we are in week two of our series entitled Ready or Not dealing with change in a rapidly changing world. You see change is unavoidable. So the question is not, will you experience change, but how will you respond? And so to help teach us how to respond to change in our world. We're actually taking a look at a story that took place about 3000 years ago. And so here in the story, in the old testament, the story of Ruth, we see a story of courage, of bravery and how we can deal with the change that happens in our lives. And the story of Ruth actually takes place in the context of judges and judges is another book in the old testament that really is painted as the darkest time in our history that people did what was right in their own eyes. And so there was darkness, there was evil, there was sin, there was struggle, there was abuse, there was all kinds of injustices and it's with this as the backdrop that the story of Ruth shines like a bright light. And last week we talked about how can you find trust in the midst of tragedy and we looked at three people we looked at or people who responded to tragedy with Brokenness and then we saw Naomi who responded a tragedy with bitterness. In fact she would change her name at one point tomorrow, which means bitter but thankfully there is a third and a better way to respond to difficult circumstances and ruth she did not choose to live and remain broken. She did not become bitter, but instead she chose to be brave And so today we are going to pick up our story in Ruth chapter two but before we do that, I want to let you know this because here, we are. middle of summer Father's Day and and we love mountaintop experiences. We love great moments that the moment you met the love of your life, the moment you got the promotion, maybe you have a specific event or activity that took place on a family vacation or a trip. We love these incredible high moments, but while we love these moments, the question is what do we do with the rest? Because the majority of our lives are spent doing mundane things and wow, it's a beautiful wedding ceremony is a memorable time to declare your love for your spouse. The reality is the majority of marriage is spent dealing with unfolded laundry, putting dishes in the dishwasher, paying bills, fixing the house, trying to fix the house, but not able to do so then having to hire someone to fix the thing that you couldn't do in the first place, right? And you love these moments with kids the first time your kids says, daddy, I love you and you have all these things but what do you do at three in the morning when they wake you up or that dirty diaper or they melt down in the back of the car or you're trying to make an appointment and they can't find their jacket or their shoes or things and like and so you have so many daily routine, almost grinding activities and how do you manage that? Well, today we want to talk about how you can be faithful in the field of uncertainty because not only are you in the middle of a grind, but also you have no idea what's to come in the future. And so that's difficult when you don't know what's coming tomorrow and you're struggling with with what's happening today. This message is especially reverent. Coming on the other side of a pandemic. Nobody knew the pandemic was coming. Maybe one person, one place said something could happen one day, but no one really understood how dramatically our world would be different as a result of a virus that we didn't know existed. Yeah. And so we don't know the future and we have all these responsibilities today. And yet we love the special moments in our lives. And so how do we juggle those? Where's the tension? How do we go through and find meaning in the mundane? Alright, How do we find the supernatural in the midst of the natural. So if you're taking notes, I want you to write this down. Is that uncertain? Tomorrow's should not stop you from courageous obedience today uncertain. Tomorrow should not stop you from courageous obedience today. You might not know what tomorrow brings, but you can take a step into your responsibility today. You can make that phone call, have that conversation, make that meal clean that spot in the house, reach out and forgive, call that person, send that email, have that meeting in the midst of the regular, mundane, everyday life stuff. You can actually find a miracle. You can find purpose and joy and love. There was a man Who started a restaurant in 1946 restaurant called the Dwarf Grill. The dwarf grill had some moderate success. It was you know, day and I was okay then about two decades later, 1964 this man really found the perfect recipe for what became a chicken sandwich and using this recipe and this method of cooking. Couple of years later There in the mid-60s opened the very first chick fil a and Truett Cathy opened the chick fil a. They're in a Georgia mall And started to see business grow. And it wasn't until 1986 that chick fil a opened its first freestanding restaurants 40 years after he opened the Dwarf Grill and the rest is history. The restaurant blossom systems grew. One store went to two went to three and now spread all over the country and is seen as one of the most successful restaurants in the industry and a foreshadow of the food that will be available to us in heaven, Am I right? So good. It really is. And what's amazing is that when they launched this restaurant in the store, he really felt convicted to keep the store closed on Sundays to make it available really for faith and for family and now in the restaurant business that is a huge disadvantage If you think about that you're starting the year -52 days. But what's interesting is that chick fil a regularly outperforms the average restaurant by 10 times in revenue, 10 times in revenue. Even though they're not open on Sundays. Side note is it me or does anybody else just randomly crave chick fil a on sunday? Have you pulled into a chick fil