Patience & Cutting Corners: Conclusion of Ruth Part #5

Key Passages:
Ruth 4:3-6

Then he said to the guardian-redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelek. I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you, and I am next in line.”

“I will redeem it,” he said.

Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the dead man’s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.”

At this, the guardian-redeemer said, “Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.”

Ruth 4:9-10

9 Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. 10 I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown. Today you are witnesses! ”

Overview:

What can we learn from the timeless tale of Ruth and Boaz? Join me, Jesse Morgan, as I navigate the profound themes of patience and redemption showcased in the concluding chapter of our study on the book of Ruth. Through the inspiring actions of Boaz, who exemplifies integrity and faith by stepping up as Ruth's redeemer, we uncover the importance of doing the right thing and trusting in God's timing, despite the allure of shortcuts. I weave in personal insights from my own career journey at Macy's, where I faced similar decisions that highlighted the value of integrity and patience in revealing God's plan.

Together, we'll confront the trials that test our faith and learn to maintain our spiritual strength amidst life’s challenges. I reflect on the power of steadfast belief, encouraging you to stay resilient and not let negative influences derail your faith journey. As our study of Ruth aligns beautifully with the Thanksgiving season, I invite you to embrace a spirit of gratitude. Plus, keep your ears tuned for exciting content coming this December, including a special surprise announcement. Your support and engagement mean the world, and I can’t wait to embark on our next adventure!

Redeemer footnote:
For more on the kinsman-redeemer role and cultural expressions in ancient Israel, see Block, Daniel I. Judges, Ruth (NIV Application Commentary, 1999), which explains the legal, cultural, and theological

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Chapters

• 0:00 Patience and Redemption Through Selflessness
• 14:48 Staying Strong in Faith

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hello, hello. You are listening to the Jesse Morgan Devotions for the Christian Heart Podcast, episode 30. This week's devotional is titled Patience and Cutting Corners Conclusion of the Study of Ruth, part 5. Let's go. Hi. I'm Jesse Morgan. I used to just share home decor and renovation tips on social media, but now I'm sharing something even closer to my heart my journey and love for Jesus Christ, my Savior. Welcome to the Jesse Morgan Devotions for the Christian Heart Podcast. This is a weekly devotional. I started back in May 2024, but the inspiration for it came much earlier. It was rooted in a faith journey that began when my daughter was born, four months early in 2023. Through that challenging time, god worked in ways that truly amazed me. On this podcast, I share personal stories of faith, woven together with scriptures, to show just how incredible God's word can be in our everyday lives. My hope is that through these stories, you'll be encouraged, uplifted and reminded of God's love and presence, no matter what you're going through. So I invite you to spend less than 15 minutes with me each week as we reflect on these devotionals together. Let's all pray within. Episode 30, patience and Cutting Corners Conclusion of the Study of Ruth, part 5. Key Passages Ruth 4, 3-6. Ruth 4, 9-10. Hey everyone, welcome back to the podcast.

Speaker 1: 1:31

Today we're wrapping up our incredible study on the book of Ruth. I hope you've been blessed by this series as much as I've enjoyed diving into it with you. Let's begin with this thought there are reasons for the challenges we face in life and sometimes it's through those challenges and our refusal to cut corners that God reveals great things. Be encouraged. Today we'll explore Ruth, chapter 4, final chapter. But before that let's recap the previous study a bit from last week.

Speaker 1: 2:03

So last week we discussed the concept of a family redeemer and how Ruth courageously approached Boaz asking him to redeem her as a widow without children. Ruth needed to marry to ensure her late husband's lineage would continue. Boaz was willing to help but recognized there was a closer relative who had the first right to act as Ruth's redeemer. And that's where we pick up today in Ruth chapter four. So Ruth four, three through six, we see Boaz addressing the closer relative, also referred to as a guardian redeemer, in the presence of city elders. Boaz presents the situation, explaining Naomi is selling the piece of land and asking if the redeemer would take on the responsibility of redeeming both the land and the family.

Speaker 1: 2:56

So let's read Ruth 4, 5-6. It says Then Boaz said On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the dead man's widow in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property. At this, the guardian redeemer said Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it. Look at how God works.

