by John O’Malley
“And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left” (Ruth 2:14).
The conversation between Boaz and Ruth continued, and we discover more images to insert into the scrapbook of Ruth’s heart. Things were not the same for Ruth after Boaz brought her under the umbrella of his protection. One visit to the terraced hillside of Boaz’s fields changed her life. Ruth’s visit of faith to find a benefactor on the hillside outside of Bethlehem-judah brought her into a relationship of grace with Boaz.
Boaz offered to Ruth a relationship of grace, and she accepted. From that moment forward, Boaz’s grace evicted the loneliness, the hurt, and the fears of Ruth’s heart. Meeting Boaz caused Ruth’s fears to be replaced with a bright future. Ruth’s relationship with Boaz replaced her hurts with comfort. Ruth’s widowed heart had found a companion in the presence and promises of Boaz.
Because of the grace of Boaz, Ruth found that some things were missing in her life. Gone were Ruth’s days of aching loneliness in Moab. Gone were Ruth’s heart-wrenching visits to a graveside in Moab. Gone were Ruth’s days of worrying and wondering about her tomorrows. She quickly discovered that the benefits of a relationship with Boaz were innumerable.
Ruth learned what believers discover when they come to God. Those that enter a relationship of grace with the Eternal Boaz find benefits abundant. God’s grace removes their failures and replaces them with His forgiveness. His grace takes their fears and replaces them with faith. His grace provides a peace that passes all understanding. Truly, the benefits of a relationship with the Eternal Boaz are countless.
Have you made a journey of faith like Ruth and found a relationship of grace with our Eternal Boaz? This journey is not to Bethlehem-judah, but rather to Jerusalem’s hillside. On a hillside outside of Jerusalem, called Calvary, many have entered a relationship of grace with the Eternal Boaz. Is there a place you can point to in your life where you made a journey of faith and like Ruth, found a relationship of grace?
If there was a point when you came to Him, rejoice! If there is not a place in your life where He saved you, turn to Him and find His saving and sufficient grace. The Eternal Boaz still takes Moabites—marred by birth and blemished by sin—and makes them His child in a relationship of grace. I am related to the Eternal Boaz by His grace. Are you?