The Blessing is with You

Ruth 4:11

The elders and all the people who were at the gate said, “We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who is entering your house be like Rachel and Leah, who together built the house of Israel. May you be powerful in Ephrathah and famous in Bethlehem.

I can’t help but think about the closest kinsman redeemer who had first dibs on this blessing. He wanted the land that belonged to Ruth and Naomi and would have gladly purchased it, but he was not willing to assume the responsibility of taking Ruth as his wife. He saw her as a burden to his own inheritance. He cared nothing about her well-being or her future; he was interested only in what her land could do for him. He failed to see that God’s blessing was with Ruth – not with her land.

God blessed Boaz because he did what was right by Ruth. From their first encounter, Boaz began providing and protecting Ruth. He knew she had left her family and her country to travel with Naomi, and he admired her loyalty and her courage. He made her well-being a priority. 

At Naomi’s prompting, Ruth reached out for more from Boaz. A kinsman-redeemer could procure her future, and she had the courage to ask for more. Boaz determined to do the right thing for her because it was the right thing to do. He had the means, the right, and the willingness to care for Ruth’s well-being, and God’s blessing followed. 

As a widow, you will encounter those who are not willing to do the right thing by you. You will encounter those who only want what you can do for them. God’s blessing, however, is with you. He will bless the one who cares for the widow. We have a Kinsman-Redeemer in Christ, and we can trust Him to procure a good future for us. God will still bless us through others. Look for His blessings in those who provide and protect because it is the right thing to do. You are a blessing and not a burden!

Have a blessed day!