Hi, and welcome to the Willow Ridge Church weekly podcast.
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Thanks for listening.
Did anybody else during that video have the realization that you're glad we didn't ask
your kids to come and get behind the camera for us to ask questions, right?
Because I feel okay with my kids now, but I know there was definitely a point in time
where like, yeah, that ain't happening, right?
But I love that.
I do want to say to you guys, good morning and happy Mother's Day.
Today is a day as a culture that we set aside to celebrate our moms and to value them and
to love them and show our support for them.
And so we just want to say as behalf of the church, to all the moms who are out there today,
happy Mother's Day, that we love you and what you do is so valuable and important to us.
I know today we have some moms who aren't with us who have gone to be with their moms at other
churches.
That's where my wife and kids are today.
They're going to celebrate and go to church with Aaron's mom and go to lunch with them,
and I'll meet up with them later on today.
But we also have some moms and maybe even some daughters and some grandkids who were here
with us this morning to be with their mom and to celebrate them.
And so we're so glad that you were here and that you were here with us.
Well, one of our themes in Ruth is talking about the providence of God and talking about
the fact that there are things in this world that don't happen by chance, but even though
they may hurt, even though they may be painful, there's these moments and times that God gives
us to walk through so that he can grow us and develop us and use us for his name and for
his glory.
And I say all of that before we even get into our passage of scripture this morning, because
growing up in the Bradbury house, Mother's Day was always a bittersweet day for us.
And I know if you're here this morning, Mother's Day may be a bittersweet day for you as well.
I want to share my story and maybe it can resonate with some of you in your story of what God's
doing, but I grew up and I've got a mom and a dad still married together, faithfully loving each
other well, who raised us and loved us.
But my mom went through something in her childhood that most but some do walk through.
My mom, my mom's mother, my grandmother passed away when my mom was 15 years old.
My mom came home from a school day at, sorry, at Butler High School to find her mom dead on
the floor from suffering from a massive heart attack.
And so that was our reality growing up.
We grew up in a more traditional church and I don't know, maybe some of you, this kind of
speaks your love language if you're, to the memory back of a traditional church.
But on Mother's Day, all the moms were corsages and they had the flowers and different color
flowers stood for different colored things.
And my mom always wore the color to acknowledge that her mom passed on and was with the Lord.
And so Mother's Day was always a bittersweet day for us.
And then Aaron and I walked through our journey of infertility and miscarriage.
And I knew every Mother's Day as we would be there at church and that my wife would struggle because of her desire for a child and her inability to get pregnant and then her desire for a child and recognizing the miscarriage and the pain that she had gone through with that.
And so today, as we walk through that in God's providence and God's sovereignty, I want to stand here today as we wish all these moms a happy Mother's Day while also acknowledging that it's a tough day for some people.
It's a tough day for some ladies who are in here who are struggling with infertility, who are struggling with miscarriages.
And it's a struggle for some of you today because your mom's not here beside you.
The way she passed away this year or years ago, today can be the reminder of that.
And so today as we celebrate moms, right, today we also want to acknowledge all of those who today, today's a little bit harder day than normal.
And we can do both because our God is good.
And let's go to Him in prayer.
Lord, we come to you this morning and we thank you for the wonderful blessing of our moms.
We thank you for our moms that loved us, showed us your grace and love, taught us the truth of your scripture.
Took us to ball games and dance recitals and showed us what it meant to work hard and to support and to love and to care.
Moms who became leaders in the home and out of the home.
Moms who helped us with our homework.
Lord, we thank you for such the blessing that they are.
Lord, we also lift up all of those today who woke up this morning and today's a difficult day.
For the lady sitting in the room who's wrestling with the concerns that she has and the struggle that she has over infertility.
Mourning the loss of a child and miscarriage.
Lord, we pray for your peace and your grace to fall over them, Lord.
And may it feel fresh to them this morning.
Lord, we pray for all of those of us in here who have lost our mother.
Maybe even some of those in here, Lord, who have lost a child.
And today is the reminder of that.
Lord, could we be reminded of your sovereignty and your providence in our life.
To know that, Lord, even in the midst of our suffering, in the midst of our pain, that you haven't left us.
That you haven't forsaken us.
Lord, and that we can trust what your word says.
That you're working all things for your good, for your glory, for your name, and for the betterment in our lives.
And to grow us closer to you.
