I love the beautiful picture of this phrase, “under the shadow of your wings”.

How many times my broken, fearful, confused, tired heart has clung to this picture of God.

It is a picture of refuge, God holding us close, and this is how Boaz used it when he spoke to Ruth in his field that day when she asked him why he had taken notice of her ( Ruth 2:10)—

“And Boaz answered and said to her, “It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before. The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.” (Ruth 2:11-12)

Allow yourself to feel what Ruth must have felt. Surely she had worried about how she would survive financially. She loved her mother-in-law but how she must have missed her husbands’ laughter, his kisses, the dreams they must have had together. Had they dreamed of babies?

But God had been her refuge (and Boaz was drawn to that) and what a refuge He is!

He is an ever present help in times of trouble. (Psalm 46:1)

His mercies are new every morning. (Lam 3:22-23)

He is a strong tower. The righteous run to Him and are safe! (Prov 18:10)

He never sleeps nor slumbers. (Psalm 121:4)

There is nothing impossible for Him. (Luke 1:37)

These aren’t just words. This isn’t a motivational speech. This is truth about the Faithful God. The One who promises and cannot lie.

God is not a man, that He should lie,
Nor a son of man, that He should repent;
Has He said, and will He not do it?
Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? (Num 23:19)

When we remember Who He is, like Ruth, we run to Him! We follow Him! We keep trusting Him!

And He works all things together for good for those who love Him! (Rom 8:28)

Does this mean all things are good? No!

But God can take the hardest of things and bring blessing!

He did for Ruth. Just wait and see. For one day, her great grandson would be used by God to write some of the most famous of Scripture; and what Boaz saw in Ruth, how she took refuge under God’s wings, surely influenced those words. David would write-

“Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
Hide me under the shadow of Your wings,” (Psalm 17:8)

“How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.”(Psalm 36:7)

“Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.” (Psalm 63:7)

Of friends, look what God did…and we haven’t even studied all of Ruth’s story yet!

And you know what else? He’s still writing our stories as well! Someone needs to hold on to that today and hold tight to Him! For who knows what He will do as we keep close under the shadow of His wings! ❤️

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