She should have returned long ago. Better yet, they should never have left. Not for any reason. Not even the famine that gripped their land. Never should she have mildly packed up her belongings, bid goodbye to her friends, stifled her sobs, harnessed her tears, and set out behind her husband and sons to a new land. Not without a discussion. A long one. One in which every possible outcome had been thoroughly examined. It hadn’t happened. There had been no discussion. Elimelech decided to leave, and they went. She didn’t challenge him. It wasn’t how things were done. Wives didn’t disagree with their husbands. Wives were obedient and biddable, not argumentative and questioning. In retrospect, Naomi wished she had put up a proper fuss.
Nothing good had come of her time in Moab. Death stole her husband and robbed her of her sons. In just a few years, she lost everything important to her. More aptly, God had taken away everything she loved. That’s how she felt. God, who could give in great abundance, had taken with outrageous abandonment. Her heart was shattered. Her life was empty. She had nothing left. Nothing except a couple Moabite daughters-in-law. Her friends, if she still had any, were back in Bethlehem. The life she knew, the people she was comfortable with, the traditions she held dear, were all back home. There was nothing left for her in Moab. She needed to leave. Needed to go back home. She had heard positive things.
The famine that had encouraged Elimelech to bring them on this god-forsaken adventure had abated. God had looked down on His people. He heard their prayers for help. He paid attention to their needs. He was actively providing food. Things were balancing out over in Bethlehem. It was time to go home. Time to sort through the belongings she had collected in Moab. Time to determine what was necessary and what wasn’t. Time to pack her bags, strap on her sturdiest sandals, and make the trek back home.
Sadly, she’d need to leave the girls behind. As much as she loved them, it wasn’t fair for them to follow her home to a place they knew nothing about. New customs. New religion. They might be outcasts there. Unaccepted. Derided. Abused. And there was no reason for them to stay. Naomi wasn’t getting another husband. She wasn’t even interested in that. Even if she did, her childbearing years were past. She wasn’t interested in that, either. Even if she was, Ruth and Orpah were still young women. They weren’t going to wait around for her to meet a man, have a son, raise him to manhood, just so they could stay in her family. That would be ridiculous! The wisest thing for them to do was go back to their parents’ homes. Perhaps a man from among their own people would marry them and give them a home and children.
At first, they resisted. They weren’t going anywhere. They loved Naomi and planned to stay. They would accompany her home. Start a new life in her hometown just as she had in theirs. This time Naomi had the discussion. By the time she was done presenting the hard truths, Orpah chose to leave. Ruth wasn’t budging. Not toward home, anyway. Her mind was made up. The matter was settled. She was going to Bethlehem. She would acclimate to a new culture and fit in with new people. She would leave the gods of Moab behind and happily embrace the God of Naomi. She would follow Naomi to death, be there to care for and help her. When her final breath was taken, Ruth would be the one holding her hand. Chin tilted in determination, Ruth stared Naomi down until she acquiesced. They were going together. Nothing would separate them. But being together didn’t solve all their problems.
Arriving back in Bethlehem, the women of the town were excited about their arrival. They couldn’t believe Naomi was back. They were happy to listen to tales of her travels. Rejoiced to see her alive. Wept over her losses. Happily met her daughter-in-law. Yet oddly lacking in the Biblical account is how the needs of Naomi and Ruth would be met. Their husbands were dead. They were on their own. Where were they going to live? What were they going to eat? How were they to afford their daily needs? And the townspeople, excited as they were to see Naomi and hear her news, are not recorded as offering help. No one offered a night at the local bed and breakfast. No one organized a meal train. No one expressed concern over how they would survive. In short, everyone wanted to hear the stories, but no one offered to help. Home or not, they were still very much on their own. (Ruth 1)
Determined to rectify their situation, Ruth decided to venture into the surrounding barley fields to see what the harvesters had left behind. It was harvest season. Inevitable, some got dropped on the ground and forgotten. If God was still paying attention to the needs of His people, perhaps she would find enough leftovers to sustain herself and Naomi. Maybe she could find extra to sell at the market. Perhaps she could get them through their personal famine and ward off starvation. At least for a while.
Not by chance, Ruth landed in the field of Boaz. She didn’t know who he was. Had no idea he was a relative of her late father-in-law. Was clueless that he was someone who could help her little family of two. Asking permission first, she began to glean behind the harvesters, keeping to herself and attempting to be inconspicuous. But Boaz noticed her presence. He knew all his workers. Male. Female. He hadn’t seen her before, but he knew all about her. He knew what she had sacrificed to follow and care for Naomi. He respected her faithfulness and integrity. And he wanted her to stay. Glean only with his harvesters. Gather as much as she could. Come back day after day. Relax. She was safe there. He promised. (Ruth 2)
Hearing the story later, Naomi began hatching a plan. She wanted to make sure Ruth’s future was secure. And harvest wouldn’t last forever. This good fortune would come to an end. So, using her powers of persuasion, she sent Ruth to propose to Boaz. Or propose that he propose to her. Either way, it wasn’t a comfortable thing to do. Ruth wouldn’t ordinarily put herself in that position. She almost threw up from nerves before she even arrived. This could go in any direction. Maybe he’d agree to her plan. Maybe he wouldn’t. Maybe he would kick her out loudly for all to see, tarnishing her reputation. Maybe he would sneak her out under the cover of darkness. Nothing was certain. Nothing except for the fact that, just as He had through the local famine in Bethlehem and the personal famine of Ruth and Naomi, God was paying attention to their needs. He was actively seeing her predicament. And God was working.
