Lay It on Me

56 / L AY I T ON M E

women. He is providing for you because you are in HIS field! The 30-fold level is the gleaning level. Keep the faith, for you will not always be in the corner alone, working for someone else. God has you marked for increase. When Boaz began to recognize Ruth's presence, she asked a question. Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner (Ruth 2:10)? Boaz' answer reveals how the Lord looks on those who minister to others in need. Ruth had three marks against her. She was a woman, she was a Moabite and she was a widow. She lost her financial security when she lost her husband, she lost her identity when she left Moab, and being a woman made her vulnerable. Most women in her situation would be out hunting a husband who could bring security and meet her needs. Not Ruth! She was different, and that was the very reason Boaz took notice of her. 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" (Ruth 2:11). Boaz revealed what impressed him. Ruth was willing to separate herself from all she was familiar with, including friends and family, in order to minister to a hurting woman. Through Boaz, God was showing Ruth that her commitment was paying off. Through an unexpected source, Ruth was