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Day 26: The Redeemer Who Awakens Hope
Scripture:
And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by the Lord, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!” Naomi also said to her, “The man is a close relative of ours, one of our redeemers.”
Ruth 2:20
Hope is one of those things we often take for granted until it’s not there, or lacking. Without hope, we find it incredibly difficult to want to do anything. Often, it doesn’t seem as if there is much we can do on our end to build hope. We can then find ourselves stuck, wanting to have hope but needing to get some before we can have more. So what do we do?
For a long while, Naomi has been without much hope. We’ve walked that journey over the miles with her. We’ve seen how her journey to a better hope has really begun even when the Lord brought her world crashing in. Her hope had been set on things in this life instead of the Lord, and that will always produce the wrong kind of hope. But the Lord isn’t in the business of leaving people hopeless. He awakens and restores hope, the right kind, so that His people will have true hope no matter what they face.
Naomi has been filled by the food that Ruth brings her. She asks Ruth the question of who this one is who has blessed them so greatly. Ruth doesn’t say immediately, but at the end provides his name. Boaz. Naomi knows that Boaz is a kinsman-redeemer who has the responsibility of ensuring their original property is restored to rightful ownership. He also would provide help to the family, potentially even marriage, so that the family line would be continued. For the first time, the thought that this might not be the end of her lineage crosses Naomi’s mind.
While Boaz does sound like a wonderful prospect, the hope in Naomi’s heart is now coming from the Lord and is based on His work. Instead of blaming Him for her misfortune, she is now praising Him for not forsaking her. All this while, she has been convinced that the Lord has forsaken her because of what has happened. But now, as she looks back, she is starting to see His providential hand guiding her in every step of the way.
Notice how the Lord’s work to waken hope doesn’t start off with a bang. It begins with a simple conversation about how their food was provided for. But isn’t this often how the Lord works to awaken that hope in you? You may be in a long season of suffering and disappointment. You are weary, feeling stuck in the never-ending difficulties that you face. So how does hope awaken for you?
It probably won’t begin with all of your challenges suddenly coming to an end. More likely, the Lord will do His work by reminding you of His faithfulness and promises in small ways. When you need it and to the degree you need it, the Lord will meet you. Like Naomi, we often place our hope in circumstances. When those falter, we listen to Satan’s lies that God has forsaken us.
In your finances, you hope for stability, but another bill arrives, and despair whispers, “God has forgotten you.” In your health, the diagnosis worsens, and fear whispers, “God has abandoned you.” In your relationships you hope for reconciliation, but the silence grows, and fear whispers, “God doesn’t care.” Or spiritually you hope for joy, but your prayers feel unanswered, and doubt whispers, “God isn’t listening.”
Hope feels fragile. But the Lord awakens hope not through sudden miracles, but through small reminders of His faithfulness through a Scripture that steadies you, a friend who prays for you, a provision that arrives just in time.
Boaz’s kindness awakened Naomi’s hope. Jesus awakens ours in far greater ways. Boaz gave Naomi a glimpse of redemption. Jesus gives us the full reality of redemption through His cross and resurrection. Boaz’s kindness thawed Naomi’s bitterness. Jesus’ kindness melts despair completely, giving us living hope that cannot die. Boaz pointed Naomi to a possible future, but Jesus secures our eternal future, guaranteeing that our story ends in restoration. And Boaz’s name brought Naomi comfort, while Jesus’ name brings us salvation, joy, and hope that endures through every trial. Boaz awakened Naomi’s hope for a family, but Jesus awakens our hope for eternity.
So today, if you feel hopeless, remember that hope does not begin with your circumstances changing. It begins with the Redeemer reminding you of His faithfulness. To the one weary in finances, Jesus is your provider. To the one weary in health, Jesus is your healer. To the one weary in relationships, remember that Jesus is your reconciler. And to the one weary in faith, don’t forget that Jesus is your living hope.
Today, lift your eyes to the Redeemer who awakens hope. Let His kindness break through your despair. And let His promises remind you that your story is not over, because He is writing it, and He always writes hope into the ending.
Pastor Josh Gerber |
