Redeemed, not Ridiculed

The Need Beneath the Need

After the Amen

A Four-Week Journey Through Ruth

Our church is walking through the book of Ruth, and each week after the service, I’ll be sharing a companion devotional tied to that morning’s sermon. Think of this less as sermon notes and more as carrying Sunday into the rest of the week.

Because if we are honest, most of us need help connecting what we hear on Sunday morning to what we live on Monday afternoon.

This week, our Lead Pastor Sam Landrith taught through Ruth chapter three and reminded us that God sometimes focuses on the issue as a whole instead of the symptom. Our human minds usually focus on the symptom or the immediate need.

You can watch this week’s message here:

The Ultimate Redeemer - Ruth 3 with Sam Landrith

READ IT - Ruth 3:1-18

This morning, Pastor Sam continued our journey through the book of Ruth, and one of his points immediately reminded me of a trip to the dentist that did not go according to plan.

Several years ago, I went in expecting to have a cavity filled. That was already bad enough because I’ve never exactly enjoyed dental visits. Who does? As the hygienist began cleaning around the tooth, part of it simply crumbled. Suddenly, there was a partial tooth where a whole tooth was supposed to be. She looked concerned, left me sitting there holding the little vacuum in my own mouth, and returned with the dentist.

If you’ve ever had a dentist leave the room and come back looking serious, you know that’s not encouraging. Especially, when the dentist keeps repeating, “It’s going to be fine. It’s going to be fine.” I was like, “Are you telling me or yourself?”

They patched the tooth temporarily, but eventually I needed it pulled and replaced with a bridge. I walked into that appointment believing I had one problem. The dentist discovered a much deeper one.

As I listened to Pastor Sam teach through Ruth chapter 3, I couldn’t help but think about that story.

Ruth and Naomi had already experienced God’s provision. Ruth had gathered grain. They had food on the table. Life was improving. Yet the story was moving toward something much bigger than barley. Their greatest need had not been fully addressed. What they needed was someone willing to redeem what had been lost and restore their future.

OWN IT

One of Pastor Sam’s points was that Boaz recognized Ruth’s biggest need.

By chapter 3, Ruth had already seen God’s hand at work. She had found favor in Boaz’s field and returned home with enough grain to provide for herself and Naomi for the near future. From a human perspective, the immediate problem seemed solved.

But Boaz saw beyond the immediate need.

A kinsman-redeemer had the responsibility to protect, restore, rescue, and preserve a family’s future. The role was much larger than simply providing a meal or helping someone through a difficult week. Redemption involved stepping into someone’s story and changing its direction. Essentially, it was literally life changing.

That’s what makes this chapter so powerful.

So often, we pray about the symptom while God is working on the source. We ask Him to change circumstances, remove obstacles, or solve immediate problems. Sometimes He does exactly that. Other times, He is doing something deeper than we realize.

I’ve experienced that in my own life.

There were seasons when I prayed for a different job because I was convinced a new position was the answer. Looking back, I can see that God was shaping something much bigger than my employment situation. He was preparing me for a healthier environment, teaching me trust, and positioning me where He wanted me to be. What felt like a job problem at the time was really part of a larger process that I couldn’t yet see.

I think many of us live that way.

We focus on what is directly in front of us while God sees the whole picture.

Pastor Sam also pointed out that Boaz chose redemption rather than ridicule.

That statement stayed with me.

Boaz had every opportunity to dismiss Ruth, embarrass her, or send her away. Instead, he responded with kindness, dignity, and grace. The more I thought about it, the more I realized how closely that mirrors the heart of Jesus.

Photo by gustavo nacht on Unsplash

Pastor Sam referenced the famous Christ the Redeemer statue overlooking Rio de Janeiro. No matter where you are in the city, you can look up and see Christ standing there with His arms stretched wide. He also connected that image to the cross, where Jesus literally stretched out His arms for us.

That picture resonates with me because it reflects how Jesus continues to respond to His people.

Many Christians spend far too much time carrying guilt from sins that have already been forgiven. Satan loves reminding us of old failures, old mistakes, and old wounds. He whispers that God is disappointed, frustrated, or finished with us.

Yet Scripture tells a very different story.

God welcomed us when we were sinners. He pursued us before we ever pursued Him. He offered forgiveness before we deserved it. Every time we repent and return to Him, His arms remain open wide. His grace has not run out. His mercy has not expired. His love has not diminished.

That truth reminded me of a moment with one of my daughters.

We had an argument one day, and neither of us handled it particularly well. Harsh words were exchanged, feelings were hurt, and eventually we went our separate ways. Later, I went looking for her and found her sitting in her closet with her arms wrapped around her knees and her head hanging down.

I sat beside her.

I told her I loved her.

I told her I was sorry.

After a while, she apologized too, and together we moved forward.

Looking back, I’m grateful that reconciliation mattered more than winning the argument.

Grace has always been an important part of our home because grace has been such an important part of my life. Relationships thrive when people are willing to pursue restoration rather than keep score.

That’s exactly what Boaz offered Ruth.

And it’s exactly what Jesus offers us.

The final point Pastor Sam made was that Boaz graciously gave from his limited resources. He sent Ruth home carrying barley, but by the time she returned to Naomi, she was carrying something else as well.

She was carrying hope.

The grain would feed them for a season, but hope gave them something even more valuable. For the first time in a long time, Ruth and Naomi could see a future unfolding before them. They could see evidence that God had not forgotten them. They could see that redemption might actually be possible.

Hope changes people.

When hope disappears, discouragement settles in quickly. Life becomes heavier. The future feels darker. Even simple tasks become harder to carry.

I’ve certainly experienced disappointment, frustration, and difficult seasons. But I have never completely lost hope because my hope has never rested solely on circumstances. It rests on Christ and His redeeming love.

Ruth approached Boaz wondering how he would see her. She may have expected to be viewed as another widow in need of charity. Instead, she encountered someone who saw her value, her character, and her future.

The grain mattered.

The hope mattered more.

LIVE IT

Most of us are carrying something into God’s presence today.

A concern.
A struggle.
A frustration.
A prayer request.

Those things matter, and God cares about every one of them.

But this week, consider asking a different question.

Instead of focusing only on what you want God to remove, ask Him what He may be trying to accomplish.

What deeper work might He be doing?

What lesson might He be teaching?

What part of your character is He shaping?

What future blessing might He be preparing?

Ruth arrived at the threshing floor believing she understood her greatest need. By the end of the chapter, God had begun revealing something much larger.

The same is often true in our lives.

God sees farther than we do. He understands needs we haven’t yet recognized. He works on both the immediate problem and the deeper issue beneath it.

God doesn’t just fix the day.

He redeems the life.

DINNER TABLE DEVOTIONALS

1. Have you ever thought you had one problem, only to discover there was a bigger problem underneath it?

2. Why do people often try to fill spiritual needs with temporary solutions?

3. What is the difference between receiving help and experiencing redemption?

4. When have you experienced grace instead of judgment from someone you love?

PRAY IT

Lord, thank You for seeing beyond the needs we recognize and addressing the needs we often miss. Thank You for Your grace, Your patience, and Your redeeming love. Help us trust You when we cannot see the whole picture. Remind us that Your plans reach beyond today’s struggles and that Your desire is not simply to improve our circumstances but to transform our lives. Thank You for welcoming us with open arms and offering us hope through Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Next Sunday in After the Amen

Next week, we’ll finish our journey through Ruth and see God’s redemption story come full circle. What began with famine, loss, and uncertainty will end with a reminder that God is always working toward a greater purpose than we can see in the moment.

See you next Sunday.