Speaker 1: 3:27

Boaz, who admired Ruth for her loyalty and noble character, now was free to step in as her redeemer, and he didn't hesitate. Boaz stood before the elders and witnesses and declared his intention to redeem the land and marry Ruth. Here's Ruth 4, 9 through 10. It's what it says. Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelech, kelium and Malan. I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, malan's widow as my wife in order to maintain the name of the dead from his property widow as my wife in order to maintain the name of the dead from his property.

Speaker 1: 4:10

Wow, boaz exemplified integrity, faith and love. What makes me admire Boaz was the fact that he wanted to pay respect to Ruth's first husband. He did not care that the property would still stay in the name of the dead husband. How selfless can you be? You see how God crafted this story and how it was written. It showed Boaz's true colors. The other Redeemer said no to marrying Ruth because he was afraid of losing his estate, while Boaz, a wealthy man with land and servants, did not care about that. He cared about the person and the responsibility versus his own self-gain. Just amazing. Boaz also demonstrated something so important as well patience, trust and doing things the right way. In God's timing, boaz didn't try to cut corners to get the result he wanted, which we all know we're guilty of at times, and this reminds me of a time I could have cut corners to achieve my goals quickly, but God indirectly showed me the value of doing things the right way. Indirectly showed me the value of doing things the right way.

Speaker 1: 5:15

So, back in 2014, I worked at Macy's on 34th Street in New York City, managing a $52 million business of handbags and women's accessories. I was the merchandise manager, I dealt with all execution for this specific business, and I had a staff of 100 people. It was my first year, though, overseeing cold weather accessories, which were notorious for being chaotic and messy during this busy holiday season. Remember cold? Well, just, you know. Cold weather accessories is mittens, scarves, gloves, things like that. So think about it, those things are very PC, so understanding it can be very messy when people you know when people are shopping it.

Speaker 1: 5:52

My team dreaded this department and their anxiety started to rub off on me. So I asked them what would make cold weather execution easier. I mean, these were my veteran, you know my veteran associates, so they would know. And what's their answer? A dedicated team just for that, so that they can keep focusing on handbags, which obviously was the big breadwinner. But accessories was important as well. So, honestly, that was a brilliant idea to have a dedicated team for it.

Speaker 1: 6:22

So I decided to hire dedicated help for this area through our holiday hires, individuals who would focus on just cold weather so the rest of my team can handle handbags. Like I said, during holidays we could get two trucks of handbags with 8,000 units on each truck. Yep, you heard me. So remember, biggest department store in the country. So the, the, the amount of units coming in. You have to have a plan all the time. And accessories coming in was like 3,000 or 4,000 units, so a day possibly. So we had to have a dedicated team to manage it. So let me just put this in context real quick.

Speaker 1: 7:04

Seasonal hires are brought in and then they're gone. Some of them only work five weeks and then they're finished, so many people don't put a lot of energy into working with them. Seasoned seasonal hires usually focus on cleaning up floors, filling in tables and that's it. But I took a more tedious approach. It would have been easy to let our managers to let other managers, you know hire my seasonal employees and just hope for the best. But I took it upon myself to interview every candidate. It took three weeks, but I handpicked a team, trained them one-on-one and partnered with experts to ensure they were ready Every day. I worked over 10 plus hours working with this little team. I was supposed to be off, but I came in, or I stayed longer than my shift those three weeks to ensure they were ready for the holiday rush.

Speaker 1: 7:55

The result Our cold weather floor was one of the best executed floors in the store that year. The buyers and planners from the executive office even commended us of our results. I also gained additional hires and funding for a second lead going forward for the future holiday seasons. So that was huge, huge, huge, huge win for me. So, like Boaz, I could have taken the shortcuts, but I trusted the process and God blessed the work. I could have just, you know, told my team get over it. We got to deal with it, use the seasonal hires to recover, but I decided to take a step further and really elevate and coach and develop these people. So Boaz also followed the proper steps, like I did, asking the other redeemer first and trusting God with the outcome. I just have a feeling. Boaz wanted to marry Ruth immediately, but he had to do it the right way. And look what happened. God opened the door for Boaz to marry Ruth, redeem her and ensure her late husband's lineage would continue.

Speaker 1: 9:03

Boaz's selflessness is a powerful reminder of what true love looks like Love that sacrifices and honors others. Love might be a strong word for my story at Macy's, but it's really not. I really loved and adored my handbags team. They were one of the most amazing, hardworking teams I've ever managed. If I really think about it, it makes me tear up. That's how special they were to me. To see them not stressed out in December that year was such a reward for me as a manager. It was worth it, just like marrying Ruth was worth it for Boaz.

