Is There Proof?

Verse of the day: Ruth 3:10, Then he said, “Blessed are you of the LORD, my daughter! For you have shown more kindness at the end than at the beginning, in that you did not go after young men, whether poor or rich.

What is this “kindness” that Boaz referred to in his statement to Ruth? It seems that Boaz was much older than Ruth, and her refusal to seek a husband among the younger, and possibly better looking, men was a great show of kindness in Boaz’s estimation. She did not choose a future husband on the basis of whether he was rich or poor. She did not base her choice on superficial, lustful, desires. However, this was not the greatest kindness that Ruth had shown. It was something that was far greater. What makes her decision to follow Naomi’s advice to seek out Boaz as her kinsman redeemer so admirable? Well, first, she chose to stay and take care of her mother-in-law when she could have gone back to, and married a man of, her own country. At one point in refusing to leave Naomi, she said something very significant, in Ruth 1:16, “Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you; for wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.” She kept her promise to follow Naomi and stay with her. She was faithful to labor in order to provide for the two of them, as the Lord provided. She remained among Naomi’s people, the Israelites. However, the most significant promise she kept was that Naomi’s God became her God. This is where we can learn a great lesson from what Boaz said about Ruth. She put her own desires, and refused to make choices about her life and future based on what she might have thought was best. Instead, she chose the path of obedience to God’s law, His Word. In following Naomi’s advice, Ruth followed God’s law in seeking out a husband within the family of her deceased husband (Deuteronomy 25:5-10). Ruth’s declaration that Naomi’s God would be her God was backed up by her willingness to put her own wants and desires aside, and be obedient to what God commanded in His Word. How often do we say that we love God? How often do we prove it by our obedience to His Word? Jesus said, in John 14:15, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” Before we quickly jump to, “See! We have to keep God’s Old Testament Law!” Let me remind us that the commandments Jesus refers to are those which are greatest and encompass the whole Law. In Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus plainly said, “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” The Apostle Paul reiterated this in Galatians 5:14, “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” What Jesus said in John 14:15, about obeying His commandment we often interpret as a verse that is strictly about obedience. We completely miss the fact that the verse has a greater message than that. It is about our love for Jesus. To say we love Jesus is one thing. To show our love for Him by the way we obey His Word takes that love to a different level, because it then becomes a love that everyone can see. It becomes a love that becomes our testimony for Him. It becomes a love that is true love. God did not just say that He loves us. His love is agape love. It is a love of action (John 3:16). Therefore, if we truly love God, let it speak loudly by the action of our obedience. Ruth proved her love for Naomi, her people, and God Himself. God proved His love for us. Have we proved our love for Him?

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).