Ruth 3:18
Then, Naomi said, “Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.” NIV
Last week, a woman from my church spoke on the word “wait.” She had several verses that she asked us to look up, and, as she talked about all of the ways that we are called to wait, it struck me that many of them were reminders not to worry.
Take this verse.
Ruth’s husband has died. She has returned with her mother-in-law, Naomi, to her husband’s hometown where Boaz, a kinsman redeemer, is.
Naomi has given Ruth detailed instructions about what she should do to find favor with Boaz. Ruth has done those things. At this point in the story, Boaz is off cementing the deal with another male relative who actually has first rights to Ruth’s husband’s land and to Ruth herself.
It does not appear that Ruth is fully aware of all of the customs of her husband’s people. She is a Moabite, and they are Israelites, so, that’s very possible.
Naomi, however, is very wise. She has seen the whole thing from the beginning and has instructed Ruth on the steps to take to solve her problems.
Now, Ruth must wait.
Waiting is HARD!
And often, when I’m waiting, is when I’m most prone to worry … “What if this doesn’t turn out the way I’ve planned? What if I don’t get what I want?”
But, God doesn’t want us to focus on the future. He wants us focused here, on the current moment, and in our current circumstances. The future is His, and His alone.
One of the points that the woman who spoke the other night made so eloquently was that, “waiting is not a passive activity.”
There are many other “wait” verses that are reminders.
As I wait to see what God has next for me, I’ll spend my time looking into what He says on the subject of waiting … I know he says not to worry while I’m doing it.
That’s what I’ll think about today.
365 Days of Peace 