Lift Off! 40 Days of Sacrifice - Day 15
Malachi 3:5
"Then I will draw near to you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers and against those who swear falsely, and against those who oppress the wage earner in his wages, the widow and the orphan, and those who turn aside the alien and do not fear Me," says the Lord of hosts.
So why do we have a book of the Bible named after a Moabite woman (Ruth)? Here’s at least one of the answers to that question: Because we have a God who wants us to know how much he cares for the outcasts and the oppressed, the strangers and the refugees. In one of the key phrases in the book, Boaz pronounces a blessing on the otherwise forbidden Moabite woman: “A full reward will be given to you by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge” (Ruth 2:12).
There is refuge, the book of Ruth shows us, under the wings of God. And we know Boaz isn’t merely a model of goodwill. He’s a mirror of God. He’s the agent God uses to show how he seeks out the oppressed and shelters them under the shadow of his wings; how he serves the outcast at his table and showers the needy with his grace; and ultimately, how he is faithful to care for the forbidden foreigner.
And so, we’re compelled to do the same. We’re compelled to reflect our Redeemer.
- David Platt
The way God works and how He enacts His plans can come in strange forms and through surprising people. God uses many people to reveal His great purpose of grace and peace in so many differing ways. How can we question? May this stir us to pray in hope for the people who are lost. That God would send His agents of grace and truth into their lives so that they may sense His presence, provision, and peace. Pray that we would surrender to God's perfect purpose in the midst of a difficult situation like the refugee crisis. Lastly, praise God that He works in these mysterious ways and that He will continue to work out His plan no matter what happens.
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