While she was there, Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters. “The Lord be with you!” he said.
“The Lord bless you!” the harvesters replied.
Thought for Today
This simple passage tells us a great deal about Boaz. This is not simply a ritual greeting. When Boaz arrives at the harvest field he greets his workers with a blessing. Note the punctuation. He asks God’s blessing on them with enthusiasm. Take another look at their response. They return the blessing with passion and joy. Have you ever worked a manual labor job? How did you feel about your supervisor? When I worked a labor intensive job in the summers I found that my supervisor was unappreciative and demanding. The other employees never liked him much and certainly did not respect him. I cannot imagine that supervisor arriving with a blessing and receiving an enthusiastic response from the workers. I’m sure it happens, but I think the opposite is much more common. Seeing Boaz as the beloved employer says a lot about his character. He treats everyone with care and respect, even people who would be considered beneath his station. He honors God by caring for his people and gives praise and credit to God when he speaks to others (cf. v. 12). In response, God blesses Boaz with fertile fields in the midst of a famine. What does the way you treat others, especially the people who serve or work under you, say about your faith in and love of God? What is one thing you can do today that might make a difference in how you honor God through others?
Prayer
Blessed Lord, help me to see the opportunities You have provided to honor You in the way I treat others. Open my eyes, that I might give You greater glory today. Amen.
Devotional Quote
To have found God and still to pursue Him is the soul’s paradox of love. ― A.W. Tozer
Quote of the Day
Knowledge will give you power, but character respect. — Bruce Lee
Ruth: A Story of Real Joy 3
Ruth 2:4
While she was there, Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters. “The Lord be with you!” he said.
“The Lord bless you!” the harvesters replied.
Thought for Today
This simple passage tells us a great deal about Boaz. This is not simply a ritual greeting. When Boaz arrives at the harvest field he greets his workers with a blessing. Note the punctuation. He asks God’s blessing on them with enthusiasm. Take another look at their response. They return the blessing with passion and joy. Have you ever worked a manual labor job? How did you feel about your supervisor? When I worked a labor intensive job in the summers I found that my supervisor was unappreciative and demanding. The other employees never liked him much and certainly did not respect him. I cannot imagine that supervisor arriving with a blessing and receiving an enthusiastic response from the workers. I’m sure it happens, but I think the opposite is much more common. Seeing Boaz as the beloved employer says a lot about his character. He treats everyone with care and respect, even people who would be considered beneath his station. He honors God by caring for his people and gives praise and credit to God when he speaks to others (cf. v. 12). In response, God blesses Boaz with fertile fields in the midst of a famine. What does the way you treat others, especially the people who serve or work under you, say about your faith in and love of God? What is one thing you can do today that might make a difference in how you honor God through others?
Prayer
Blessed Lord, help me to see the opportunities You have provided to honor You in the way I treat others. Open my eyes, that I might give You greater glory today. Amen.
Devotional Quote
To have found God and still to pursue Him is the soul’s paradox of love. ― A.W. Tozer
Quote of the Day
Knowledge will give you power, but character respect. — Bruce Lee