Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen carefully, my daughter. Do not go to glean in another field; furthermore, do not go on from this one, but stay here with my maids.” Ruth 2:8

I imagine Ruth’s relief in that moment—her fear beginning to ease, her heart daring to believe what just happened. Earlier that morning, she entered a stranger’s field as a foreigner, vulnerable and hungry, with no promise of protection or provision. By evening, her circumstances have dramatically changed. The owner of the field has seen her and spoken to her kindly.  No longer does she need to gather leftover grain off the floor of the field.  

The application here is staggering and obvious. My Father is the King. I am a citizen in His kingdom. He beckons me to come to Him every day for more food than I can possibly consume. He has declared Himself to be my provider. My identity as His child, heir to all that is His, cannot be shaken or revoked. Yet, I often go to ‘other fields’ to get my needs met. When I do, I almost hear His grief. “Where are you going, Christine? Everything is here that you need.  Don’t be lured into other fields that won’t satisfy.” I can tell you this ~ every time that I have left, I returned home empty and angry with myself for having deserted.

The lure of getting my needs met outside of God is powerful. The counterfeit promises relief when my heart feels most vulnerable. I am drawn to what seems immediate and tangible, forgetting that the enemy knows how to package emptiness in attractive wrappings, convincing me that a lesser field will satisfy. But every substitute reveals its hollowness. Every other source, however appealing, ends up hurting me.  Detours never pay off.

Your field is enough, Father. Amen