THE RIGHT TIME

And now, is not Boaz our kinsman, with whose young women you were? Behold, he is winnowing barley at the threshing floor tonight. Ruth 3:2

One of the reasons I enjoy gardening is because I get to enjoy the fruit of my labor. There is just nothing like eating fresh peas or tomatoes from my garden! This is where we find Naomi. Her years of disappointments are finally over. Instead of living in bitterness, she has learned how to dwell on things that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good repute, excellent, and worthy of praise. (Philippians 4:8). She does this by thinking about the right place, the right time, and the right person.

The right place: threshing floor. In the ancient world, threshing floors represented the culmination of the whole previous year’s labor. Naomi picks this place for Ruth because it is no longer a time of famine – it was time for celebration.

The right time: tonight. According to Deuteronomy 25:7, if a man was unwilling to marry his brother’s widow, then that widow had the right to go to the gate and plead for another kinsman redeemer. Since there had been an obvious romance growing between Boaz and Ruth, with the ending of the barley harvest they would not be seeing each other regularly. If something were to happen, it needed to be soon. It was time for marriage!

The right person: Boaz. He had proven to be generous, thoughtful, gracious, and loving. In addition, he had the financial means to provide for Ruth and Naomi. Finally, as a kinsman, he was legally qualified.

Isn’t it comforting to know that God orchestrates every event in your life so that you are always in the right place at the right time with the right people? A God that powerful and loving is worth serving.

Philip Moeller