The Rewards Of The Risk

Now do as I tell you. . . . Be sure to notice where [Boaz] lies down; then go and uncover his feet and lie down there.

I’ve always loved the biblical character Ruth. She risked going to a foreign land to live, where the only person she knew was Naomi, her mother-in-law. She risked finding work in a stranger’s field. She risked obeying her mother-in-law’s request to lie down at the feet of a man and ask him to marry her and care for her. That’s seriously scandalous!

I would have balked if my mother-in-law—or anyone!—told me to make such a request. I’d feel as if I were reliving my freshman year, in which I told a senior that I had a crush on him—to which he replied awkwardly, “Uh, thanks,” and then avoided me like the plague for the rest of his high school career.

Never again. Better to play it safe, and no one will think you’re crazy.

But Ruth trusted Naomi and took the risk. And did it ever pay off! God used her willingness to step outside her comfort zone to accomplish His will—not only in her life but in the life of an entire nation.

Imagine, had she not trusted God and Naomi, she might not have married Boaz or had a baby (Obed), who would never have married and had a baby (Jesse), who would have never had a son, David—the David who became the famous king of Jewish history and acclaim, and who was the ancestor of our Savior, Jesus. So much history set in place—all because Ruth took a risk.

Is there something you feel God calling you to do, but fear keeps you from pursuing it? Perhaps today is the day to say yes to the risk—and the potential reward.

Rest Assured

Jesus, You came to earth through the lineage of a woman who moved beyond her fears and said yes to scary and crazy things—things well out of her comfort zone. I want to have that kind of willingness and faith to trust You even when I don’t know the outcome that You have planned.

Rest in Him: Ruth 3:1-13