Love is Provided for by God

Scripture: Ruth 2:8-9

Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen carefully, my daughter. Do not go to glean in another field; furthermore, do not go on from this one, but stay here with my maids.  “Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Indeed, I have commanded the servants not to touch you. When you are thirsty, go to the water jars and drink from what the servants draw.”

Insights:  Boaz responds to Ruth in the earthly equivalent to how God ministers to us.  In fact, Boaz is an Old Testament picture of Jesus and the way He ultimately redeems us from our sin.  In today’s verses we see Boaz providing for Ruth through the permission to glean from his fields and his willingness to let her drink from his servants water jars.  We know God’s heart is to be our Jehovah Jireh, which means the Lord God our provider.  The story in which God is given this title is found in Genesis chapter twenty-two.  God has asked Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac and as he is about to when God stops him.  God then provides him a ram that has gotten caught in the thicket.  This theme of God’s provision is traced all the way back to the Garden with the fall of Adam and Eve and continues on all the way into the book of Revelation with God’s provision of the Wedding Feast.  At this point in our story of Ruth we see Boaz telling her to go to no other fields to glean, but to always return to his.  Boaz is giving this instruction for provision and protection.  What a beautiful picture of the way God treats us.  Beloved, God is still in the provision business.  He wants us to call out to Him and make our requests known so that He can sweep in and be our great provider.  One of our problems is we try to be prideful and self-sufficient.  We need to not be self-sufficient, but dependent on the God who owns the entire universe.  It is my prayer you will turn to Him and let Him be your provider.

Questions:

1.  In what ways has God provided for you in the pass?

2.  What need are you presently looking to the Lord to fulfill?

Prayer: Father, thank You for always being my provider.  Your are always on time and I say thank You.  Amen.