does it mean for you to recognize that God may be at work behind the curtain of your life? Does this make you want to live more intentionally or to throw up your hands in resignation? Why do you think that is?

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