Fulfiling the Prayer

Scripture: Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” But Boaz answered her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told to me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!” Ruth 2:10-12

Observation: As Ruth is gleaning grain in the field Boaz has noticed her, and had no idea who she was so asked his foreman. The foreman said she was Naomi's daughter in-law, and immediately Boaz knows her story - he has heard of her goodness, kindness, and faithfulness to Naomi. As a result, he says the Lord will repay her, and takes five specific steps himself:

1) He encourages her to always glean grain from his field.
2) He tells his works to leave full sheaths of grain behind for her.
3) He feeds her more lunch than she can eat.
4) He gives her full access to the water provided to his laborers.
5) He explicitly instructs his men to not rebuke her or harm her.

Boaz states a blessing upon Ruth, and that blessing is that the Lord will repay her, give her a "full reward", because she has cared for Naomi and taken refuge under God's protective wing. He then immediately fulfills that blessing himself ... he provides her a full reward, enough to care for both Ruth and Naomi, and arranges for her full protection.

Application: So often we pray for someone - maybe a strange, maybe a loved one, or maybe just someone we know who is struggling - and ask for specific things. We ask for their encouragement, their recovery, their financial well being, their happiness. We know God will provide those things, but we forget that ... God uses people to provide.

If we want someone to feel joy, we must treat them joyfully. If we wish for someone to be encouraged through a hardship, we must show mercy and encouragement. We are God's hands and feet.

Boaz knew this implicitly. He asks for God's blessing and then immediately acts himself to fulfill exactly everything he asked of God. It's almost as if Boaz wasn't praying to God for action, but was articulating the actions which the Spirit had already placed on his own heart.

This is a pattern I should watch for. It is very "10 second rule" ish. If I feel someone needs something - assistance, encouragement, a kind word, an idea - don't just think 'oh, I'll pray for that for them', but instead go and give it to them. I need to be the action, not the words. I can do what needs done, not just tell God about it (hint: he already knows!).

Prayer: Lord, I sometimes ask that I can be your hands - that I can engage in your work. But then when your Spirit shows me the work, I admire it, pray about it, and watch to see what will happen. Today, let me be a man of action. Let me see a need and do something to fulfill it, not just hope that you do something. You already did something ... you created me to do something. Amen.