Christmas With Great Grandma Ruthნიმუში

At this point in the Hallmark movie, we'd be watching a short montage of Boaz and Ruth going on silly, romantic, little excursions. You can imagine the scene unfolding here in scripture: Ruth returns to her mother-in-law with her arms full of grain she had gleaned from Boaz' fields.

Startled by the impressive amount of grain Ruth gathered, Naomi asks, "Where in the world did you get all that?"

Ruth responds nonchalantly, "Oh, I just met some guy named Boaz. He let me collect from his fields."

"Just some guy ? Oh, sweetie... Boaz is not just some guy. He's the best bachelor in all of Bethlehem, baby! He's our kinsmen redeemer!"

A kinsmen (or guardian) redeemer was a safeguard established by God in the Old Testament law. It was a law that ensured that the Israelite people would be provided for by their relatives if they found themselves in poverty. Ruth and Naomi, two widows in an ancient culture where men were the primary financial providers, were certainly impoverished. And it just so happens that Ruth stumbles into the field and the favor of the very person who was meant to take care of her and Naomi. You can call it a coincidence. But again, if we believe that God is sovereign, we have to at least admit that God is intentionally allowing this coincidence, if not orchestrating from start to finish. This story gives us little glimpses of God's complete control over all situations in our lives and the way he weaves every moment together in a meaningful way.

Reflection Prompt:

• How have you seen the sovereignty, or complete control, of God at work in your life? What situations from the past do you now see purpose or meaning in that you didn't previously?