Dare to Trust
Have you ever had to take a bold step of faith? One of those steps that’s probably really scary, but an act of obedience all the same? As we’ve been journeying through the book of Ruth, I’ve been encouraged by her diligence to always follow the Lord in whatever it was that she needed to do.
In Ruth 3, we read about a huge step of faith that she took when she essentially asked Boaz to marry her. At the start of the chapter, Naomi instructs Ruth to go into the threshing floor where Boaz was working, wait until he is done eating and drinking, and then go lie by his feet where he slept and wait. In verse 5, Ruth replies “”I will do everything you say”… So she went down to the threshing floor that night and followed the instructions of her mother-in-law.”
Every time I read this passage of scripture, I’m reminded of a few things to ask myself:
To be quite honest, these questions are sometimes hard for me to answer. They sound great in theory because, of course, I want to surround myself with wise people, and of course, I want to believe that I dare to follow anything and everything that God says. However, putting these into practice is sometimes very difficult.
I remember this one specific moment in my life when I was faced with an incredibly difficult decision. We were in the middle of a 21-day fast as a church, and the Lord spoke to me as I was praying about the situation. He said, “If you do this, I will bless you; but if you listen to Me and you don’t, I will bless you abundantly.” At that moment, I knew two things. One, God loves me so much and will always take care of me, no matter what. Two, I had the opportunity to either walk alongside Him, trusting that His plans for me were better than my own, or I could walk away from what He said was best and do my own thing. I can stand on the other side of that moment, having made the decision to follow God’s best plan, and I can say, without a shadow of a doubt, that it was really hard and that it was also absolutely the best decision that I could’ve made. He continues to fulfill His promise and has blessed me beyond what I could’ve even dreamed.
As we continue reading chapter 3 of Ruth, we can see the abundant blessings that come from listening to what God says and from trusting that His ways are so much higher. He can take any situation and turn it for good. The reality is that in this life, we will be faced with challenges, pain, sorrow, and loss. We will also have joy, peace, and a whole lot of fun. With any and all of these things that we can and will experience, we can have hope that the Creator of the universe cares so much about us and always has a plan for our lives.
In Jeremiah 29:11, we read, “”For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”” There is hope today that God will always keep His promises! He has never and will never fail. If I can encourage you in anything today, it is to have the courage and the boldness to follow God in every single moment. His ways are so much better than ours.
ACTIVATION/PRAYER: Set a timer for 5 minutes, pray this simple prayer, and then listen to what God wants to say to you. When the timer goes off, write down what you feel like you heard God say. Follow His plan with boldness and confidence that He is in control!
“God, what are the areas in my life where I’m not following the plans that You have for me? Show me what it looks like to walk hand in hand with You. God, I am listening, and I pray that You would give me the courage to follow Your ways all the days of my life. Amen.”
In Ruth 3, we read about a huge step of faith that she took when she essentially asked Boaz to marry her. At the start of the chapter, Naomi instructs Ruth to go into the threshing floor where Boaz was working, wait until he is done eating and drinking, and then go lie by his feet where he slept and wait. In verse 5, Ruth replies “”I will do everything you say”… So she went down to the threshing floor that night and followed the instructions of her mother-in-law.”
Every time I read this passage of scripture, I’m reminded of a few things to ask myself:
- Who do I have around me that is speaking wisdom into my life?
- Do I actually have the courage to do the seemingly scary things that are absolutely the right things?
- Am I listening to God in every action that I take, trusting that He will take care of me?
To be quite honest, these questions are sometimes hard for me to answer. They sound great in theory because, of course, I want to surround myself with wise people, and of course, I want to believe that I dare to follow anything and everything that God says. However, putting these into practice is sometimes very difficult.
I remember this one specific moment in my life when I was faced with an incredibly difficult decision. We were in the middle of a 21-day fast as a church, and the Lord spoke to me as I was praying about the situation. He said, “If you do this, I will bless you; but if you listen to Me and you don’t, I will bless you abundantly.” At that moment, I knew two things. One, God loves me so much and will always take care of me, no matter what. Two, I had the opportunity to either walk alongside Him, trusting that His plans for me were better than my own, or I could walk away from what He said was best and do my own thing. I can stand on the other side of that moment, having made the decision to follow God’s best plan, and I can say, without a shadow of a doubt, that it was really hard and that it was also absolutely the best decision that I could’ve made. He continues to fulfill His promise and has blessed me beyond what I could’ve even dreamed.
As we continue reading chapter 3 of Ruth, we can see the abundant blessings that come from listening to what God says and from trusting that His ways are so much higher. He can take any situation and turn it for good. The reality is that in this life, we will be faced with challenges, pain, sorrow, and loss. We will also have joy, peace, and a whole lot of fun. With any and all of these things that we can and will experience, we can have hope that the Creator of the universe cares so much about us and always has a plan for our lives.
In Jeremiah 29:11, we read, “”For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”” There is hope today that God will always keep His promises! He has never and will never fail. If I can encourage you in anything today, it is to have the courage and the boldness to follow God in every single moment. His ways are so much better than ours.
ACTIVATION/PRAYER: Set a timer for 5 minutes, pray this simple prayer, and then listen to what God wants to say to you. When the timer goes off, write down what you feel like you heard God say. Follow His plan with boldness and confidence that He is in control!
“God, what are the areas in my life where I’m not following the plans that You have for me? Show me what it looks like to walk hand in hand with You. God, I am listening, and I pray that You would give me the courage to follow Your ways all the days of my life. Amen.”
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