Phases of Faith

I was once told, “There is no white space in the Bible”- that is to say, there are no meaningless words in Scripture.  Indeed, even the Bible itself makes this claim: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).  But sometimes it can be really hard to figure out what is being taught, and stuff reads just like…say…exposition.  Today’s passage is exposition, and yet the Holy Spirit has a lesson hidden in its mundane words!

Previously in this series we talked about patience.  And today’s passage is a continuation of that.  Honestly, not a whole lot happens for five verses, which might be a first since we started deep diving in the Bible.  Ruth 3:16-4:2 reads,

When Ruth came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, “How did it go, my daughter?”

     Then she told her everything Boaz had done for her and added, “He gave me these six measures of barley saying, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’”

     Then Naomi said, “Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens.  For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.”

     Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate and sat there.  When the kinsman-redeemer he had mentioned came along, Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.”  So he went over and sat down.

     Boaz took ten of the elders of the town and said, “Sit here,” and they did so.

Ruth went home with food and waited, meanwhile Boaz set up what would soon be his big meeting to get the right to marry her.  That’s it.  But when reading these seemingly innocuous verses, the Spirit reminded me of our walk of faith.  During our walk with Jesus, we’re often called to wait- which is what Ruth was doing.  Sometimes we’re called to act- which is what Boaz was doing. And yet, we are able to trust God to help us in both.  When we’re called to wait, we need to trust in the Lord to provide for us.  We’re told,

I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
Therefore I will wait for him.”
The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
To the one who seeks him;
It is good to wait quietly
For the salvation of the Lord (Lamentations 3:24-26).

And so we wait.  And when we are called to act, we do so with the faith that the Lord is backing us up.  When he called Moses to free the Israelites from Egypt, history records,

The Lord said to him, “Who gave man his mouth?  Who makes him deaf or mute?  Who gives him sight or makes him blind?  Is it not I, the Lord?  Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say” (Exodus 4:11-12).

And so no matter what the Lord calls you to do, you can rest in the faith that he’ll aid you as needed.

One of the greatest examples of the Lord providing during waiting and action was while Israel was in the desert.  Because they were being led around a very dangerous area, the Lord very carefully determined the nation’s steps.  The Bible tells us,

In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out – until the day it lifted.  So the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels (Exodus 40:36-38).

Sometimes it was time for them to move, so the cloud moved.  Sometimes it was time to wait, so the cloud stayed.  But the Lord was present at both times.  This is why it is written, “Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6).  And throughout all that time (40 years!) the Lord provided for his people.  As it is written,

Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them in the desert.  By day the pillar of cloud did not cease to guide them on their path, nor the pillar of fire by night to shine on the way they were to take.  You gave your good Spirit to instruct them.  You did not withhold your manna from their mouths, and you gave them water for their thirst.  For forty years you sustained them in the desert; they lacked nothing, their clothes did not wear out nor did their feet become swollen (Nehemiah 9:19-21).

Through every phase of their journey, the Lord was with them.

Through his sacrifice in our stead, Jesus welcomes those who call on him into this life with the Lord.  Sometimes you’ll be asked by God to wait.  Sometimes you’ll be called to act.  But no matter what, know that the Lord loves you and will provide for you.

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• Ruth in Focus (laymansbible.wordpress.com)