Today’s Reading:
Ruth 2:1-3, 8-11
“And Boaz replied, I’ve been told all that you have been doing for your, mother-in-law, since the death of your husband.“ (v. 11, NIV)
People see and tell stories of what good or bad things that others do. Whether the aftermath of what was done or is being done presently, or will even be done, is good or bad, the story will go round. In the days of the old, stories spread slowly because the means of communication were very limited, strictly by words of mouth. However, in these days of technology, especially in the present Information and Communication era, stories spread supersonically.
Furthermore, whatever good or bad we do, speaks for us. In the days of Jesus Christ, the good deeds of healing the sick, raising the dead, casting out demons/evil spirits, spread from town to town and village to village. The Gospels mention records of several of these. The writers of the Epistles, especially Peter and Paul, also mentioned the good works Jesus Christ did while on earth, such as in Acts 10:38, and so on. In Today’s reading, a story is told about Ruth, the Moabite, whose husband had died while in Moab but had insisted on following her mother-in-law back to Bethlehem, her own nation. Without any hope of a bright future for her, Ruth went ahead to continue to comfort and provide for her mother-in-law. (Ruth 1). Unknown to her, her story had spread around of the sacrifices she had been making for her mother-in-law(V6). In V10, Ruth was surprised at the favour and goodwill she received while she was gleaning in a supposed stranger’s field. The man, Boaz, happened to be a relative of her mother-in-law’s family, who in verse 11 told her about what he had heard her do for her mother-in-law, since the death of her husband.
There and then, aside from the favours, Ruth got in verse 12, Boaz prayed for her that the Lord would repay her for what she had done and be richly rewarded by God. Furthermore, being a non-Jew, Boaz let her know that she then belonged to the God of Israel, under whose wings she had come to take refuge. The rewards that accrued to Ruth for the good she did, did not end there, she became the wife of Boaz, who is described in verse 1, KJV as a mighty man of wealth.
To crown it all, Ruth gave birth to a son named Obed, who was David’s grandfather (v.22). Ultimately, Obed, Ruth’s son was in the lineage of Jesus Christ, the Savior. (Matt. 1:1-16). The good we do speak for us and can be greatly rewarded. Several scriptures encourage us to do good, including Prov.11:27, Prov2:2. The virtuous woman is said to bring her husband good, not harm (Prov. 31:12). Let us do good, it is highly rewarded.
CHRISTY KUPOLUYI
Prayer:
Father, teach us to choose good over evil, in Jesus name.
Lord, help us to do good all the time, in Jesus name.
Lord, remember the good that we do and let them speak for us, in Jesus name.
Father, favour us and reward us for all the good we do, in Jesus name.
Father, revive your work in your Church, in Jesus name.
Father, scatter the siege of darkness over our nation, in Jesus name.
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