Did God send Ruth a Boaz?
It's a story I've heard preached many times. A love story of 2 people in ancient Israel. One, a man raised in the people of The LORD. The other, a woman who had some living under her belt, raised in a pagan culture, and leaving all that for new life in God. I love the story of Ruth & Boaz. It's awesome, and it's TRUE! It has a great, happy ending (more on that later). But there's a misconception I've picked up on recently. There's an idea currently circulating in our church singles circles and youth meetings. And that idea is simply this: that God sent Ruth a BOAZ. Ruth did marry Boaz, and God did unite them and orchestrate the whole thing, but this framing of the story is NOT true. God did NOT send Ruth a Boaz. God sent Boaz a Ruth ! I suppose it's "the consumer model" - which is to say, often right relationships in God are viewed through the PASSIVE lens, complete with us believing that all we need do is stand our ground and the signifi