Now we wait. Ruth has had her encounter with her prospective redeemer. He has sent her on her way with a good share of barley to keep her and Naomi well satisfied. Do you think Naomi stayed up waiting for Ruth to come home like an expectant parent waiting for a child to return from a date or the prom, or some other big event?
What do you think Ruth was feeling? Was she a tad excited to know that her future would soon be revealed to her–at least in terms of her future husband. Either it would be the man she had come to know and trust by working diligently in his field or some other relative who had graciously stepped up to the plate to care for her and redeem her. It’s all so different from what we experience in our culture today. But waiting is waiting.
What are you waiting for today? Are you waiting for an upcoming event like a wedding or birthday? Are you waiting for your next meal to be prepared for you? Are you waiting for a diagnosis? Are you waiting for a healing? Are you waiting for God to move and show you what you should do?
We all wait with different levels of expectancy. I heard a really cool talk the other day from a pastor in Hawaii who just received a cancer diagnosis. While he admitted at first he was crippled by the news, he has come to a place of acceptance. This pastor is now waiting on God to move. He knows God is faithful and will use this situation. How – he doesn’t know, but his faith is so sure that God is using it, it doesn’t matter the outcome.
I heard another speaker at an event this week, also dealing with a cancer diagnosis. His mantra when things in life come to bash his joy is “Can’t Change It.” He lets the challenge bother him for 5 minutes, and then he lets it go. If the challenge doesn’t have control of you, it has lost its power over you. Now that’s a challenge in itself to just let it go. But that’s exactly what we need to do.
No matter what you are waiting for, having patience and peace in the midst of the storm is what we should strive for. Are you clinging to God today to bring you to the other side of a struggle? You know that’s the best place to be – in God’s hands, let him direct your path.
Let’s pray. Lord the struggle is hard. Sometimes I feel weighted down by things I cannot change. Help me to let them go. You have everything under your control. If there are trials, you will use them. If there are joys, help me to see you as the creator of that joy. May I trust you a little more today than yesterday. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