Speaker 1: 9:45

In the end, ruth and Boaz married and God blessed them with a son named Obed. Ruth and Boaz married and God blessed them with a son named Obed. Naomi, once, bitter and broken, became a joyful grandmother and cared for once again. But that's not all. Obed became the grandfather of King David, the future King David, and through David's lineage came our Savior, jesus Christ. Final reflection, as I want to put it what an extraordinary story of love, faith and God's providence. Ruth's loyalty and integrity brought her blessings beyond her wildest dreams, and Boaz's patience and faithfulness allowed him to play a pivotal role in God's redemptive plan.

Speaker 1: 10:30

Friends, let's take this to heart. God honors obedience, integrity, patience and trust in his timing. When we refuse to cut corners and remain faithful, god blesses us in ways we just can't even imagine. I hope this series on Ruth has inspired and encouraged you as we head into the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States. Let's thank God for his blessings, his provision and the ultimate gift of Jesus Christ. Let's pray, Heavenly Father, thank you for the story of Ruth and the reminder of your faithfulness. Help us to trust in your timing and walk in obedience even when it's difficult. Thank you for Jesus Christ, who came through the lineage of King David to redeem us all. We give you all the glory and praise In Jesus' name. We pray amen. Well, that wraps up this week's episode. I hope these devotions help you draw closer to God each day. If this episode encouraged you, please share it with someone who might need the same message, and don't forget to subscribe so you never miss a weekly episode. For more information or to reach out, check the show notes or visit jessimorganhomecom or find me on Instagram at jessimorganlife. Remember God's timing is always perfect. Keep trusting him Until next time. This is Jesse Morgan praying off.

Speaker 1: 11:58

I think this devotion with Ruth was just like a little bit of life changing for me. I really didn't expect that much. This takes so much to come out of a book that's like four chapters, but the story of Ruth is outstanding. I mean she was, and basically her people were like ostracized, you know, from Israelite culture due to the fact of how they, you know, treated the Israelites after they did the mass exit, exodus and you know God cursed the Moabites for years. And then the fact that Naomi and her husband and sons moved to Moab, married Moabite women and obviously they died and Ruth was just so smitten with her mother-in-law that she left everything she knew pagan gods and everything to move with her mother-in-law back to Bethlehem, a place that really weren't accepting of Moab, moab people, moabite people. It just speaks to that God can use anybody to to. He can use anybody to do anything that for the good, and it doesn't matter your background, doesn't matter your transgressions or anything. You can be used. That is just so, just so, so, so promising.

Speaker 1: 13:28

And you know I'm not a perfect person. I have always. I grew up in church. My dad, you know, was a pastor for 20 plus years and I never, like, forgot about the Lord, like I never did that. But the you know God was on the back burner for a long, long, long, long, long, long time and I felt guilty about it. I knew that I should be doing more, as you know, as a Christian, as a Jesus follower, you know, as a believer, and you know it it. It sucks that it took my daughter to be born so early and for her to go through so many procedures and all these things as a baby.

Speaker 1: 14:03

But that challenge has just really resurrected my spirit, to just want to share with everybody why God is so important to me, what God can do for you when you put you know, your heart and everything into him. And you know I would have never gotten through all that stuff with Sage if I had not really like revived my faith. As I say it, and I just want to encourage everybody to just spend that time with God. It's such a difference in your life how you live, how you move, how you think. It has changed me, and let me tell you I'm not perfect.

Speaker 1: 14:48

I mean, right now I'm dealing with some stuff that just really hit me while I was recording this, to just remember that God's got it in control. He's going to provide, he's going to take care of me and my family, and I cannot allow Satan to deter that and to ruin that. And that's exactly what Satan wants to do. He's going to bring distractions. He could bring the dumbest distraction and take you away from your faith for 10 seconds. He's won in his eyes. Don't give him that. So just I encourage you guys. Thank you so much for again listening to this, the study of Ruth. I'm just so excited that we got through it and it was like the perfect timing to end it right at the midst of, you know, thanksgiving holiday, like in the United States, and just being thankful, very excited New material coming for December. Have a really, really great surprise I'm going to be sharing on December 1st, so stay tuned. And this is Jessie Morgan signing off and praying off. Love you guys.