And Jesus, we love you.
We praise you.
And it's your name we pray.
Amen.
If you've got your Bibles with you today, if you'd open up to Ruth chapter 2.
And as you turn there, I want to share a piece of information with you about something that's going to be coming up.
And this is scary.
Like, we're not even in the summer yet, and we're talking about the fall.
But this fall, we're planning on doing the 1st of September.
So I guess maybe that's technically the end of summer.
The first weekend of September.
September 2nd through the 5th.
That's a holiday weekend.
We're going to be doing a family mission trip to Black Mountain Children's Home in North Carolina.
And what we're going to do to maybe answer some questions and to walk through this.
And to see which of our families are going to be interested in going and being a part of that.
We're going to hold an informational meeting on Sunday, June the 5th.
Immediately following our worship service over in Building 2 in Room 200.
And so the Lord kind of gave us this vision, this picture for this opportunity for families to come together.
To go and serve in an area, especially in our youth ministry, that's become special to a lot of our students.
And so we've been sitting down and racking our brains about what we could do.
And God has put this together for us.
Now, one of the things that if you're a family and you're thinking about this, that you'd like to be a part of this,
we are going to limit it to the kids who, as of next school year, will be in 5K and older.
All right?
And we will head off and go up there and have a wonderful time of serving together, of worshiping together, of fellowshipping together.
And if you've been anywhere with us, you know at some point in time we're going to have a whole lot of fun together.
And so if you're interested in that, being a part of that with your family, please come to that meeting on June the 5th, immediately following the worship service.
Now, family, that can be grandparents with their kids.
We're looking all different ways.
So don't think that your family doesn't meet the qualifications.
Instead, we'd love for you to come and join us and to be a part of that.
I know Black Mountain is a place that my family has been, I believe, the last three years.
And it's been a wonderful time of what God has done in that.
And so we look forward to seeing what the Lord is going to do with all of our families.
And so we would love to have you join us on that trip.
Showing up to the meeting doesn't guarantee that you're saying and that you're committing to be a part of that.
It's just an opportunity for you and I to sit down and have a discussion, for me to share the vision of the trip, and for you to ask questions if you have them.
And so we would love for you to join us and to be a part of that meeting on Sunday, June the 5th.
So we're going to continue on in our study in Ruth.
And we're going to work all the way through Ruth chapter 2 this morning.
And we're going to talk about some areas that I know have hit home with a lot of people in our congregation and have also hit home in my life as well.
And so let's jump in.
We're just going to read the first verse here this morning.
And it says,
Now Naomi had a relative of her husband's, a worthy man of the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz.
And so we've been on a long journey already in chapter 1 to get here.
And we're going to recap a little bit of chapter 1 to remind us, but this theme that is spilled over from chapter 1 into chapter 2 is this concept of depression.
We meet Naomi, and Naomi is suffering from depression.
And when we look and see in just a moment some of the details of her life, it's understandable why she is going through what she is going through.
And what we have seen from chapter 1 and coming into chapter 2 is what I would like to talk about, the darkness of depression.
And I don't know about you, but I know in my life, I know a lot of men and women and children and families that we minister to.
Depression is a real condition.
It's a real battle.
It's something that a lot of men, women, and children are facing and they're going through.
I know for me in my life, and I've shared this on stage, I've shared this in small groups, I've shared this in one-on-one conversation.
Depression is something that I personally have gone through, that I've sought counseling through, that I've faced at multiple different points and times in my life.
And by the grace of God, God's given me the strength through His power to walk through those seasons.
And God's provided me with wonderful people like my wife and some of you to help walk through that.
And so as I'm reading through a lot of these things that we see in the life of Naomi, there's a lot of, I get that, I get that, I get that, I get that.
And what we see very beginning of this chapter is the darkness of depression in the life of Naomi.
All right, Naomi's got it pretty bad.
All right?
Just a quick little recap, if you weren't with us last week.
She and her family 10 years ago had to leave their home due to famine.
Well, if you've ever been through a famine, I've never been through a famine.
But as I shared last week, I went through a hostage shortage about three weeks ago, right?
And it was tough, right?
But a famine.
Her husband would die, and both of her sons would die as well.
And there's lots of cultural ramifications to the fact that Naomi and her daughter-in-laws at the time are facing because the men of the house are dead.
