January 14 Daily Devotional

Open Hearts and Open Hands

Peter G. Feenstra

Now the two of them went until they came to Bethlehem. And it happened, when they had come to Bethlehem, that all the city was excited because of them; and the women said, “Is this Naomi?” (Ruth 1:19)

Bible Reading

Ruth 1:18–2:2

Devotional

Does your heart go out to welcome others? Do your hands open to help those in need? When Ruth and Naomi return to Canaan there is enough chatter going on about Ruth. In the streets of Bethlehem they stare and glare. The whole town is stirred. The neighbours whisper, “Naomi is back and she has a Moabite woman with her. What is she doing here?”

The people chatter but they do not open their hearts to receive Ruth and they do not open their hands to help her. This is the time of the judges; everyone does what is right in their own eyes. Everyone is out for themselves and their own well-being. The covenant people of the Lord, who have received so much, live beside each other but not with each other.

How would you have felt if you had received such a reception? The people who grew up in the land of the covenant are not being a very good example, but Ruth does not get frustrated or threaten to leave. She is faithful to the oath which she made when she entered into the land of the promise: “May the Lord bring upon me the worst punishment if I should ever even think of leaving.” Ruth trusts the Lord and believes He will provide in His time. She does not complain about what’s wrong in the church but she gets busy. She is not at the mercy of a disobedient people but relies on the mercy of the Lord. Ruth immediately makes clear that she is familiar with the laws of the Lord—maybe even more so than the people of Israel. Ruth has learned from the Scriptures that the Lord is merciful and that He made provision in His law for widows, poor, and foreigners.

The church of Christ has a great responsibility to take care of the needs of widows, strangers, and those who have been abandoned by others. The church is to be a haven and shelter for every member. No one in the church should be left to fend for themselves. The Lord in His mercy has snatched us from the fire and His electing love demands that we show His mercy and compassion to each other. May our hearts go out to receive others and our hands open to help them in their need.

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