A Time To Act and A Time To Wait - July 25

Read Ruth 3:16-18

And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “How did you fare, my daughter.” Then she told her all that the man had done for her, saying, “These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said to me, ‘You must not go back empty-handed to your mother-in-law.” She replied, “Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out, for the man will not rest but will settle the matter today.”

Reflect

Do you struggle with knowing when to take action and when to wait? How patient of a waiter are you?

I tend to be a person of action. I don’t like to wait and see how things pan out. I want to come up with a plan to fix the problem. For example, when someone I love is feeling sick. I know that I should probably just wait to see if it goes away on its own in a day or two. But my gut instinct is to rush them to the doctor. I want to feel like I am actively doing something about the situation. Can you relate?

I can only imagine how Ruth must have felt waiting to find out if Boaz would be her redeemer or if it would be some other man. To recap, Naomi had sent Ruth to the threshing floor to ask Boaz to be her kinsman-redeemer. Essentially, Ruth was proposing that Boaz marry her in order to carry on her deceased husband’s family line and keep his land in the family.

Yesterday, we read that Boaz agreed to take care of her. But there was one issue. There was a man who was a closer relative to Naomi than Boaz. Technically, he had first dibs to be the redeemer. Boaz was a righteous man so he wanted to do things the right way. He told Ruth that he’d ask the other man if he wanted to be the redeemer. If not, Boaz promised that he would redeem her himself. He told Ruth to go back to sleep and sent her home early in the morning. But he didn’t send her home empty-handed. Once again, he blessed her with a generous gift of grain to take home to Naomi.

That is where we pick up today. Naomi was anxious to hear how things had gone for Ruth at the threshing floor. She may have had her own struggle with waiting after she sent Ruth to the threshing floor. She knew there was a lot at stake here. I wonder if she tossed and turned all night wondering how things were going at the threshing floor!

But Naomi seemed to know that Boaz was a good and godly man. When Ruth came home with her apron overflowing with barley, she saw that Boaz had blessed them generously again. She was confident that Boaz wouldn’t keep them waiting for long but that he would act quickly to resolve the matter. So, she encouraged Ruth to sit tight.

There was a time to act and a time to wait. Notice that Ruth didn’t hesitate to obey Naomi and present herself before Boaz with a proposal. She acted promptly in obedience. But once she had done her job, there was nothing left for her to do but wait. It was Boaz’s turn to act and as we’ll see tomorrow, Naomi was right. He didn’t leave them waiting for long but took care of the matter that very day.

I know it isn’t easy to be in a season of waiting. I have been there many times in my life! But it helps to know the character of the One that I am waiting on. Naomi knew they could trust Boaz to work out the details. How much more can we trust the Lord to work out the details of our situations! May we be quick to act in obedience and patient when it’s time to wait. We can trust that God is still working and He has a good reason for making us wait. “Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!” (Psalm 27:14).

Respond

Lord, I confess that I often struggle with nervous energy in seasons of waiting. My impulse is to act fast! But my soul waits for You, Lord. My hope is in Your Word (Psalm 130:5). I know that You are always working out Your plan for my good and Your glory. Help me to trust You in the waiting. Amen.

Reveal

How can patiently waiting in quietness and trust during tough seasons reveal Your faith and trust in God to those around you?