Living Expectantly

Hope. It’s a strange thing. We want it. We seek it. But we’re almost afraid to have it. We’re afraid to be disappointed, afraid the reality won’t live up to our expectations. Sometimes, we’re afraid to imagine that God has something for us, and that something might be good.

I wonder what went through Ruth’s mind throughout this story. What was she thinking when she chose to follow Naomi back to Bethlehem? What could she have hoped for there? A husband seemed like a far stretch. Maybe she went just resigned to a life with a bitter mother-in-law – maybe she thought that was all she deserved or maybe she felt it was just the lot given to her. That’s what she needed to do. It felt like the right thing regardless if it meant laying down all her hopes and dreams.

I wonder what went through her mind as she approached the threshing floor. Did she let herself hope at this point? Could she imagine that Boaz would want to marry her? Or did she just go to be obedient to her mother-in-law’s wishes? Was she again just doing what she had to do?

As this other close relative, the other potential kinsman-redeemer comes on the scene, was she hopeful that someone would want to marry her? Could she imagine things working out? Or was she just resigned to be part of the property negotiated away by business men?

As I look at Ruth’s story, and all these incidents along the way, I think she had to have seeds of hope – perhaps planted in Boaz’ willingness to provide, by his invitation to the table, by the rumors early on of God’s provision in the midst of famine. Without hope, these incidents just look like going through the motions of life, hanging on by a thread. Yet, how often do we find ourselves there? How often do we feel like we walked away from our hopes and dreams? That there is no hope left for us. I’ve been there. I’ve felt that opportunities have passed me by or I made wrong choices or my favorite – that just must not have been God’s will for my life. And so, I leave hope on the side of the road and plug along resigned to live a perfectly mediocre but far from abundant life in Christ.

Here’s the thing, though. Ruth didn’t have any idea of the story that God wanted to write in her life. She didn’t know what God was going to do, she didn’t know that she was going to end up in Boaz’ field or that Boaz would even notice her. She didn’t know if she was going to get married again or if she was going to have a child. She didn’t know if Naomi would ever get over her bitterness. She didn’t know what was in store for her. BUT she lived expectantly. She lived sensing that God was going to do something, that if God was truly coming to the aid of His people, then maybe just maybe He could come to her aid and Naomi’s aid. She stepped out in faith expecting good things to happen, expecting God to work.

I would have been terrified to go work in a stranger’s field alone as a foreigner – but she went expecting God to provide food for her there. She approached the threshing floor, approached Boaz, and went expectantly –boldly proposing to him and asking him to serve as her kinsman-redeemer. She didn’t go timidly and say oh, you probably don’t want to marry me, a foreigner; you’ll be jeopardizing everything. She went expecting great things, realizing Boaz was a man of character, a man who echoed God’s provision and His care for His people. And she was bold enough to hope that she could be included in that promise and provision.

I think sometimes we have a hard time believing and living expectantly in Christ. We have a hard time allowing ourselves to hope that God has good things in store for us. And yet scripture tells us over and over that He is our Father, who takes delight in giving good gifts to His children.

“Which of you, if his son ask for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in Heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him?” (Matthew 7: 9-11)

(In the midst of captivity and judgment) “For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

(During suffering and persecution) “And the God of all grace, who called you into eternal glory in Christ Jesus, after you have suffered for a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast.” (1 Peter 5:10)

“And we know that in all things (even heartache, loss, famine) God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?...No! In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, neither angels or demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus, our Lord.” (Romans 8:35-39)

With these promises in our hearts and in our minds, we don’t have to leave hope on the side of the street. We can live expectantly – not knowing exactly how God is going to work, what He has in store for us in our lives, but we can know He is at work, He loves us, and His plans for us are for GOOD. When we can trust in His goodness for our lives, we can live boldly and expectantly, waiting to see how the story will unfold. It doesn’t mean the happy ending will look just as we imagined it, or that it will come when we want it to or in the way we expect. It may mean that it takes hard work and persistence on our part or walking through incredibly tough times, just as it did for Ruth. But He is able and He is willing to work on our behalf, on behalf of those who love Him and walk with Him. “…[He] is able and willing to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20). Now that gives me hope!

The Threshing Floor

This lesson, based in Ruth chapter 3, has hit me particularly hard this week. Ruth steps out in courage and goes to the threshing floor to propose to Boaz. The waiting is over. Naomi gives her instructions and her blessing and now the only thing left for her to do is to approach Boaz.

For me, this lesson is not so much about proposing - I've never had the inclination to propose to anyone. It is, though, for me a lesson about being willing to trust God enough to step out in faith, not knowing what the response will be. I've struggled with that in regards to dating, in regards to work, in regards to my writing. I trust God, but sometimes I still let fear hold me back instead of moving forward in faith and trusting God with whatever happens.

That's what I appreciate about Ruth. I'm sure she was afraid of how Boaz would respond. Here was this guy who had taken her under his wing, looked after her and protected her, provided food for her and Naomi. She had to be afraid of screwing all that up. This proposal was going to change things between them - for better or worse. If her proposal was unfavorably received, she could be jeopardizing her primary source of provision. Boaz had been incredibly kind to her, but marriage is different - it goes beyond typical kindness. Boaz was a man of standing in the community and here was Ruth, a foreigner. He might be willing to invite her to the table, to be friends with her, but marrying her was an entirely different matter. This could jeopardize his standing in the community. Then there is the possibility that Boaz would think less of her for going to the threshing floor, not exactly a place of good repute. Would just the act of going reflect poorly on her?

As I picture it, all these fears had to be running through her mind. But then again, I am used to fears running through my mind. Sometimes I hear a constant stream of what ifs playing, and I can't seem to find the mute button. But regardless of whether the audio was playing in Ruth's mind or not, she went anyway. She didn't know how things were going to turn out. She didn't know how Boaz would respond, but she still stepped out in courage, with boldness, opening herself up to what God had in store for her.

What if she hadn't gone? What if she had listened to those fears? She would have kept on working in the fields, gathering food for herself and Naomi. Things would have continued rather normally. BUT... she would have missed out on Boaz, missed out on the story God wanted to write in her life. She never would have been a part of the line of King David. She wouldn't be listed in the geneology of Jesus. She would have lived a perfectly mediocre life without the incredible blessings God had in store for her.

That's what I want think God has been trying to show me this week, the importance of replacing my fearful what ifs with what if nots... What am I missing out on when I let fear hold me back? How does God want to bless me as I step out and trust Him? What story does God want to write in my life? Looking back, I see opportunities that I let slip away, times when I was too afraid of what might happen, good or bad, times when I was too afraid of opening up myself to what God wanted to do. I wonder what if. It's not that I imagine things would have worked out perfectly, but what would I have learned walking through it with Christ, what would I have learned about trusting Him? Those questions are not meant to tie me up in the past. I am usually fairly good about leaving the past behind me and living without regrets. I know I can't change those times, but I can choose here and now to make myself available, to choose faith over fear. I can choose a better way. I want to find out what God might want to do with my writing. I want to find out what God has in store for me career-wise. I don't want to close myself off to new opportunities because I am afraid.

"Perfect love casts out fear" (1 John 4:18). Ruth was able to step out. I can step out. We all can step out to the threshing floor because He loves us (Romans 5:8) and He is working for our good (Romans 8:28).