He Will Give You Everything You Need~

TGIF Greetings :)

 

Relationships have been front and center for almost two weeks in the DEVOs, and today we tie up some loose strings.

 

Have you wondered why Boaz spoke so graciously to Ruth in the first place? Why he touched her heart with her words? Why he blessed her and Naomi with provision and protection?

 

Ruth 2:11 "Boaz replied, 'I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.'”

 

Ruth's reputation preceded her. Boaz knew she was worth getting to know. It is true that there are those who are not necessarily after a long-term relationship and could care less about a young woman's character. But this works in our favor.

 

If we conduct ourselves in a respectable way we will attract those who are respectable. The riff raff will stay away because they know that, first and foremost, we are taking refuge under the God of Israel's wings.

 

This is a powerful principle: SEEK GOD FIRST--TRUST HIM WITH YOUR FUTURE--HOLD ONTO YOUR CHARACTER AND MORALITY--AND THE RIGHT GUY OR GAL WILL NOTICE.

 

It is so romantic to me that a guy would say to a young woman that I have heard about you--you have been so kind in your life that I ask God to bless you for it.

 

Those words might be a little dated for 2013. But you know what I mean. Boaz approached Ruth for the right reasons. And it made him want to share everything he owned with her to make her happy.

 

Back in 1982 I worked at Sedano's Pharmacy. There was a regular customer who would come in once a week during my shift and make small talk. He was cute, and everything was fine at first. He did indeed ask me out. When he found out I couldn't date without a chaperon, he said, "Can't you meet me somewhere?" Uh, no.

 

Don't think I didn't think that having a chaperon was ridiculous, because it was. But honestly, if this guy could not respect my family's way of doing things, how would he ever respect me?

 

Ask Jorge and he will tell you that once he and I started dating I welcomed my mom's overbearing rules.

 

For example:

(1) If you see Jorge on Friday, there's no need to see him on Saturday and vice-versa.

(2) You must be home by midnight, and your brother is going with you every where you go. (I was 20 years old! Most kids don't even start getting ready to go out until 11PM nowadays).

(3) You may see him every Sunday--at church.

(4) He may visit once during the week and stay for an hour or less. I have things to do and can not sit there and babysit you.

 

It was rough, to say the least, but I welcomed these suffocating and unreasonable rules to see just how much Jorge was willing to put up with. He did not flinch--not once--the entire 18 months we dated before we were married. Not even when we arrived 10 minutes late one Saturday night--from youth group no less--and my mom punished me for one entire month. No Jorge for one month! I thought I would die! But I didn't, and neither did he. And, most importantly, I knew that I knew that I knew that Jorge was the guy for me.

 

There are ways in which a young man can touch our heart that does not require words; there are ways in which a young woman acts that draws the attention from the right guy. And vice-versa. And everything starts to fall into place when we, like Ruth, decide to make the One True God our God.

 

Matthew 6:33 "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need (including a blessed relationship)."

 

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, We have been so blessed by the story of Ruth. It truly is a beautiful love story between two people who knew how to treat one another and respect the elders in their lives. The consequences of their behavior inspires us today. We all want to true love in our lives and the first step is to take refuge under Your wings. Cover us with your guidance and protection as we make relationship decisions. In Jesus' name, AMEN~