But even in our culture of what we see, even if you feel that as a lady that you're strong, that you're independent, we can acknowledge that this 10-year battle of what they've gone through is a very difficult battle.
And it's affected Naomi all throughout who she is.
In fact, at the end of chapter 1, we read that as Naomi and her one daughter-in-law, Ruth, that has stuck with her as they return back to Naomi's hometown, when Naomi sees people, she tells,
Don't call me Naomi anymore, because Naomi meant pleasantness.
Instead, call me Mara, which means bitterness.
So then every part of who she is, she's acknowledging what I feel in my being right now is not joy, is not peace, is not the grace of God, all of these things that we'll see throughout the course of this story that Naomi knows.
But what she feels, what she feels is surrounding her, what she feels is there, is bitterness.
Now, if you've ever walked through a season or a time of depression in your life, and I can speak to this in my own life, you understand what it feels like to be consumed by bitterness.
That it's all that you know, that it's all that you feel, that it's all that you see, and it continually surrounds you.
And you acknowledge that I am no longer the person of who I am before, and this is now the individual who I am now.
I described it to someone the other day as we were talking about it.
And I said, you know, in my own personal journey as I've walked through this, depression causes you to see things through a lens.
A lens of darkness.
A lens that other people can kind of talk you into that it's not there, but for you, it's an ever-real reality that's constantly before you.
And depression, through this lens, affects everything.
Everything.
Even the parts of your life that don't have anything to do with your root cause of depression, it affects it all.
When you're battling through depression, it affects every relationship.
Every relationship you have.
The relationships that are toxic, it affects.
The relationships that are beneficial, it affects.
The relationships for people that want to pour into you and love you, it affects.
It affects it all.
It affects both work, home, and social life.
While in our minds, in different ways, we can separate many of them into the different compartments of how we face in everyday life.
When you're going through a season, when you're going through a battle with depression,
what you will notice is that it affects your work life, it affects your home life, it affects your social life.
There's not a hat that you can put on that causes you to step out of one area,
oh, and now I'm in this area, and so I'm good.
It affects it all.
And depression affects you physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally.
It will break you down physically.
It will make you physically feel sick, even if there's nothing to physically feel sick over.
It is mentally, and it affects you mentally.
It causes you not to see things clearly, respond to things clearly.
It plays mind games with you and literally adjusts and alters the way that you think and the way that you experience things.
It affects you spiritually.
Years ago, I heard somebody say, you just need to cry out to the Lord.
And I was walking through a matter of depression, and I remember thinking, I know that, but I just don't want to.
I don't want to.
I know who God is.
I know that he saved me.
I know that I'm called by him, and I know that I love him.
But I just don't want to.
It begins to affect you.
It affects you emotionally.
The things that bring you joy don't bring you joy.
The things that bring you happiness don't bring you happiness.
The things that bring you peace don't bring you peace.
And there's a constant war that rages within you because you know all the things that you know.
You know the reality of all that is there, but yet the lens of depression just causes you to see things differently.
And this is what we're going to do.
And this is why it's important that we read the first verse and pause.
Because this is what depression has done to her.
Number one, it's caused Naomi, in the midst of all she's going through, to miss the true reality of the situation.
If you remember back last week in chapter one, when Naomi hears that the famine has been lifted in her land and that she will now leave the land of Moab and return to her land and to Bethlehem, right?
Because the famine has been lifted there.
She pleads for her daughter-in-laws not to come with her.
And that's not out of poor, pitiful me.
It's actually one that's filled with grace in her heart because she doesn't want them to walk through what she's going to have to walk through and return with her.
Because in her mind, there's no hope.
If you go with me, there's no hope.
But if you stay here, there's hope.
And for Naomi, if she returns with them, then there's nothing that is waiting for them that is going to bring them out because they are just in as bad of situation as she is.
Because for them, there's no one to marry.
And so Naomi says, stay behind.
Don't come with me.
But what we see is verse one.
Naomi says that there's no redeemer for you.
She talks to them about, like, I don't have any other boys for you to marry, right?
My sons have died.
Your husbands have died.
If there was to be a baby in my womb, right, do you want to wait for him to grow up to be a man?
Because in their culture, what they needed was a man to step in to marry them.
And she said, that is not for you.
Because her depression has caused her to miss the reality of the situation.
Back at verse one.
