These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said to me, ‘You must not go back empty-handed to your mother-in-law.’ ” 18 She replied, “Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out, for the man will not rest but will settle the matter today.
“Let’s let this thing play out.” This can be an excuse for inactivity or a wise way of dealing with uncertainty, depending on the situation. In this situation, Naomi had said in chapter 1, “I went away full, and the LORD has brought me back empty.” Here though, Boaz, who would redeem them, gave this gift as a token of good faith, that he would look after them. Naomi would not be empty for Boaz would supply her needs. In the uncertainty of this moment, Naomi chose to wait and see what would happen. The gift from Boaz assured her of his goodness. This would change her mindset for the duration of the saga from feeling empty to secure in the LORD’s mercy.
We can learn a lot from this as we go about our day amidst uncertainty of our health, finances, and relationships. Take heart that God has given you good faith gifts. He has given us his Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins and settled the matter for eternity. He has given us the Holy Spirit to guide us. Now, instead of feeling empty, we can be filled with his goodness. With that in mind, we can face the uncertainty of the day, waiting to see what the LORD will do next because he will not rest until he has kept his promise to never leave us or forsake us. You will not be empty handed because…
He stretched his hands out for you.
Pastor Brad Boyer
Cape Community Church