Daily Devotion

December 5, 2013

Ruth: The People We Marry


Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer.
—Ruth 4:14 (NIV)

Marriage is one of the most important decisions you will ever make. It is a commitment for life. It affects every other area in your life: your future children, where you live, your finances, where you go to church, and so much more. God has a plan for the people you associate with in your dating life. You will be better off if you take the time to be sure that the one you marry is the one ordained by God.

Does God care if you are single, widowed, or divorced? Does He notice when everybody else goes home together, but you go home alone? You bet He notices! In the book of Ruth, we see the God who said, “It is not good that man [or woman] should be alone” (Genesis 2:18), step into the shadows of Ruth’s life and give her a Kingdom Connection.

Ruth’s husband had died, and she had little prospect of finding a good man. But God didn’t send her a loser or a reject. He didn’t send her a smooth-talking “player” who would break her heart. He sent her a man who was capable and could care for her. He sent her Boaz. Tomorrow we’ll perform an in-depth examination of Boaz’s character to demonstrate God’s unfailing provision.

In the end, Boaz arranged a legal wedding and became Ruth’s “kinsman-redeemer.” They had a son named Obed. Obed had a son named Jesse. Jesse had a son named David, who became a king. David had a descendant named Mary. And Mary had a little child whom she named Jesus.

Through Ruth’s character discernment, God not only blessed her with a fantastic husband, but He also placed her in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. (See Matthew 1:5.)

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I thank and praise You that You care about all aspects of my life, including the details of my earthly relationships. Through the example of Ruth, I know that You will provide for Your children when they seek Your face with purity of heart. Like Ruth, help me to trust and wait on You as I seek to bring the right people in my life. Amen.

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