Today's Journey
Who’s Holding All the Cards?
Jan.08,2013
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http://getmorestrength.org
“Now Naomi had a relative on her husband's side, from the clan of Elimelech, a man of standing, whose name was Boaz.” Ruth 2:1
To borrow a poker phrase, some people seem to hold all the cards. They are dealt a winning hand while the rest of us do the best with what few resources we may have. And with a “winner takes all” frame of mind, many of these high-profile, prosperous people manipulate and maneuver their wealth and power to pursue their own interests and advance their own cause. We all know the type.
In the story of Ruth, Boaz holds all
the cards. He enters the scene as a man of great wealth and power. Yet I
am struck by several aspects of his life that set him apart from the
typical guy who holds all the cards.
I love the fact that he
willingly aligns his resources with God’s heart for the poor and needy.
God outlined in Levitical law that those who didn’t have the resources
to survive could be “gleaners”—gathering grain that intentionally was
left at the edge of the fields during harvest time. Boaz lived in a time
when everyone did what was right in their own eyes. After a devastating
famine, he could easily have ignored God’s heart for the poor in order
to secure an abundant harvest for himself. But unlike other wealthy
landowners, he still welcomed gleaners in his field. It was a tangible
display of God’s love for the needy.
God also provided ways in
which foreigners could be welcomed in Israel. Again, Boaz aligned
himself with God’s heart—even for a Moabite from enemy territory. He
could have cast Ruth aside when he learned she was not a Jew. Instead,
he opened his heart to her. Sometimes we don’t want other “kinds” of
people to move into our neighborhood, but God is actually delighted when
they do. It’s an opportunity for us to do what Boaz did—open our hearts
to “different” people who could use a tangible expression of God’s love
and grace in their lives.
Not only did Boaz use his wealth for
the benefit of those in need and welcome a foreigner to his field, he
also desired to see God’s blessing poured out on her (Ruth 2:12) and then proceeded to be the instrument of God’s blessing in her life (Ruth 2:14). He became the answer to her prayers.
Boaz
was also abundantly generous in his care for Ruth. Once again he put
his treasures where God’s heart is. It is the character of God to be a
generous God “able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think” (Eph. 3:20).
So when was the last time you planned to cooperate with God and be the answer to someone’s prayers? You may think, Easy for Boaz—he had all the cards!
But we all have some cards. Whether big or small, there’s always
something we can do to bring the heart of God to a needy life that
crosses our path.
Besides, God is the One who really
holds all the cards. He shares His resources with us not for us to
consume them all ourselves, but to share them for His glory and the good
of others. So life is not about holding all the cards. From God’s point
of view, it’s what you do with your cards. Use them as God would to
bless others who cross your path.
YOUR JOURNEY…
- Take some time to read the story of Ruth and try to put yourself in Boaz’s shoes. How would you have responded to Ruth’s need?
- Is there a “Ruth” in your world right now? If so, what “cards” are you holding that can be used to help?
- Examine your attitude toward the poor and the needy. Does it reflect God’s heart? How about your attitude toward foreigners?
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