by John O’Malley
“Then she said, Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens” (Ruth 2:13).
Ruth’s choice of words indicated her heart’s desire and devotion to Boaz and his cause. Boaz had been so gracious to her that she could hardly comprehend everything he offered and the manner in which he offered it. Boaz’s goodness was not evident in only one statement. In a fountain of statements, Boaz showered her heart and soul with graciousness.
“Handmaid” was the one word that characterized Ruth’s feelings. She willingly viewed herself as a handmaid to Boaz. The position of a handmaid in the culture of Israel was that of being merely a servant. Ruth did not seek to elevate herself to a position of grandeur, but rather a position of humility. She sought only to be counted as a slave to Boaz.
Ruth saw herself only in the place of a handmaiden, and God elevated her to the role of wife. She saw herself as a slave to Boaz’s cause, and God placed her in the royal crown of His Son Jesus Christ. Ruth had a simple plaque that hung over her heart’s door. It read “Handmaiden to Boaz.” She sought no other position for herself. She only wanted to be a slave to Boaz’s harvest and his heart.
When did you last take a look at the plaque that hangs on the door of your heart? What is the title you have given yourself on that plaque? Does it read that you are a servant to the Eternal Boaz? Does it read, “Slave to the heart and harvest of Boaz”?
I have seen believers hang a list of their credentials on their heart’s door. They read: “Charter Member,” “A Pillar of my Church,” “I am a Sunday School Teacher,” or “I am a Deacon.” Many herald their level of giving on the plaque of their heart’s door. Ruth’s statement should serve as an “ego check” for every child of God. Far too often, we think of ourselves more highly than we should.
The positions of servants and slaves in our churches are disappearing. Churches have traded servants and slaves for “hired help” and people who need their egos stroked weekly by the pastor. Are you a servant and slave for the harvest of the Eternal Boaz? Are you a servant and slave for the heart of the Eternal Boaz?
We need more servants and slaves than we do anything else in our churches. God does more with people who see themselves as lowly than He does with those who see themselves as great. Ruth started as a handmaiden, and God made her a homemaker in the line of the Messiah. Surrender your credentials today and get back to the splendor of servanthood.