Naomi and Ruth are choosing to believe the best about Boaz, not the worst. They believe he’s actually waiting for Ruth, a younger woman, to choose him. Boaz is middle aged and guys are awkward when it comes to asking girls out. He’s shown Ruth that he cares about her with all his generosity. So Ruth and Naomi are going to trust Boaz and risk everything with this crazy plan.

I can so relate to Naomi. Suffering is a classroom in which Jesus is teaching me even more about my heart and His goodness. Here’s the latest discovery: I will muster internal strength to confront challenges or suffering and it sounds like this, “I’ve got to….I need to….I should have….I must…I could have….” Can you relate? Let’s be practical—we actually have to get out of bed and face the day, even if it’s tough. Naomi is a practical woman. I’m a practical guy. But what I’ve discovered is that my little ‘mustering of strength’ is actually my heart saying this: “I am alone and this challenge or this sorrow is all on my shoulders. I have to make it better, fix it, or endure it alone.” I’m the same as Naomi. I don’t know why this is the reflex of my heart, but it is. I wish it wasn’t. I wish discipleship didn’t involve the Holy Spirit actually confronting my shortfalls. Yet I am so grateful the Holy Spirit does confront me because even in the midst of my self-reliance and impending exhaustion, here is what Jesus tells me in prayer and in His Word: “Andy, you don’t have to do this alone. I am enough for this. I am your strength. I am your rest. I am your peace.” God says in Isaiah 41:10, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” My Heavenly Father is enough. I can trust Him. God hasn’t left me. God is actually taking horrible situations—injury and fear and grief—and out of them creating life and hope and joy. That’s called Resurrection. Suffering has taught me that I can say, at the same time, “God you have set your hand against me. You are in control and you have allowed this pain to come”, and in the same breath, “God, you are magnificent and gracious. You use all of my chaos and rebellion and from it bring life. You take my grief and from it create joy.” The power of the Gospel is not in the avoidance of grief. The power of the Gospel is that Jesus dies for us, embracing our grief and death itself, and at the exact same time, rises again. Do not run from your pain. Turn toward it and embrace it. Discover the truth that you are in desperate need and your first instinct, if you’re like me, if you’re like Naomi, is to try to do it on your own. Suffering without God is misery and hopeless. Suffering with God is part of discipleship and it’s actually one of the most sacred and holy seasons of God’s grace we will experience. Pray, not from the place of trying to fix it, but pray from the place of knowing you’re trying and failing to hold it all together. Pray (in that humble place) to your faithful and loving Savior. You will experience hope, joy, tenderness, grace to be human, and God’s mercy to change a wounded heart as He sees fit. And when someone clings to you, when a friend draws near to you, remember that your first instinct will be to push them away. Next week we’ll find out what God does when we push him away.

Jesus asks us: What are you looking for? How shall we respond?

There is one unmistakable witness that Jesus promised us, and that is the gift of His peace. “My peace I give unto you.” No matter how complicated the circumstances may be, one moment of contact with Jesus and the fuss is gone, the panic is gone, all the shallow emptiness is gone, and His peace is put in, absolute tranquility, because of what He says- “All power is given unto Me.”

Only by the marvelous love of God for us, the tender mercies of God toward us, the awesome power of God, the unending faithfulness of our Heavenly Father for us, the suffering passion of Jesus in place of us, the overshadowing presence of the Holy Spirit upon us are we saved. It is not us. It’s not our pedigree and background. And the good news this morning is that if you’re untrusting like Rehoboam or young like Mary, if you’re doubting like Joseph or completely lost like Herod, if you’re sick or broke or addicted or rejected or abused or wicked, if you’re plain and simple and not together or sophisticated and educated and all put together—it all matters not. God will forgive and resurrect and renew and save you if you invite Jesus in. Nothing is impossible with God. And your greatest joy will never be having it all together or figuring it all out. Your greatest joy will be Jesus—you trusting Him, you knowing Him, you letting go of how and holding onto Him.