Now, Naomi had a relative of her husband's, a man worthy of the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz.
You see, there was.
There was Boaz, a real person in the family who couldn't marry them.
And so the reality was, yes, but Naomi can't see it because of the darkness that's there.
And also, what it creates, what depression, what the darkness of depression can create, is to miss the faith that you have.
Naomi is a woman of God.
She's a woman of faith.
And we might not see an overwhelming strength from this in her life right now.
But she's a woman of faith, nevertheless.
She would have known of God's faithfulness.
She would experience them herself.
But this is what depression creates.
This is what depression pulls down.
Now, what depression does to us is it lowers in a person who's going through this, right?
It lowers our sense of self-worth.
For a person who's walking through a battle of depression, they view themselves as less than.
And then what that begins to create in there is it also lowers the way that you believe of how God thinks about you.
And so it takes all that we know, all that we believe, all of these things that we can cling to truth,
and it twists a lie into them that alters every single part of your life.
And it's why verse 1 is so significant for us to understand about the battle that Naomi's going through.
Now, Naomi had a relative of her husband's, a worthy man of the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz.
Let's keep reading verse 2.
And Ruth, the Moabite, said to Naomi,
Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain,
after him in whose eyes I shall find favor.
And she said to her, Go, my daughter.
So she set out and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers.
And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz,
who was the clan of Elimelech.
And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and he said to the reapers,
The Lord be with you.
And they answered, The Lord bless you.
And then Boaz said to this young man who was in charge of the reapers,
Whose young woman is this?
And the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered,
She is the young Moabite woman who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab.
And she said, Please let me glean and gather among the sheaths after the reapers.
So she came, and as she has continued from early morning until now,
except for a short rest.
So let me explain this, gleaning in the field.
And this is going to be very important in chapter 2.
When a field is harvested, right, there's always crops that are left behind.
Whether it's because they're missed or whether it's because they're dropped,
there's always crops that are left behind.
Now, years ago before I was here, I served on staff at a church, Cedar Creek Church,
and I was one of their campus pastors.
And the campus that I first served at was right on Highway 1 in between Minetta, right?
And if you're good Aiken County people, you know where Minetta is, right?
And so in between Minetta and Batesburg, and that's where our church was, right?
We were in the suburbs of both of those booming metropolis towns, right?
We were there.
And if you know that stretch of road, you know that it is filled on both sides with peaches.
And I love peaches.
And my grandmother said to me one day, she said,
Bo, as I looked out of my office window, right across there was a field of peaches.
And she asked me, of peach trees, and she asked me, she said,
do you ever just walk over there and grab a peach and eat it?
And I said, no.
And she said, why not?
And I said, that's illegal.
I can't do that.
And my grandmother, who grew up at a different point in time, looked at me and said,
well, I don't understand that.
And I said, well, I don't like it, but that's still the truth.
I can't do that.
But it never failed.
We would watch and see out there how many peaches would fall on the ground.
And we couldn't go over there and take them because they had fallen.
We'd also see after the workers would come over and take the peaches off the tree,
you'd still see there's some peaches on the tree.
And we couldn't do it.
We couldn't go over there and get the peaches, right?
But during this time, it was common that when there was crops that were missed,
crops that were dropped, crops that were left behind,
God commanded in his people to take care of the widows and the orphans and the poor.
And so a common practice that they had was after the reapers had left the field,
the widows, the orphans, and the poor would come and they would collect those,
the crops that had fallen, the crops that were left.
In fact, in Leviticus 19, God instructs his people to only harvest the vineyards once,
to not harvest them a second time,
and instead to allow the widows, the orphans, and the poor to come and follow them the second time
to pick the grapes.
And so that's what Ruth sets out to do.
Now think about this.
Ruth and Naomi are basically in the same situation.
In Ruth's covenant commitment to Naomi,
she says that she's going to go where she's going to go,
that she's not going to leave her or forsake her,
that she's going to stay with her,
that she's going to cling to her is what the Bible says.
But then also Ruth takes it a step farther and says,
where you die, I will die.
And so we see this commitment that's there.
We see this bond that's there.
And so here you've got Naomi who's struggling in darkness,
but we're going to see Ruth walking in light.
And so also this morning I want to talk about the light of faithfulness
and what we see in Ruth's life.
And what this can mean.
You know, we see the fruit of the light of faithfulness in the life of Ruth
in several ways.
