Tag: boaz

At the start of the first day of the year, God put a new song in my heart while I was yet sleeping … I first heard it as a hum. I listened closely … then I heard the words of the song. I didn’t want to forget both the lyrics and the tune, so I woke up to record it (like Asaph 😊). As I sang the song out loud, God called my attention to His Name: Almighty God (El Shaddai, The Strong and Breasted One) … thereafter, He called my attention to His Name: Yahweh. I learnt that the Name: Yahweh can be interpreted as a promise of/from God saying: I will be with you or I AM with you (always). This reminded me of Ruth 2:4, specifically the words: THE LORD with you. It was in this moment that I experienced God say to me:Do NOT be Ruthless.

In this blog, I’ll call-out a few things about Ruth – the details of which can be seen in the actual book. My focus will be on what it means to NOT be Ruthless … to NOT be Ruth-Less, to NOT be any less than or any less like Ruth. For those who are not as familiar with her story, consider reading the book of Ruth in the bible … it’s quite the story! It’s worth the refresher even for those who already know her story – you just might find a never-before-seen or hidden treasure in the field (Matthew 13:44). This is how Boaz found Ruth. To him, she was a never-before-seen treasure in his field. Ruth is a representation of the treasure God seeks to find in His field (earth) when He comes. With this in mind, let’s talk about Ruth 👇

[Ruth 1:1-19A, 22]Ruth left her father’s house (Moab) to go to Judah YET she did NOT act as though she didn’t have a Father (BECAUSE she had a Heavenly Father – Abiezer: The Father of Help).

Many say The LORD’s Prayer, which starts with Our Father in Heaven (Matthew 6:9), YET sometimes still worry. Truthfully speaking, these two do NOT mix – like wheat and chaff, one is NOT like the other. One, like bread, is for eating (wheat), the other (chaff) is not.

NOTE: a rebellious house is a ruthless house – a house without Ruth in it. This is a succinct description of the house of Moab or Self (flesh) – the human nature without God – the father’s house that every Ruth must leave.

Taking a selfie (a quick self-check), I find that I worry in moments when I don’t actively know God … moments when I’m not actively using, applying, or keeping the knowledge of God (Truth) that He has given me. I’ve since found that the underlying cause of worry is unbelief or disbelief – this results in distrust and is the result of ignorance (not knowing God) and forgetfulness (not remembering God). How can one truthfully believe, trust, know, and remember God YET worry? It’s impossible … it’s impossible to actively know The Father that Abiezer is and still worry – ask the lilies (Matthew 6:28B), they’ll tell you the Truth.

It is impossible to actionably know The Father that El Shaddai is, to know that He knows our every need (Matthew 6:8B,32B), and still worry. Ruth, like the lilies, never worried– I believe and say this because there is no record of it written in relation to her … not once!Not once did she act like she did not have a Heavenly Father.

Did she have reasons to worry? She most certainly did! Actually, Naomi gave her a handful to start with [Ruth 1:8, 11, 12, 13, 15]. Ruth was unmarried (without a protector) and was heading to a foreign land with no papers – she had no citizenship – no legal claim (title or deed) to the land. Naomi, her only “LinkedIn” contact (her only link or point of contact to the land), had just given her the I-have-nothing-to-offer-you speech. Nevertheless, Ruth did not give in to worry. At no point in time on the way to Judah (as well as while in Judah) did she worry. Not once did she act like she was Godless or without a God Who is The Almighty God and MIGHTY to save – Zephaniah 3:17💖

Like Ruth, we will have reasons to worry (John 16:33) AND self (the human nature without God) will naturally want to (and will) worry because that is its nature, BUT the Spirit-Man that God created us to be (Genesis 1:27) is not without Yahweh (The ever-present One) … we are NOT without God. For God Himself has said:

We are not without Abiezer (we are not fatherless) … we are not without Help (we are not helpless) … we are not without God (we are not godless). To give in to worry is to act as though we are godless, helpless or fatherless … to worry is to act as though Yahweh (The LORD) is not our Father/Helper/God. To act this way is to be Ruthless (to be un-like Ruth) … DoN’T.

PS: To worry is to be Restless (SOS 3:1 MSG).To be Restless is to be Ruthless– to act as though one is Godless, Helpless, or Fatherless –Do NOT be Restless.

[Ruth 1:16, 17]Ruth truthfully (actionably) KEPT her VOW.

Ruth 1:16is the first bible verse that records Ruth speaking. Here’s what she said:

The latter part of what she said –your people will be my people, and your God will be my God– is an echo of El Shaddai’s words (Genesis 17:1,7) … an echo of Yahweh’s words 👇

When God speaks, He gives and entrusts us with something USEFUL … something to USE (to effectively apply) … something to KEEP(2 Timothy 1:14)– to put to use as intended or put where it belongs.

HOW did Ruth, a Moabite, hear the Words of the God of a people she was not? My guess is: Naomi … that said, it matters less that it was Naomi (or someone else) who spoke Yahweh’s Words in her hearing. It matters infinitely more that Ruth heard Him! WHY? Because Faith comes by hearing (Romans 10:17). Faith is a must-have.

