The Super-Ordinary in the Ordinary

Ruth 3&4

Remember, this is a story with no supernatural interventions – it is ordinary people through difficult circumstances receiving God’s help. These ordinary people find joy in God in ordinary family circumstances. But these ordinary circumstances are connected to bigger and more lasting realities. Someone wrote:

The book of Ruth wants to teach us that God's purpose for the life of his people is to connect us to something far greater than ourselves. God wants us to know that when we follow him, our lives always mean more than we think they do. For the Christian there is always a connection between the ordinary events of life and the stupendous work of God in history. Everything we do in obedience to God, no matter how small, is significant. It is part of a cosmic mosaic which God is painting to display the greatness of his power and wisdom to the world and to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places. The deep satisfaction of the Christian life is that it is not given over to trifles. Serving a widowed mother-in-law, gleaning in a field, falling in love, having a baby—for the Christian these things are all connected to eternity. They are part of something so much bigger than they seem.

Following Christ won’t necessarily take you away from the ordinary responsibilities of life – but it will definitely transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. You will begin to see the way your personal growth, your daily experiences, the people you interact with, the crises you face and your entire life story – is connected with the big picture that God is working out. So, do not despise the day of small beginnings! Do not think that small sins and the details of your life are unimportant. How and why you act in those small details is having a huge impact on the big outcomes of your life. Ruth’s story confirms this.