The first way is that Ruth thought of others.
Ruth thought of others.
Naomi is depressed and defeated.
And if you've ever been there,
you know how hard it is to put one foot in front of the other.
You know how hard it can be to get out of bed.
You know how hard it can be to do the things that you need to do
on a day in and day out basis.
And that's where Naomi is.
And what I love about Ruth
is who Ruth is
is not a person that wants to kick her or force her.
She's not the person that wants to yell at her
because of where she's at.
Ruth says, well then I'll go.
I'll provide.
And she goes.
So she thought of others.
A characteristic of Ruth that we're reminded about in the light of faithfulness
is that Ruth chose humility over entitlement.
Ruth, in the verse that we see here,
it says that she prayed that she would be able to glean.
So she sought the Lord in that.
She doesn't presume the right
even though this was custom.
And instead she asked for permission
of what she could do.
She doesn't even show up with an attitude of
what can you do for me?
But instead her attitude is
what can I do for myself
and what can I do for others?
And this is what we see in the difference
as she's walking in the light of faithfulness.
It's keeping the mindset off of her.
Praying to the Lord
that the Lord would guide her.
Not presuming the right
but asking for favor
and to care for others.
And in this we see that Ruth showed perseverance.
When the report comes back to Boaz
of who she is
basically what the workers say
is she's been doing this all day.
All day.
She's been out here
gleaning in the fields.
Right?
And then when we'll see
just in a little bit in verse 17
it says that
at the end of the day
when she was done doing all of the gleaning
all of the picking
all of the harvesting
that was left for her to be able to do
that she went through the process
of cleaning and processing the grain.
That we see this huge perseverance in her life.
But I think most importantly
what we see
is Ruth's faith
in God's providence.
Look back at verses 2 and 3.
And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi
let me go to the field
and glean among the ears of grain
after him
in whose sight
I shall find favor.
And she said to her
go my daughter.
So she set out
and went
and gleaned in the field
after the reapers
and she happened
to come to the part
of the field
belonging to Boaz
who was of the clan
of Elimelech.
Ruth didn't know
who Boaz was
and she ended up
in his field.
Proverbs 16.9
tells us
that a man
plans
a man's mind
plans his ways
but the Lord
directs his steps.
And thinking through
in our journeys
of life
of where we find ourself
and where we go.
The truth of scripture
the truth of what we
see here
in the life of Ruth
is that
as we are going about
that we can trust
and know
of what we are doing
that as our mind
plans our ways
the Lord
directs our steps
in this.
This isn't chance
this isn't luck
it's the providence
of God
in the life of Ruth
that what she's
going through
what she's facing
what she's faced
is there for a purpose
and for a reason
and all throughout this
we're going to see
the nuggets
of this wonderful truth
until it comes together
beautifully
for us
and for all of humanity
in Ruth chapter 4
of what is happening
and what is taking place
in this
but that we can know
and that we can trust
that what
the mess you're going through
the battle that you're facing
the darkness
that seems to be there
the rut
that you find yourself in
you're not there
by chance
you're there
by the providence of God
for God to use it
to grow you
to grow others
look at verse 8
then Boaz said to Ruth
now listen my daughter
do not
do not go to glean
in another field
or leave this one
but keep close
to my young women
let your eyes
be on the field
that they are reaping
and go after them
I have not charged
the young men
not to touch you
and when you are thirsty
when you are thirsty
go to the vessels
and drink
what the young men
have drawn
and then she fell
on her face
bowing to the ground
and said to him
why have I found
favor in your eyes
that you should
take notice of me
since I am a foreigner
but Boaz answered her
all that you have done
for your mother-in-law
since the death
of your husband
has been fully told to me
and how you left
your father
and mother
and your native land
and came to a people
that you did not know before
in verse 12
the Lord repay you
for what you have done
