THREE big words: GRACE. GRATITUDE. GENEROSITY. Three words that empowered the story of Ruth and Boaz. Have you heard their story? Do you know Boaz? What can you remember about Ruth? How do these three words play in the life of Ruth and Boaz? How can it be applied to our present day? How can grace lead to gratitude?and therefore bring the generosity out of us?
A few Sundays ago, I did a little Field Trip with my Uncle and Aunt who were visiting us for the weekend. A different kind of Field Trip, a trip to attend a Sunday service from another church. Instead of taking them to my home church for the Sunday service we decided to visit another church that opens its doors earlier than my home church as they wanted to travel early to go back to LA.
After having a hearty breakfast, we crossed the road and entered the Parking Lot of Golden Hills Community Church in Brentwood. My uncle checked their website prior to choosing this location (which is a very good idea). Mind you, it helps that on their website they have a quick guide to first time visitors starting from where to park, where to go check on things, where to take kids for Sunday School, a welcoming coffee garden while waiting, a very welcoming gazebo of church volunteers ready to answer your questions and show you around the vast area of Golden Hills.
We came to the second service in the morning and as we are approaching the front door of the church comes out the people from the first service and wow! amazing how many people attend the 7:45 am Sunday Service (and still how many more coming in later on as we were coming out from the second one!).
"How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!" - Psalm 133:1
The message from God's word was from the Book of Ruth, delivered by Pastor Phil Ward. It is their second Sunday talking about a great Redemption Story. This Sunday's message was entitled "A Foreigner Finds Favor" (Ruth 1:19-2:17a). The background story was when Naomi came back to Bethlehem with Ruth, who chose to come with her mother-in-law and to live in a totally foreign country and culture, so that she can be with and look after Naomi. They returned when the barley harvest was just beginning. Ruth went out "to glean" or gather in the fields owned by Boaz (who is related to Elimelek, the late husband of Naomi). Boaz, who was described as a man of valor, courage and worthy in the eyes of God, is also a 'well-to-do', successful and a good employer at that. Gleaning, by the way, was a Law of Moses that says 'when you reap your harvest, you are not to go over the fields twice. They need to be left for the poor to glean (to gather)' (Deuteronomy 24:21).
Pastor Phil excitedly described each of the characters separately with such great theological perspective. Reading through the lines, as they say, he taught directly from the words of GOD. Every verse seems like a new found information about Naomi, Ruth and Boaz. I have read and heard this story told over and over again, used in many messages and bible studies I have attended but in every opportunity, there is always a new revelation, a new learning! Some of these Biblical points that he pointed out in his Sunday message that kept me attentive were the following:
The whole book of Ruth is based on the truth: "GOD is Sovereign. GOD is Providential."
Naomi's 3-fold Theology: God exist. God is sovereign. God has brought this calamity on me. (Ruth 1:21)
In spite of all the calamity in Naomi's life, Ruth chose to go with her. When they came to Bethlehem it was the beginning of harvest (just at the right time?); Ruth gleaned at the fields owned by Boaz (who happened to be related to Elimelek) - GOD meant it all for good (Genesis 50:20)
Boaz provided and protected Ruth, a foreigner: from Law to Grace!
He upheld the law for the "poor and the powerless"
Like Boaz, we must be generous with God's grace
Ruth's character preceeds her. (Ruth 2:10)
Both Boaz and Ruth are worthy...worthy examples for us to follow.
Our response to grace should be sheer gratitude back to God.
Boaz's grace empowered Ruth's obedience
When Ruth trusted God, she was blessed and enabled her to love her mother-in-law
GOD is ABLE to turn our misfortune to work for our good and joy
What really stuck with me were the THREE G's that the Pastor emphasized throughout the message. These THREE G's are - GRACE - GRATITUDE - GENEROSITY. How were they displayed in this Redemption story? How can we as Christians practice these 3Gs in our everyday life?
To help us understand these terms more, I have found help from some favorite Bible teachers ....
