GOD IS AT WORK IN THE WORST OF TIMES (From a study of the Book of Ruth) Judges 21:23 says, “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” It was a very dark time in Israel. The same gloomy pattern happened again and again: The people would sin, God would send enemies against them, the people would cry for help, and God would mercifully raise up a judge to deliver them (Judges 2:16-19). From all outward appearances, God’s purposes for righteousness and glory in Israel were failing. But what the book of Ruth, which follows the book of Judges, does for us is give us a glimpse into the hidden work of God during the worst of times. Consider the last verse of Ruth (4:22). The child born to Ruth and Boaz during the period of the judges is Obed. Obed becomes the father of Jesse, and Jesse becomes the father of David who led Israel to her greatest heights of glory. One of the main messages of the little book of Ruth is that GOD IS AT WORK IN THE WORST OF TIMES. The book of Ruth reveals the hidden hand of God in the bitter experiences of His people. The point of this book is not just that God is preparing the way for the coming of the King of Glory, but that He is doing it in such a way that all of us should learn that the worst of times are not wasted. They are not wasted globally, historically, or personally. When you think He is farthest from you, or has even turned against you, the truth is that as you cling to Him, He is laying foundation stones of greater happiness in your life. Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, But trust him for his grace; Behind a frowning providence He hides a smiling face. What William Cowper says in these lines is a description of how God brings about the eternal salvation of His people. It’s the way He governs history, and it is the way He governs our lives. The book of Ruth is one of the most graphic stories of how God hides His smiling face behind a frowning providence.
Posted on: Sun, 04 Aug 2013 12:30:55 +0000
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