If the story of Ruth ended in Chapter 1, we might say “wow, what an incredible and surprising choice she makes” as her and Naomi ride off into the sunset to return to Naomi’s native land of Israel. But that is just the beginning.
Ruth doesn’t know what lies ahead for her and her mother-in-law. What she doesn’t do is sit back and bemoan the difficulties. She does not complain about the situation. She does not complain and she does not blame.
Rather, Ruth asks herself an important question. One we all ought to consider. In essence, she thinks, What can I do?
Ruth exercises self-governance. She is not a victim to her circumstances; she is a person of agency who can influence and act upon her circumstances.
Ruth takes initiative, she works hard. In Israel, those harvesting the crops left the corners and scraps for the poor. Ruth takes the humblest of stations, and goes to the fields to pick up grain as a poor woman. Interestingly, Naomi gives her permission, but does not come along. That does not deter Ruth. Ruth does what she can do.
Ruth does indeed “find favor” with one of the owners of the fields, Boaz. And it changes her life forever. Boaz sees Ruth in the field, helps her, and later acknowledges her reputation as a woman of noble character.
Time spent complaining, blame-shifting, or demanding things from others is time wasted.
Like Ruth, we have one life to steward. One life to make the most of. Nothing and nobody will steward our journey for us. What we do with our opportunities, the choices we make, are ours alone. Ruth made a great choice who to trust – Naomi, a woman of character. Now Ruth demonstrates her own character by taking the initiative to steward her actions. Her small choices of good stewardship turn into great blessings. Our path is the same.
This is the second in a series of four devotionals centered on the life of Ruth. One of the most incredible characters in all of Scripture, Ruth’s example of self-governance and stewardship shows us the way of love, the key to living well, and the impact our choices can make. For more on this topic check out thebiblesays.com commentary on Ruth, which was a source for this series.