Sunday, November 16, 2008

Who's Making It Happen?

It’s been a long time since I posted anything. Not for any good or bad reason. Just nothing I have thought I wanted to say but now might be a good time for some thoughts I have been having in my life. I was reading the book of Ruth a while back without seeking anything particular. As I read it I was impressed with seeing how God “sneaks” his plans into our lives, especially when we think we are just trying to survive with the decisions that we make. I thought of Ruth and Naomi. Both had suffered much heartache with the loss of their husbands and, for Naomi, her sons as well. Then a tough decision by Naomi to move back home and Ruth’s tougher decision to “give up” family and security to go take care of Naomi and move with her. Then reading you see this apparently random process of Ruth going to Boaz’s field. Boaz happening to notice her and then they fall in love and get married. The thing is, from what we read or the author tells us, there was little if any strategy to the decisions that were made. But yet in the marriage of Ruth and Boaz, Ruth becomes a part of the lineage of King David and the Messiah. How more “perfect” could this have worked out? How “luckier” could they have been? To me it speaks to God’s great mercy and sovereignty. How God does so many things and works so many details out and we don’t see it as him and forget to even give him the credit (I am not saying Ruth or Naomi did that). However I must ask myself who do I REALY put my trust in. Is it in my decisions or do I believe God is actively, not just taking advantage of situations, but actually causing them to bring about things that are outside of even my dreams? Boaz was outside of Ruth’s dreams but God, I believe, was active in thoughts, decisions, and actions that led them to the end of the story. I guess just something to think about. God is not just “Working things out” he is making things happen. The question for me is when he “makes something happen” I don’t like do I have enough faith in him and his will for me and life in general to trust his actions over my perspective?