and a full reward
be given to you
by the Lord
for the God of Israel
under whose wings
you have come
to take refuge
and then she said
I found favor
in your eyes
my Lord has
comforted me
and spoken kindly
to your servant
though I am not
one of your servants
and at mealtime
Boaz said to her
come here
and eat some bread
and dip your morsel
in the wine
so she sat beside
the reapers
and he passed
to her roasted grain
and she ate
until she was satisfied
and she had
some left over
and when she rose
to glean
Boaz instructed
his young men
saying let her glean
even among the sheaths
and do not reproach her
and also pull out
some from the bundles
for her
and leave it
for her to glean
and do not rebuke her
and so she gleaned
in the field
until that evening
then she beat out
what she had gleaned
it was about
an ephah
of barley
and so we meet
Boaz here
Boaz the relative
of Elimelech
that qualifies
as this kinsman
redeemer
who can come
and marry
Ruth
to continue on
and support her
we see here
that he's wealthy
but most importantly
we see
that he is godly
and Boaz
approaches Ruth
he shows her
kindness
he shows her
protection
he shows her
favor
and in verse 10
Ruth asks him
a question
she says to him
what have I done
to deserve
this kindness
this is a very
important question
Ruth says to him
what have I done
of who am I
a foreigner
who is now
in your homeland
what have I done
to experience
this overwhelming
kindness
that you have
given to me
and Boaz
answers
and he says
all that you have done
for your mother-in-law
all that you've sacrificed
he tells her
I've heard
and I know
about this
but then he says
this
he says
it's the Lord
who's repaying you
it's the Lord
who's blessing you
look at verse 12
he says
the Lord repay you
for what you have done
and a full reward
be given to you
by the Lord
the God of Israel
and then I
underline this
if you're an underliner
in your Bible
under whose wings
you have come
to take refuge
he says
there's something more
than what you've done
for your mother-in-law
there's something more
than you getting up
and to go work
into the fields
there's something more
than all of these actions
can show
in their isolated incident
there's something more
and the something more
is the God of Israel
who you have proclaimed
as your God
under whose wings
you have come
to take refuge
you see for Ruth
she needed refuge
in this life
if she was going
to survive
she needed to find
protection
she needed to find
comfort
she needed to find
peace
and she didn't seek
that in Naomi
she didn't seek
that in her family
she didn't seek
that in her husband
and in no
earthly pursue
does she seek
that
nor could it be found
but what Boaz
says here
is she sought
her refuge
in God
through her faith
our refuge
in the Lord
our refuge
in Him
our refuge
in God
it's the command
of Christ
for our lives
of where we
find our security
of where we
find our peace
where we
find our hope
Ruth finds
her joy
in God
not in her
circumstances
youth finds
her protection
in God
not in her
circumstances
Ruth finds
her favor
in God
and not
in her
circumstances
or not
from another
Ruth
not at one
point in time
in this story
as we've
gone through
does she do
what is logical
not one time
she should have
stayed
she should have
got up
that morning
and thought
for herself
she should have
gone out
based off of
culture and
tradition
and tried to
go out there
where she
can set
herself
to find
a husband
but she
does none
of those
things
and instead
what she
does
is what
is godly
instead
she does
what is
right
and she
seeks
her refuge
in him
and in him
alone
that god
will provide
that god
will care
that god
will lead
and it's
what god
does
and it's
not found
in her
works
you see
it's found
in her
faith
and this
is going
to affect
Naomi
we'll close
and look
at verse
18
and she
took it
up and
went into
the city
and her
mother-in-law
saw what
she had
gleaned
and she
also brought
out and
gave her
what food
she had
left over
after being
satisfied
so let's
kind of
pause here
for just
a second
then we'll
finish reading
so Ruth
who they're
hoping to
get just
enough to
get them
through the
day
may be
blessed
enough to
get enough
to go
through the
week
Ruth
comes back
with more
than enough
Ruth
comes back
with an
abundance
Ruth
comes back
of what
she has
taken
but also
what's been
given to
her
and she
comes back
with a
meal that's
been prepared
enough of what
scripture tells us
that it filled
Ruth
