Shifting Shadows

“Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to redeem, good; let him redeem. But if he is not willing, as surely as the Lord lives I will do it. Lie here until morning” Ruth 3:13.

I love how the word of God brings a new message no matter how many times we have read the Scripture. Such was the case for me this morning as I read our highlighted verse which wasn’t the first time to be sure. The beautiful blessing that jumped off of the thin skin pages of Ruth is one that I have learned the hard way over my adult life. There have been times when I pushed my own agenda onto my circumstances and forced something to happen. There have been other times since I’ve developed a more mature faith that I sat back and watched what God would do with my set of circumstances. Sometimes He gave in to me and other times I gave in to Him. What was the result? When I gave in to His plan what He eventually gave me was so much better than what I was trying to attain or accomplish with my own plan.

Both Ruth and Boaz could have easily forced the issue by following their impulses and desires that night in the dark. But instead they left space for God’s plan to play out...they took the way of legitimacy, proper channels and protocols. They didn’t take matters into their own hands and force an outcome, but rather trusted that God would work out everything according to their good and His plan.

When there is a decision to be made for all of us it would be in our best interest to ‘lie there until morning’...until God shines His light of wisdom onto our set of circumstances. Part of the beautiful principle of our verse this morning is the principle of waiting on God. When we move ahead of Him and force something to happen on our own terms we can possibly miss His best. We must be like Ruth and Boaz...leaving space for God’s grace, waiting on His plan and trusting Him for His best. When we panic and fear that we are getting ready to lose our perfect ....(fill in the blank) we are basically not trusting God. He determines what is good and perfect for each of us.

“Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” James 1:16-17.