Anchor Devotional

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Foreshadowing Hope

“When she heard in Moab that the LORD had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, Naomi and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there.” Ruth 1:6

Naomi may not fully understand the kind of springtime that has arrived in Bethlehem. The fact that God has ended the famine is what draws Naomi home. But the end of the famine represents so much more. God’s people are no longer under judgment. The storehouses of His grace have burst open. There is now a harvest to be reaped (v. 22)—in more ways than one!

There is also a new character introduced into the story, one who underscores the difference in the people as well as the crops: Boaz. A relative of Naomi, Boaz is described as a “worthy man” (2:1). Remember that this story takes place in the time of the judges, when everyone did what was right in his own eyes. But here we find a man renowned for his upright character.

The winds of change are blowing. Naomi is not returning to the same Bethlehem. The time of judgment is over, and here we find a man with both the heart and the ability to help those in need. What a beautiful foreshadowing of hope … a pointing toward One who would be our living hope and would help us in our time of need.

SCRIPTURE FOCUS
Ruth 1:22-2:1

INSIGHT
There is much to grieve over in this life, but as Christians, we know that our hope is assured in Christ.

THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Numbers 12-13
Psalm 67
John 8

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