God of the Ordinary: A Study in Ruthနမူနာ

EXTENDING GOD’S KINDNESS

“She told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said, ‘The man’s name with whom I worked today is Boaz.’ And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, ‘May he be blessed by the Lord, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!’” RUTH 2:19-20 (ESV)

Today, you can make the invisible God visible.

When Ruth set out for the fields to glean, she never could have known just how wonderful God’s provision would be. She had already taken refuge in God, but through Boaz, she discovered that the Lord was able to do far more abundantly than all that she could have asked or thought.

As God established His covenant with Israel, He revealed His own kindness as one who “executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing” (Deuteronomy 10:18). He gave His law to His people not to make them legalists but to have them display His character and bring glory to His name through their obedience. Part of that law created a framework for those in difficult circumstances. As Boaz obeyed the law’s instruction by extending his invitation to Ruth to come and eat (Ruth 2:14), he did so graciously. He had received God’s kindness, and he realized that he could, in turn, share it with others. He put literal hands and feet to obeying God’s commands—and Ruth further discovered God’s heart as a result. Further, Boaz’s graciousness was paired with generosity: he not only invited Ruth to feast but also offered her a seat among his harvesters. He encouraged her to eat her fill. He allowed her to take from the best sheaves of grain, not just the leftovers. Despite her social and racial differences, he didn’t alienate or hold her at arm’s length. Quite the reverse: Boaz went beyond what God’s law had laid down.

This is but a glimpse of God's welcome to us through Christ as He invites us to His heavenly table. And this is the offer that all of us as Christians should embody. If somebody—be they widowed, poor, hurting, or bitter—enters a church gathering or a Christian home, there ought to be a sense of faithful acceptance because God’s people embody His covenant care.

By the end of the day, Ruth was overwhelmed with the favor Boaz kept extending. When she returned home with her plentiful provision, Naomi rejoiced over the generosity, describing it with the word checed—the continual loving-kindness and merciful provision of God. Boaz’s checed caused Ruth’s and Naomi’s hearts to worship the God who abounds in checed (Exodus 34:6-7).

Boaz’s kindness overflowed from the gracious, generous, and continual kindness he had received from God. As fellow recipients of the Lord’s care, they too may come to know Him when we extend such kindness to others. The invisible God becomes visible to every generation through the compassion of His people. To whom will you extend gracious, generous, unexpected kindness today?

• How is God calling me to think differently?
• How is God reordering my heart’s affections—what I love?
• What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Further Reading: PSALM 41:1