At His Feet

Verse of the day: Ruth 3:4, Then it shall be, when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies; and you shall go in, uncover his feet, and lie down; and he will tell you what you should do.”

At first reading, this might seem like inappropriate behavior. However, we must go back to that time and remember that there are cultural norms that were understood in those days that we do not practice or understand today. In some cultures, even today, the touching of the feet is done as a sign of respect and to receive a blessing from the person whose feet we touch. It was commonly understood stood that this act of lying at someone’s feet was an act of humility and submission. A servant would lie at the master’s feet to receive further instruction. Does this remind us of another instance in God’s Word of such submission? Luke 10:38-40 tells us, “Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, ‘Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.’” Naomi, knowing that it would be Boaz’s responsibility to marry the widow of Elimelech, wisely advised her daughter-in-law Ruth to approach Boaz with humility, a man who was kind and respectable, trusting that Boaz would understand her actions toward him. We, as sinners, do not have the right to approach Jesus as if salvation is our right. It is an undeserved privilege, and one that cost Jesus His life. He willingly laid it down for us, and desires that we approach Him with humility, acknowledging and confessing that we are sinners and deserve condemnation, and with repentance humbly asking Him to save us. Naomi instructs Ruth to lie at Boaz’s feet and wait for further instruction from him. Like Ruth, and like Mary who sat at Jesus’ feet, the best place for us to be is at the feet of our Savior receiving further instruction on how to live a life that will bring Him the greatest honor. In the case of Mary, her sister Martha complained because Mary chose to be at Jesus’ feet, rather than be busy with her serving in the house. Jesus’ response to Martha is priceless. Luke 10:41-42 tells us, “And Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.’” Where do we go when we need instruction and direction for life? Do we run to self-help books? Do we run to our friends and acquaintances who will tell us what we want to hear? Do we go to the world who knows nothing about the things of God, or do we go and sit at the feet of our Savior? Is time spent in prayer, the reading and studying of God’s Word, a priority for us, or are we distracted by the many things that the devils use to keep us from sweet fellowship with Jesus? Is spending time with the Lord and receiving His guidance a priority or does God get our leftovers? There is nothing that compares to spending the kind of time with the Lord that enables us, through the Holy Spirit, to hear His voice as we read and meditate on His Word. When in prayer He pricks our heart and reminds us of who He is and what He has done for us, nothing else will satisfy our need for intimacy with Him. When He lights the path and gives us strength to endure, as He strengthens our faith and teaches us how to trust Him more and more, what can we compare to such a privilege? There is no better place, or better way, to spend time than at our Savior’s feet. What value does wasting time in front of a computer, on our phone, or in front of the television, have when we consider all that God has for us to do for His glory? How many hours have we wasted when we could have been growing closer to the One who gave it all for us? How much time have we wasted, and consequently missed out on opportunities for Him to lead us to someone who desperately needed Him? Maybe someone who has already perished without hearing from Him one more time? One hour spent at Jesus feet will produce more for the Kingdom of God than if we spent 23 hours doing what we thought was the best thing to do. We must slow down, be still, sit at the feet of our Lord, and receive the richness of the what He wants to share with us that will draw us even closer to Him and ultimately glorify Him as we strive to become doers of His Word (James 1:22-25).

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).