Feb 12, 2017
For three months in the spring, Ruth worked gleaning in the field of Boaz. As the harvest season closed, Naomi devised a daring plan to have Ruth meet with Boaz and ask him to be her redeemer. Knowing her difficult financial condition and possibly knowing the feelings Ruth and Boaz have for each other, Naomi sends her to the threshing floor. As men rarely talked to non-relative women alone in public or private, Naomi is taking a huge chance on her plan failing and Ruth being rejected. For the first time in a long time, Naomi is moving forward, trusting God. Pain of the past shouldn’t debilitate the future. Believing they have acted in integrity to honor the Lord, Naomi tests the Lord’s will and sends Ruth to the field (Ps. 37:4, 5; Prov. 16:3, 9). Planning is not a lack of faith but rather a belief that God will honor choices made based on the best information available. In the end, God’s sovereignty will rule history but believers are to plan ahead and see what doors of opportunity God opens. Believers and churches are to act in faith and have God-sized dreams! Acting without planning is foolish and planning without acting is worthless. When a believer has a direction from God, plan the work and work the plan! Plan to run with the wind and let God dictate the direction (Acts 8:29; 16:6; Rom. 1:13; James 4:15)!