“Let the one who has ears to hear be hearing… “

Going by Romans 10:14, it is right to say that because Ruth heard God’s Word, she practically believed God – she kept (used) God’s Word in every worrisome situation, including the one where Naomi presented her with reasons to worry.

By acting on the belief that there would be a fulfillment of the things that were spoken to her of/from The LORD, Ruth was blessed(Luke 1:45)– God, all three in One, came and made His home with her(John 14:23)… He became The LORD (Yahweh: ever-present) with her – He became her GOD, and Ruth became His people. God said so Himself 👇

The evidence that God was with Ruth and that she was blessed can be seen inRuth 2:4– the exchange between Boaz and the reapers. Boaz (like Jesus) came from Bethlehem … he came to his field (one might say: his garden – SOS 6:2). Upon his arrival, he found Faith (the knowledge of God) – Boaz experienced the STRONG and MIGHTY Presence of God (that, unbeknownst to him, was emanating from Ruth). In response to God’s Shekinah Glory, Boaz said to the reapers: The LORD with you! To which they responded: The LORD bless you! Both Boaz and the reapers expressly proclaimed the presence and blessing of God that tabernacled on Ruth, thus making her a home (place) for His Name – SeLaH.

Ruth is a representation of the Bride for whom Christ (our Kinsman-Redeemer) comes to do His part. His part is to redeem, marry, love, protect (clothe, cover), and save His Bride. The question is: when He comes, will He find His Bride keeping her Vow … will He find His Bride keeping the Faith – will He find His Bride truthfully using (or applying) the Knowledge of God that He is and has given her?

There is no Bride without a Vow. What Ruth said inRuth 1:16Bwas her Vow. I know this partly because of the “till death do us part” in Ruth 1:17. Addressed to God directly, they translate to:I will be Your people and You will be my God.This Vow still stands today because (1) God said it – they are His words (Luke 21:33), (2) physical death can NOT part from Yahweh those with whom Yahweh is Yahweh (Romans 8:38-39) – nothing can! God is as close to Ruth (every bride and bride-to-be of Christ) as the heart in our chest and the tongue in our mouth – Deuteronomy 30:14. God’s people are never without Him or His Name – His Name is His Vow, ours as well. #His&Hers #His&Ours

Yahweh – His Name (the pledge of His ever-present Presence) is our Vow, one we must keep. He is a Keeper … KEEP Him we must … USE Him we must. We use God when we actionably know/remember Him … when we, by our actions, apply the knowledge of God that He gives us per time. We use (know/remember) God in every situation when we respond based on Who He is: His Word – His Word (Truth) is His Name and Who He is. With her first recorded words, Ruth actionably spoke God’s Heart out of her mouth – she actionably said His Name: Ruth kept her Vow.

To say a person’s name is to invoke their presence or memory – a form of remembrance occurs when this happens. As God’s people, we are to remember The LORD our God – we are to truthfully call upon His Name. Acting contrary to this inevitably results in self-dependent “sufficiency“: an attribute of the Ruthless, underlain by pride and haughtiness (Isaiah 13:11). To forget or not remember God in practice (by our actions) is to forget or not keep one’s Vow (aka adultery). Do NOT forget The LORD your God – Do NOT be Ruthless. Like Ruth, call on Him by means of His Name – even if it means going against traffic, the norm, or the law.

[Ruth 1:18, 19A, 22]Having fully girded her loins with Truth, Ruth went against the law and ALL in.

Going by when the Moabites did what was captured in Deuteronomy 23:4, Ruth certainly was within the ‘tenth-generation-descendant’ bracket – she might actually be a first generation Moabite. In either case, by law, she wasn’t allowed in – she wasn’t permitted among God’s people YET she went in … she went against the law! She was allowed by God and went in solely on the basis of the Spirit-Word-Truth of God that she kept or spoke actionably (by her actions). The Word of God is Spirit-Life-Truth. This Truth is Who sanctifies us(John 17:17)– He is the ONLY Way to Godfidently go against the law. He is the ONLY Way to come into God’s Presence. God approves of this Godfident entry –Hebrews 4:16

More often than not, we will be presented with reasons to not go to God or go all in with God … reasons to not enter into God’s Rest … reasons to not enter into and receive the promised land that God has given us as well as all that He has done for us. At face value, these reasons seem legit, maybe even too legit to quit i.e.Numbers 13– there are giants in the land! …1 Samuel 17– it’s Goliath we’re talking about here! This is a BIG sin! Yes, I get it … giants, like mountains, are big. That said, no matter how sizeable the roadblock is or may seem, an active Faith, howbeit small as a mustard seed, is MIGHTY enough to overthrow any giant, goliath, or mountain (Matthew 17:20, Mark 11:23, Micah 7:18-19). The Name of The LORD (The Truth of Who He is: His-and-our Vow) is ENOUGH – His Grace is Sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9)… David’s episode with Goliath is evidence of this.

