A WOMAN OF VALOR
RUTH
And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore. 12 The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust. Ruth 2:11-12
Sometimes you can tell a lot about people just by watching them interact with others and studying their actions. It is evident from the Bible account that others knew a lot about Ruth’s character just by watching her.
After arriving in Bethelem, widowed and with no means of providing for herself and Noami, her mother-in-law, Ruth went out into the fields to pick up the leftover grain, a practice known as gleaming. This was an Israelite law that provided a way for the poor and needy, like Ruth and Noami, to feed themselves.
As Ruth was gleaming, the owner of the field, Boaz, stopped by to check on the harvesters. He noticed Ruth and asked the workers, “Who is that young woman?” The workers replied, “She is the young woman from Moab who came back with Noami. She asked this morning if she could gather the grains behind the harvesters, and she’d been hard at work ever since.”
Impressed by this hard worker, Boaz told Ruth that she could glean in his fields as long as she wanted. Then, he invited her to eat with the harvesters. Not only that, but Boaz told his workers not to bother her but to drop even more grain for her to gather.
Ruth was overwhelmed, and asked Boaz, “Why he was so kind to me? I’m just a foreigner.” And Boaz replied, “Yes, I know. But I have heard all about you. I have heard about the kindness and love that you have shown to Noami.”
How Ruth cared for Noami was obviously the talk of Bethlehem! Even though she was a stranger among them, the people knew she was a kind, loving, and compassionate woman, just by watching her actions!
Ruth’s life exhibited admirable qualities. She was hardworking, loving, kind, and faithful. She had gained a reputation for these qualities but only because she exhibited them consistently. Wherever she went, Ruth’s character remained unchanged.
What do your actions say about your reputation? A good reputation is something you earn when you consistently live out those qualities we believe in.
Is there any woman of Ruth’s reputation reading this message? Let me read your comments.