a on a sunday? I have more than once. Right. So that's that's really impacts my theology of like already not yet. You know it's so it's like oh it's right here, I can't reach it. Anyway. So the question though, when you think back to true Kathy and the chick fil a franchise is when when was success. When was the moment? Because there was 40 years that took place from the time he opened the dwarf grill to first free standing chick fil a It was a 40 year overnight success. See I think he was faithful the little things he was faithful in the grind. He was faithful in developing people and systems and sacrifice and service. And then looking back on his life now we can see God's fingerprints and all of that. And so if you have your bibles open up to Ruth Chapter two. We're going to pick up the story there. Ruth came back with Naomi, she's back in Bethlehem, which is the hometown of Naomi but not of Ruth. And so she's in a foreign land. She's back with her mother in law. Her husband had died, her father in law had died in that culture where everybody did what was right in their own eyes. The question was, how would they make it? And so here's our story in Ruth chapter two nine. And I owe me a relative of her husband's. I had a relative of her husband's a worthy man of the clan of Elimelech whose name was boaz and ruth. The mobile said to Naomi, let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after him. In whose sight I shall find favor. I love this phrase. Because here they've lost everything. They lost land, power, relationship and Ruth's response is let me go to work. I don't know what God's gonna do. I don't know this land. I don't know these people, but I can go to work. So she takes this initiative. She takes responsibility for what's in her control. And she takes a step of faith. And so and glean among the fields in the ears of grain, after him whose side you will find favor. And she said to me and Naomi said to her go, then my daughter. She set out and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers. What this means is that you had barley and wheat harvests in the springtime, probably March april May timeframe. And so you had workers that would go through these grain fields and pull out what was needed. And then behind that you have a second wave second class citizens, if you will, would get the leftovers. And then behind that you would have some women who are connected to the family sometimes referred to as young women and then they would get the leftovers of the leftovers. Imagine going to a restaurant and not being able to eat at the restaurant, but then you get to take the leftovers of what's left behind. But then you don't even get to get those leftovers when there's picked over and then they get the food taken back right before it's thrown in the trash. You get to grab that, this is what ruth has available to her. And so she goes and follows the reapers follows our gleaning or picking what was left of the grain in the field. And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to boaz who was of the Clan Elimelech. And behold boaz came from Bethlehem. And he said to the reapers, the Lord be with you. And they answered. The Lord bless you. Okay boaz enters the scene. This is important because in those days when the man of the family died. There was an opportunity for some distant relative of that clan to then marry that into that family. To keep the lineage, the land, the authority within that family. And so you're gonna see him them talking about, oh he's a relative that seems kind of not acceptable but there's some distance there. And again remind you ruth is not by blood in a relationship here. But what they're saying is, oh if he's a relative then that means she could marry and we could keep our land and keep our lineage. And it literally saved our family for generations to come. And now boaz when he comes onto the scene again, set in the backdrop of everybody do what was right in their own eyes. And so the world had normalized evil bosses. And the first thing we hear out of boa's mouth is the Lord bless you. And so in that one phrase, that one verse we see that boaz is generous. We see that he is faithful. We see that he is spiritual, that he prays that he speaks of good things over his workers. That workers responded back that they love and appreciate him. And so when you compare judges and the world and the normal and you see this man who is a smart man, a wealthy businessman who does well treats his people well and treats puts God first it stands out. And so then boaz said to this young man who was in charge of the reapers, who's young woman is this and the servant who was in charge of the rapers answered she is the young know about woman who came back with Naomi from the country of moab. She said please let me glean and gather among the sheaves after the reapers. So she came and she has continued from early morning until now except for a short rest notice the work ethic that ruth had now verse eight. Then boaz said to ruth, how you doing? Okay now that was a modern translation. No, he he's he's interested right? He's like, oh huh I've been in these fields every day. Who's this? Who's this girl over here? And now you have to, you have to know here that boaz is probably significantly older than ruth but in that culture again it was a c acceptable age of marriage. And so by referring to someone as a daughter that's it's it's it's similar to saying okay young woman or uh hun right, if you're out in public like oh hey hon or hey sweetie or hey, you know, referring someone to a young woman there. And so there's a sign of respect there. He's not hollering hooting at her, okay, He's not like construction worker whistling at the girl that goes by like he actually speaks to her as a valued person. So notice this. Now listen to my young daughter. Do not go glean in another field or leave this one but keep close to my young women. So they were