Goliath was Ruthless (prideful and haughty). According to the Word (Vow, Name) of The LORD, he was brought down to size –Isaiah 33:11B. The same verdict (righteous judgment) applies to every giant-like reason or little fox that aims to steer us away from going all in to God and what He has prepared for us in His Presence. It applies to guilt, shame, the fear of rejection, weariness (trying in your own strength and failing many times over) … even our very own weaknesses. All of which stem from or lead to the thought or suggestion that we are not worthy to come close to or before God. DoN’T let this 🚫 you. Take God’s Word and come – Hosea 14:2 (AMPC). On the basis of The Truth of Who God is, Godfidently enter into God’s Presence (His Name). Dare to sit at His feet … dare to kiss His feet … dare to touch the hem of His Garment like the woman with the issue of filthiness did (Matthew 9:20-22).

We take root in God by sowing our God-given Seed (Faith: The Knowledge/Word of God) deeply into God. We take root in God by sowing The Word of God that we are deeply into God. We take root when we STAND firm in the Name (Presence) of God and NOT oscillate between ‘is God with me?’ versus ‘is God not with me?’ – Exodus 17:7. The back-and-forth or in-and-out of the latter is what it means to be Rootless.To be Rootless is to be Ruthless– DoN’T. Do NOT play fast and loose with Life – Lamentation 1:9 (MSG) … do NOT play fast and loose with God – Psalm 76:11A, 12B (MSG) … do NOT use rules to play fast and loose with God’s Command (His Word, His Name, His Revelation of Himself to you) – Matthew 15:3-9 (MSG). Instead, practice them …

To play fast and loose with God for the sake of (or in favor of) rules is to be Rootless –do NOT be Rootlessinstead, TAKE ROOT. Endure, persist, go where Yahweh goes … stay where Yahweh stays – be present with Him as He is present with you, and WAIT until Morning like Ruth did!

[Ruth 3:1-18] Not only was she humble (faithful) enough to ask, Ruth was persistent … She waited until morning.

In an attempt to get Ruth a protector (a Husband), Naomi essentially told Ruth to GO against traffic! Naomi told Ruth to do two unconventional things:(1)To GO meet Boaz on the threshing floor at night – this was a no-no (Boaz implied this much – Ruth 3:14B) …(2)To GO propose marriage to Boaz! A woman proposing to a man? This certainly was not the norm at that time (let alone now) … one might say it was against the law or rules!

Going against all odds, Ruth readied herself, went to the threshing floor at night to meet Boaz, and she proposed! Having done all that Naomi told her to do, Boaz told Ruth to STAND … to DURO (yoruba for stand, stay, wait) … to WAIT until morning!

“Wait here with Me till Morning when I come … I will come“

There’s a lot to unpack here but I’ll unpack the link between waiting UNTIL morning AND faithfulness. Come with me to Luke 18:1-8 … a parable of a widow (like Ruth) who waited until morning (like Ruth). Here’s the gist of it 👇

It was late at night (a valid reason to not go asking anyone for anything) … still, this Ruth-like widow went to ask for justice from the person whose title/name (Judge) represents what he should be doing i.e. serving justice. This judge acted wickedly in that at first he did not do what his name said – he didn’t give her the justice she needed (notice I didn’t say deserved – there’s a difference). The wicked Judge said no to her ask/cry for justice BUT she didn’t let this 🚫 her. She kept going … she persisted … she waited UNTIL he said Yes! Until he protected (clothed, covered) and defended her … she waited until he gave her justice – UNTIL justice, like Breakfast, was served. In other words, she waited UNTIL Morning.

Psalm 30:5B tells us that Joy comes (is restored) in the Morning.To be like Ruth is to wait UNTIL Morning– having asked, wait for the Joy of being avenged by God … wait for the Joy of God’s Salvation … wait for the Joy of God’s Lovingkindness: God’s undeserved but much needed justice (the satisfaction, refreshment, nourishment, water that ONLY God is) … wait UNTIL Breakfast (justice) is served! Do NOT be Ruthless – don’t play fast and loose …WAIT for Breakfast!SeLaH

MORNING will come (evening always gives way to morning) – this is sure.Do NOT be Restless… eat your Bread by casting it upon many waters (God’s Voice – what God says He has done). In other words, do NOT worry, pray instead – Philippians 4:6 (MSG).Do NOT be Rootless… sow your God-given Seed (the Word, Truth, Faith that He has given you) according to righteousness(Hosea 10:12) and into God so that you may take deep root.Do NOT be Ruthless… having asked (having prayed), WAIT until MORNING comes – The LORD with you will come. His coming is as sure as tomorrow’s sunrise –Hosea 6:3.

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HEY, Bath-Rabbim, your LIGHT has come … HEY, Ruth … look … see 👉 MORNING! He is GOOD, His Name is near –Psalm 75:1(AMPC). This SUNRISE is for keeps (for use) … for you. Breakfast will be served –Psalm37:4-8 (AMPC). Therefore, delight yourself in The LORD – He is for you to have: a GOOD MORNING indeed!