April 10, 2007
Compete Or Converge
READ: Ruth 4:13-22
[Ruth] bore a son. . . . They called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David. —Ruth 4:13,17
Walking through campus one day, a seminary professor came upon a custodian reading the Bible during lunch hour. The professor asked what he was reading. “Revelation,” the custodian said. “I’m sure you don’t understand what it means,” said the professor condescendingly. “Actually, I do,” he replied. “It means Jesus wins.”
In the face of life’s challenges, it’s important to remember that ultimately God always wins! And since His plans are always in the victory lane, it’s infinitely wiser to converge with His will rather than compete with it.
In the story of Ruth, God providentially set the stage for Boaz to rescue Ruth and Naomi from a life of poverty and the shame of not having an heir. Ruth could have been bitter about her status as a young widow, and Boaz might have thought that as a foreigner Ruth was not worth his time. But they recognized the hand of God in their circumstances and converged with His plan to provide for her needs. The best part is that their story doesn’t end there. Salvation for the world was yet to come through their descendants—first David and then Jesus (Matt. 1:5-16).
We can compete with God’s plan and pursue our own agenda. Or we can converge with God’s plan and join the winning side. The choice is ours.
For it will end in sure defeat;
But choose God’s path of victory
And with His plans you won’t compete. —D. De Haan
