By Dr. Noreen Jacks

With the month of new resolutions and new beginnings upon us once again, I find myself pondering why so many well intentioned promises are broken almost as quickly as they are conceived. The reasons are many: lack of will power, laziness, boredom, loss of interest, and unrealistic goals.  We can all add our own rationale to the list of so-called excuses that hinder us from keeping our word to ourselves, to others, and to the Lord.

Because God knows our shortcomings, He spotlighted select individuals in the Bible, ordinary men and women, whose exemplary lives inspire us to greater faithfulness.  Ruth was one such woman of staunch conviction.  The former idol-worshipping Gentile left her family and homeland of Moab behind as she journeyed to the land of Israel, following the premature deaths of her husband, brother-in-law, and father-in-law. With determination to serve the widowed Naomi and Naomi’s mysterious invisible God, Ruth established a powerful precedent for all believers concerning the true nature of covenant relationship.

According to Jewish tradition, the widowed Moabitess was the daughter of Eglon, King of Moab, a possible royal connection not recorded in Scripture.  If Ruth actually was the daughter of a king, she would have sacrificed great wealth, prestige, and security to follow her impoverished mother-in-law into an uncertain future in a foreign land, at least according to worldly standards.  Spiritually speaking, however, Ruth gained eternal life, an honored position in the genealogy of Yeshua (Matt 1:5), and entry into the royal priesthood of Almighty God, which is far more than she surrendered.  

As a woman of wisdom and excellence, Ruth’s humble life speaks prophetically of the Gentile Bride of Yeshua, who has also left the world behind to pursue a more superior life in this world and in the world to come.  Ruth’s providential encounters with Boaz in his harvest fields and the threshing floor initiated her desperately needed redemption.  Likewise, God also arranges providential encounters for every person willing to commit his/her life wholly and unconditionally to Him and His beloved Son, Yeshua.

What humble service has the Almighty summoned you to perform for His kingdom this year?  In whose field has He led you to sow and reap?  With Ruth as your role model and the Holy Spirit as your guide, nothing is impossible for you to accomplish in His name.   If you are considering a New Year’s resolution this season, I urge you to do as the righteous Boaz counseled Ruth, to remain in the Master’s fields, a well guarded place of productivity and holy fellowship with the children of God, far from the enemy’s reach.

Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen carefully, my daughter.  Do not go to glean in another field; furthermore, do not go on from this one, but stay here with my maids.”  Ruth 2:8