and enough
for Naomi
so you can
imagine
right
Naomi sees
this coming
down the
street
and this
picture of
blessing
that's
approaching
her
verse 19
and her
mother-in-law
said to
her
where did
you glean
today
and where
have you
worked
blessed
be the
man
who took
notice
of you
so she
told her
mother-in-law
with whom
she had
worked
and said
the man's
name
with whom
I work
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
and Naomi
said to
her
the man
is a
close
relative
of ours
one of
our
redeemers
now if
I'm Ruth
in this
moment
I'm like
oh time
out
right
let's
get
something
straight
verse
21
and Ruth
the Moabite
said
besides
he said
to me
you shall
keep
close
by my
young
men
until
they
have
finished
all
my
harvest
and Naomi
said to
Ruth
her
daughter-in-law
it is
good my
daughter
that you
go out
with his
young women
lest in
another field
you'll be
assaulted
so she
kept
close to
the young
women
of Boaz
gleaning
until the
end of
barley
and wheat
harvest
and she
lived
with her
mother-in-law
and so
what we
see in
this
is this
hope
that
begins
to
creep
in
into
the
world
and
into
the
life
of
Naomi
and the
instrument
that God
is using
is Ruth
those whose
lives should be
at the bottom
as well
and I love
Ruth's
response
Ruth
doesn't
walk into
the house
and say
get over
yourself
Ruth
doesn't
walk into
the house
and say
what's wrong
with you
even when
Naomi
confesses
oh yeah
that's
Boaz
right
I know
I told
you
there's
no one
but yep
today
guess what
there is
someone
he's
Boaz
he's
godly
he's
wealthy
go hang
out
there
right
never
at one
point
in time
is the
heart
of Ruth
filled
with the
bitterness
to come
back
and instead
there was
the hope
and the
joy
and look
at the
contagiousness
of the
faith
look back
at verse
20
Naomi's
response
may he
be blessed
by the
Lord
and then
this is
big
whose
kindness
has not
forsaken
the
living
or the
dead
pause
here for
just a
second
just in
that
moment
Naomi's
saying
through
the
famine
and
through
the
death
of her
husband
and
the
death
of her
sons
not
only
has
the
Lord
been
good
to
Ruth
not
only
has
the
Lord
been
good
to
Naomi
but
the
Lord's
been
good
to
them
all
because
it's
who
he
is
this
man
is a
close
relative
of
ours
one
of
our
redeemers
the
180
done
here
by
Naomi
the
reminder
of
hope
is
what
Ruth
gives
her
you know
they're
on the
same
journey
they're
on the
same
process
of
life
and
Ruth
doesn't
come to
her
with a
quick
fix
with a
lesson
to be
learned
or a
five step
process
of how
to get
better
she
loves
her
she
cares
for
her
she
doesn't
abandon
her
and
she
reminds
her
of
the
faithfulness
of
God
I don't
know
maybe
you feel
like
you're
Naomi
right
now
maybe
right
now
you're
married
to
someone
who
feels
like
Naomi
you say
I've
done
it
all
what
more
is
there
to
do
be
Ruth
be
Ruth
go
through
it
with
them
and
remind
them
of
the
hope
and
the
faithfulness
of
the
Lord
would
you
pray
with
me
Lord
I
come
to
you
this
morning
and
I
thank
you
for
the
beauty
of
this
story
that
was
not
created
by
man
for
literature
sake
but a
story
of real
people
who
walked
on this
earth
and
who
went
through
the
battles
that
so
many
of
us
if
not
all
of
us
will
face
Lord
I
lift
up
the
people
in
this
room
who
are
in
a
season
of
life
that
can
identify
with
Naomi
they
know
all
the
truth
of
your
word
they
know
your
power
they
know
your
faithfulness
they
know
your
promises
but
yet
Lord
they
find
themselves
living
in
a
darkness
of
depression
but
they
feel
like
they
can't
escape
Lord
we
know
that
you
haven't
left
them
Lord
remind
them
even
in the
midst
of the
difficulty
of
yesterday
today
and
what
tomorrow
may
hold
you
are
in
control
and
that
you
have
a
plan
what
I
pray
for
the
rest
of
us
in
here
people
who
by our
word
say
that
we
are
men
and
women
of
faith
Lord
could
we
look
at
the
faith
of
Ruth
and
be
that
bit
of
encouragement
that
reminder
that
example
of
your
goodness
and
your
kindness
and
mercy
Lord
I
thank you
for
the
peace
of
what
we
see
in
this
in
the
reminder
of
the
gospel
Lord
that
Ruth
found
her
favor
in
you
not
because
of
a
commitment
that
she
made
not
because
of
a
sacrifice
that
she
made
but
because
Lord
she
found
her
refuge
under
your
wings
Lord
I
pray
this
morning
for
whatever
battles
we
may
face
we
cling
to
you
and
you
alone
Jesus
Christ
as
our
Savior
thanks
again for
listening to
the
Willow Ridge
Church
weekly
podcast
we hope
that you
enjoyed
listening to
this week's
message
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