Be Still

"Then she said, 'Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day.'" Ruth 3:18

"Remember, when you have done everything you could, be still"

Being in limbo is not fun. Sitting and waiting for things to settle or to come to a resolution isn't what I would deem a "good time" but then again, who would? I like to play an active part in anything I'm involved in so sitting and waiting isn't my thing, it's not something I'm interested in and I want no parts (don't worry the Lord is still working on me).

But then there are times when I have no choice but to wait and my goodness do I get antsy! It's incredibly uncomfortable and honestly I don't like it because it makes me feel vulnerable. It reminds me that I'm not in control and the plans I have for myself may not be the ones that come to fruition.

I think that's what our good sis Ruth from the Bible was feeling. Or at least I would feel that way if I were her. At the end of Ruth chapter 3, readers are really familiar with her struggle. She lost her husband, she moved to Jerusalem with her mother-in-law who was grieving her own loss, she became the sole provider of their home, working endlessly and tirelessly to put food on the table but she was given hope. A man who has been nothing but caring and kind promised that both Ruth and Naomi that they would be taken care of, all they had to do was wait.

The light at the end of a hard and dark tunnel was within grasp and there wasn't anything she could do to advance towards it, it was out of her hands. She did everything she could. She followed all of the rules and instructions given to her by both Naomi and Boaz, her job was done. Ruth had no choice but to wait for an answer.

Ruth exhibits traits that God has been growing in me: faith and trust. The Bible doesn't say how Ruth waited or how she reponded to the request to be still, all we know is that she did it. Ruth trusted Naomi to lead her in the right direction and she did. Ruth trusted Boaz to follow though on his promises and he he did, all while protecting her interests. Ruth did everything she could, then she left it in the hands of those sent to her by God. By trusting their leadership she displays a trust in God, and God came through. God knew His plans for her and all she had to do was be still.

“'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. '” — Jeremiah 29:11.