Day 32
Unexpected Blessing
1 Corinthians 15:58 (CSB) So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.
It is normal human nature to expect a thank you for doing something nice for other people. We may overlook an occasional gratitude slight, but a repeated “you are taking me for granted” is often met with a refusal to help anymore. If ‘they’ do not care enough to notice my good deeds, why should I continue?
Do you ever wonder if God notices when you are helping others? Does God care if you assist other people, even when the other person shows no appreciation? The following Scripture answers those questions.
Ruth was a Moabite widow who had returned with her Jewish mother-in-law, Naomi. Years earlier during a famine, Naomi had gone to Moab with her two sons and her husband. In Moab, her sons married Moabite women, but the sons and husband died. Ruth had returned to Bethlehem. Ruth, a non-Jew, had accompanied her. Two widows had to glean the leftover grain from a harvest to survive. God led Ruth to the field of a wealthy man named Boaz.
Ruth 2:8-12 (NLT) Boaz went over and said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter. Stay right here with us when you gather grain; don’t go to any other fields. Stay right behind the young women working in my field. 9See which part of the field they are harvesting, and then follow them. I have warned the young men not to treat you roughly. And when you are thirsty, help yourself to the water they have drawn from the well.” 10Ruth fell at his feet and thanked him warmly. “What have I done to deserve such kindness?” she asked. “I am only a foreigner.” 11“Yes, I know,” Boaz replied. “But I also know about everything you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband. I have heard how you left your father and mother and your own land to live here among complete strangers. 12May the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully for what you have done.”
Ruth did not have to leave her home country to take care of her aging former mother-in-law. But she did. Ruth did not have to work hard to get enough grain for two people. But she did. Did anyone notice Ruth’s sacrifice to help Naomi? God did!
Boaz said he had heard all about Ruth. Why had Boaz been told about Ruth? How or why did Ruth pick Boaz’s field? Why did Boaz show up just as Ruth was gleaning? The answer is obvious. God saw and God acted! When you give to help others, God gives to help you. Your motivation is not giving to get. Your motivation should be giving your time, energy, and sometimes your resources to simply help others, period. God sees and God provides!
1 Corinthians 15:58 (CSB) So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.
It is normal human nature to expect a thank you for doing something nice for other people. We may overlook an occasional gratitude slight, but a repeated “you are taking me for granted” is often met with a refusal to help anymore. If ‘they’ do not care enough to notice my good deeds, why should I continue?
Do you ever wonder if God notices when you are helping others? Does God care if you assist other people, even when the other person shows no appreciation? The following Scripture answers those questions.
Ruth was a Moabite widow who had returned with her Jewish mother-in-law, Naomi. Years earlier during a famine, Naomi had gone to Moab with her two sons and her husband. In Moab, her sons married Moabite women, but the sons and husband died. Ruth had returned to Bethlehem. Ruth, a non-Jew, had accompanied her. Two widows had to glean the leftover grain from a harvest to survive. God led Ruth to the field of a wealthy man named Boaz.
Ruth 2:8-12 (NLT) Boaz went over and said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter. Stay right here with us when you gather grain; don’t go to any other fields. Stay right behind the young women working in my field. 9See which part of the field they are harvesting, and then follow them. I have warned the young men not to treat you roughly. And when you are thirsty, help yourself to the water they have drawn from the well.” 10Ruth fell at his feet and thanked him warmly. “What have I done to deserve such kindness?” she asked. “I am only a foreigner.” 11“Yes, I know,” Boaz replied. “But I also know about everything you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband. I have heard how you left your father and mother and your own land to live here among complete strangers. 12May the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully for what you have done.”
Ruth did not have to leave her home country to take care of her aging former mother-in-law. But she did. Ruth did not have to work hard to get enough grain for two people. But she did. Did anyone notice Ruth’s sacrifice to help Naomi? God did!
Boaz said he had heard all about Ruth. Why had Boaz been told about Ruth? How or why did Ruth pick Boaz’s field? Why did Boaz show up just as Ruth was gleaning? The answer is obvious. God saw and God acted! When you give to help others, God gives to help you. Your motivation is not giving to get. Your motivation should be giving your time, energy, and sometimes your resources to simply help others, period. God sees and God provides!
Posted in 40 Days - 2022