God, in His providence, made Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz strategic figures in the unfolding of His plan of salvation. The simple, everyday existence of ordinary people provides the platform on which God's purpose moves forward inexorably, redemptively, and even beautifully. The Bible illuminates our experience of life. In the story of Ruth, the most important actor of all is God Himself. But He veils His active role behind human initiatives and natural processes.
Life is like that.
The story of Ruth begins in sorrow but concludes in joy, and your life is moving in that direction, too. If you have given your allegiance to Christ, you are a part of this story. And He is able to accomplish His intentions through all the changes, the disappointments, and the sheer routine of our lives. Our part, then, is to be men and women loyal to principle, faithful to duty, trusting God for a glorious outcome. Dr. Ray Ortlund Jr. teaches Old Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School near Chicago, Ill., and wrote the notes to Obadiah in the New Geneva Study Bible.