Interestingly, Boaz was not put off by Ruth’s unorthodox methods. He was cautious, but interested. Everything must pass through the proper channels. Anyone else in line to claim both the property and the woman deserved the opportunity to do so. It couldn’t be decided right then. They would have to wait for the decision. It was nerve-wracking. For Ruth, at least. Sneaking home in the pre-dawn darkness, Ruth felt the worry and anxiety of her situation and what she had just done settle over her. What if Boaz changed his mind? What if the other guy decided he wanted to stake his claim? What if he was a horrible man with a temper and a penchant for using his fists? What if no one wanted her and she became the town harlot? What was going to happen if none of this worked and they were left to struggle their way through the rest of their years on earth?
Speaking from years of watching God do His thing, Naomi spoke. “Calm down. Be patient. It will all be settled soon. You will have your answer. Wait. And while you wait, trust that the God who sees your needs is not passively watching, but actively participating in every decision that concerns His people.” It was a lesson she had learned over time. As bitter as the events of her life had been, she could still look back and see how God had been actively at work in her life. She had never been completely alone. When her husband had died, she had her sons. When her sons had died, she had her daughters-in-law. When Orpah had returned to her family home, Ruth stayed. God had never allowed her to be alone. He had actively been taking care of her even when she couldn’t see it, when her soul was steeped in grief and mourning. Not one part of Naomi doubted that this situation would be any different. Whether she directly told Ruth to trust God or not, it is the underlying message of the words. Man can be unpredictable, but God never is. He leaves nothing to chance, because we are all part of something bigger, something better, than we can even dream or imagine. (Ruth 3)
God left nothing to chance in Ruth’s world. When the wait was finally over, Boaz became their redeemer. He bought the land from Naomi. He took Ruth as his wife. They were safely cared for the rest of their lives. And Ruth had a son. They named him Obed. He fathered a son named Jesse. The father of David. And twenty-eight generations later, in the same town, from the same lineage came Jesus. The Messiah. The Savior of the world. Not by some strange twist of fate or happenstance. Not through a series of unfortunate events. No. Not by chance at all, but by the active plan of God. Because nothing happens by chance in God’s world. (Ruth 4; Matthew 1:1-16; Proverbs 16:33; Psalm 103:19)
Everything that happened then was part of a grand heavenly plan to bring Jesus into the world. Not strictly through pure bloodlines and perfect parentage, but through a heritage that included everyone. Saints and sinners alike. It was not by chance that Boaz’s mother was Rahab, the prostitute. It was not an accident that Obed’s mother was a Moabitess. It was the grand plan of God for you and me that everyone would be welcomed into the family of God. No matter who you are or what your heritage is. When it seemed to the people of Naomi’s day that God wasn’t paying attention to the famine in the land. When Naomi felt He had stolen her joy and left her bitter with grief and sorrow. When Ruth worried about the outcome of her spontaneous actions. God was paying attention to each thing. He was actively working and moving, and doing. He was using those situations and circumstances to enact His plan for His people in His world. A plan of salvation. A plan of love. A carefully orchestrated plan to point every soul, everywhere, to Himself. Not one thing was left to chance. Because nothing happens by chance in God’s world. And it is all God’s world. (Psalm 24:1; Colossians 1:16; Nehemiah 9:6; Acts 17:24-25)
From the beautiful dawn of creation to the devastating downward spiral of this 21st-century society, God has been in charge. This is His world. Always has been. Always will be. He is sovereign. Nothing takes Him by surprise. Not the antics of politicians. Not the vitriol of world leaders. Not our disappearing resources or our depleting strength. He knew it what would happen long before it did. He is not confused when you make a poor choice. He is not caught off guard when war breaks out. He does not become frantic when things on earth take a left turn. No, friend. God is calmly, confidently working through all the frustrating situations and horrible circumstances on earth to bring about what He planned from the beginning of time. For the world at large. For you individually.
See, God knew you before you were born. He knew every twist and turn your life would take. He knew every fear you would have, every victory you would win, every choice you would make. He planned for them. Every incident in your life–pleasant or bitter–is being used to work out God’s plan for you. But you have to trust Him. You have to believe that God is paying attention to your needs and actively working for you. Even if the famine doesn’t end. Even if the proposal fails. You have to cast your faith in the God who is actively, intentionally making all things new and trust His heart of never-ending love for you. You have to believe He is still working. Even when He is quiet. Even when you can’t see it. Even when you can’t hear His voice or feel His touch. Because your world is God’s world and nothing happens there by chance. Not. One. Thing. (Ephesians 2:10; II Corinthians 4:17-18; Psalm 139:13-18; Joel 2:25; Deuteronomy 30:3; Revelation 21:5)
God didn’t accidentally create you. He didn’t forget your gifts or talents. He didn’t do a haphazard job and then recklessly toss you into the world without a care for who you are or what you would become. No. You were meticulously crafted in His own image. He has a plan and a purpose for your life. And He is working it out. Through all those trials and troubles. Through all the worry and stress. Through all the fear and uncertainty. God is working. He is active. So wait for Him. Find solace in the knowledge that God leaves not one detail to chance. Refuse to be anxious. The God who planned your life centuries before you were even conceived is paying attention to your needs. He hears your cries for help. His answer will come. At just the right time, in just the right way, a carefully curated response to your need will arrive. You can trust Him. He will make all things new. Not by chance, but according to the beautiful plan He created just for you. (Psalm 37:23, 145:19; Isaiah 46:9-10; Proverbs 21:1; Genesis 1:26-27; Jeremiah 29:11; Philippians 1:6)