Untitled Sermon

God has answers that we’re not aware of.

Ruth and Naomi seem to feel stuck. The don’t appear to see a way out for there situation. But God had other plans

God provided an answer that no one was expecting, He provided this guy Boaz, a man who loves God and cares for people.

So, for some of you, you need to be aware that you have a God that answers your prayers in a different way that you might expect.

If God is steadfast in His love for you, be steadfast in your love for others.

Hesed: Steadfast love of God.

God promises that He will love people steadfastly, or without withholding anything

Both Ruth and Boaz exemplify the hesed of God.

Ruth works increibly hard for Naomi. She stays with her when everything told her to go away.

Boaz cares for Ruth and Naomi. He sends Ruth home with plenty of food and no mention of his statues to Ruth. He merely cares for her and Naomi’s well-being.

And yet, it can be so easy to not love people.

When someone does something you don’t like, our first instinct is often to cut them out.

But, 1John 4:7-12

1 John 4:7–12 NASB95

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.

So, we, like ruth, Boaz, and especially God, are supposed to love one another.

Questions

What do you think Naomi means in vs. 20

When has God answered your problems in an unexplained way?

What can you do this week to love people like God [hesed] this week?