“The Lord bless him!” Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. “He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead.” She added, “That man is our close relative; he is one of our guardian-redeemers.” Then Ruth the Moabite said, “He even said to me, ‘Stay with my workers until they finish harvesting all my grain.’ ” Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, “It will be good for you, my daughter, to go with the women who work for him, because in someone else’s field you might be harmed.” So Ruth stayed close to the women of Boaz to glean until the barley and wheat harvests were finished. And she lived with her mother-in-law.

Provision and protection are important things for a person, especially a young woman in a foreign land. We see God provided for Ruth, and Boaz answered the call. I think Boaz knew that life could be rough for poor women, so he reached out and helped in this case. Notice, Boaz did not give her free food forever, but a way to earn her food along with his other workers. God placed a love in his heart for Ruth. I think this passage shares with us two important components of how God provides for us: 1) We have to be willing to work hard and place ourselves in a position to receive his blessing. We need to do this with a humble and thankful heart, as exemplified by Ruth. 2) Someone needs to respond to God’s call to help out those who are following him and in need. We need to help as many as we can. But with extra focus, those who show a heart after God’s own heart. This is modeled by Boaz.

So today: Am I willing to receive help from God through others around me? Will I work hard to better my situation? Or, if I am in the position of Boaz, will I come to the aid of God’s servants in need?

Lord, thank you for this story which encourages me to receive help well and also to give it where I can. May your Word continue to enrich me in every way today.