GRACE is an "undeserved favor in the eyes of the Lord". It is also descriptive, denoting a superior who bends or stoops to show kindness to an inferior, such as a king lowering himself to assist a servant. [Excerpt from the book "Keep Showing Up" by Karen Ehman]
GRATITUDE "it's being more aware of what you have than what you don't. It's recognizing the treasure in the simple like a child's hug or the golden sunset. Most of all, a sense of the greatest gift: the Son of GOD, Jesus Christ, who took your place." [Excerpt from the Podcast episode of "Max Lucado Daily Devotions" entitled: "Gratitude for the Greatest Gift"]
GENEROSITY was defined by Pastor Ken Hughes as a "sign of a regenerate soul." He emphasized that "Generosity is more than tithing and more than just money. Christians ought to give in such a way that there are things we forego in order to be generous-that vacation, that new car. And so regenerate people are geneorus not just with their finances but also with their time and possessions." He exemplifies Jesus Christ as the ultimate example of generosity: “Though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). [From "Theology Refresh: Podcast for Christian Leaders by David Mathis on the topic of "Generosity" with Ken Hughes]
When Boaz shared GOD’s GRACE with Ruth, he was actually sending back and showing GRATITUDE to the One who blessed him. Ruth responded in GRATITUDE to Boaz' generosity (Ruth 2:13). His GENEROSITY to Ruth is then extended to Naomi, who is a widow and have nothing left. The proper response to God's grace is sheer GRATITUDE which is evidenced by our GENEROSITY.
Applied to our everyday life, how do we respond to the GRACE we receive? How thankful are we for all these blessings bestowed on us everyday, graces that comes even before we ask them? How do we show GRATITUDE for all the graces we receive? How generous are we with sharing these GRACES to others especially to those who are 'poor and powerless' in our midst?
Boaz was known to be a good and fair employer who follows the law. Gleaning was a law of the land to provide grains for the poor. When he found out that Ruth was related to Naomi, he made sure to leave more than usual for her to gather. Are you a good employer? Are you a good work colleague? Do we share the graces we receive with those who are in need, marginalized and the poor? What can we do to share our blessings and share it with generosity?
All around us today there are people that needs help. The homeless, the sick children, the foreigners, the elderly and maybe even a relative that needs a caring hand. In your church, there might be sick members that needs praying for, an elderly that might benefit from a visit and a cup of tea, or just a greeting card from you.
Boaz is a great example of this cycle: he showed GENEROSITY of GRACE for Ruth and Naomi. He did not only allow Ruth to glean, he even went farther and over that. He let her "gather among the sheaves", "pull out some stalks and leave them for her to pick up" (Ruth 2:15-16), invited her to "have bread and wine vinegar with him" for fellowship (Ruth 2:14) and even made sure she was safe in his fields while gleaning (Ruth 2:9). This is true hospitality.
Even with Boaz's great generosity and awesome hospitality, Ruth didn't grow compalcent. She continued to glean and share these blessings with Naomi. If we are the ’Ruths’, whatever we've gathered from gleaning we can share with our ‘Naomis’ (the widows). Ruth was gleaning in order for her and her mother-in-law to survive. She was a foreigner in Bethlehem, poor and powerless and yet she worked hard and shared her Grace generously with someone else. With the generosity she received from Boaz, she made sure all those blessings were dealt with great gratitude by sharing all these graces.
Whatever blessing and grace we receive when shared with the needy and poor it will sure generate gratitude towards our Father that blessed us and generosity to all whom we share our blessings with. Our obedience in GOD is what results in BLESSINGS. GOD is pleased when we "take refuge in Him" like Ruth; this is when we come to GOD empty handed. When we surrender and acknowledge that "If I have GOD, I have all I need", relying everything to Him, again taking refuge in GOD, then we free ourselves to be more giving, more generous to others for we have let go of selfishness.
“The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!” -Ruth 2:12
How does Boaz point us to Jesus? How can Boaz help us understand Jesus more fully? Just like how Boaz showed hospitality to Ruth, JESUS is extending His arms towards us from Law to Grace, welcoming us to His kingdom, inviting us to come in the presence of God, share a meal, have communion with Him and fellowship with others.
Jesus wants us to respond to GRACE with OVERWHELMING GRATITUDE, as evidence by RADICAL GENEROSITY; RADICAL HOSPITALITY and RADICAL LOVE. That we should LOVE because He first loved us; Forgive because we have been first forgiven; Give grace because we have been recipients of grace.
GRACE. GRATITUDE. GENEROSITY. All these for the GLORY OF GOD!!! Be Blessed everyone.