a young women again who followed the reapers who are part of the clan, part of the family. And he says, let your eyes be on the field that they are reaping and go after them. Have I not charged the young men not to touch you, pause for a moment. Why would you have to make that statement? Well, chances are that ruth being the young, lonely, vulnerable woman probably face some opposition from evil men. And so boaz steps in. Hey, leave her alone. So you see this protection, this love, this sacrifice when he could do whatever he wanted. Because that was the norm. The norm was, men could do whatever they wanted. And it was okay. And boas steps and says, no! Haven't I commanded the men not to touch you. And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink with the young men have drawn in other words. You get to drink and eat what they eat. You get to have what they have. You are valued. I respect you and I want to help you. And then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground and said to him, Why have I found favor in your eyes that you should take notice of me since I am a foreigner. But boaz answered her all that you have done for your mother in law since the death of your husband has been fully told to me. See her testimony! Her story had gone ahead of her. And it says here then, that how you left your father and mother in your native land, and came to a people that you did not know before. And the Lord repay you for what you have done. And a full reward be given to you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge. And then she said, I found favor in your eyes, my Lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your servant, though I am not one of your servants. And at mealtime boaz said to her, come here and eat some bread and dip your morsel in the wine. Oh, okay. Before it's like, hey, you can you can hang out in the field, you can have what the reapers have. Mhm. You can eat here too. See this progression. Right? And so he says, come here and eat some bread and dip your morsel in the wine. And so she sat beside the reapers, and he passed her the roasted grain. Oh, this is the good bread, Right? This is the olive garden breadsticks with the alfredo sauce. Right, this is the the longhorn all grain, you know, brown bread that just with the butter that just melts. You know what I'm talking about. Right, this is this is the good stuff. This is the roasted grain, and she ate until she was satisfied. And she had some left over and when she rose get to glean boaz instructed his young men, Let her glean even among the chiefs and do not reproach her and also pull out some of the bundles for her and leave it for her to glean and did not rebuke her. And so she gleaned in the field until evening and then she beat out what she had gleaned and it was about half of barley Which equates to about 22 leaders are almost six gallons. So she really worked hard from morning till night doing what she could, controlling what she could with a humble attitude and a healthy attitude and and was faithful and then bow as we see this picture of generosity and respect and service and love and both of these examples stand out when compared to societal norms. So when ruth we see three things, we see the fact that ruth it was humble that she was hungry and then ultimately that we see that she hustled and so I want you to notice these three things here that she was humble, she was hungry and she hustled And we're about to jump into Ruth chapter three. But I want, I'm gonna give you these points ahead of time because I want you to see in the story here and we're gonna come back to it. Um Then you see boas as a generous and faithful steward and we're gonna break these down in just a moment. But I want you to see these two characters and you see how they are just so different than societal norms. So ruth goes back, she brings almost six gallons worth of grain back to her mother in law and and the mother in law and goes, oh okay. Lightbulb. This next passage, Ruth chapter three is for all parents who have ever try to set up their child with a person that they think they should be with. You know, I'm talking about, do you have the relative that instructs you on what to wear and what to do? He is such a nice boy. He she is such a nice girl. Who you should talk to her, you should talk to him and you know, why don't you put put on a little something, okay, put a little something nice. Okay, this is the passage for you because this is exactly what Naomi does. Naomi sees that ruth comes back and has all this grain and she sees an opportunity. It says Naomi, her mother in law said to her, my daughter, should I not seek rest for you that it may be well with you is not boaz are relative with who's young women. You were see he is wintering barley tonight at the threshing floor. The threshing floor. Just so you know is the idea where the grain was then crushed and separated. So they would bring in oxen and cattle and and different animals and they would stomp on the grain and it would separate the useful part and then they would throw out the shaft and the part that wasn't useful. And because we were in an age where everybody did what was right in their own eyes, it was commonplace for the owner of the land to sleep on the field, where all this was taking place. And so it's kind of a chance to party with your workers. Hey, we did it, we pulled all this stuff, it's being separated at the same time. They want to protect their investment. So they would sleep on this open threshing floor here after partying with their coworkers at the end of the week and they would be there. And so this is where Naomi goes, oh, I got an idea, wash therefore and anoint yourself and put on your cloak. Now, baths were not commonplace. And so he said, Naomi is saying, hey ruth, what? Why don't you put on a little something, put on a little something something. Well, let's let's make that bath. Now. I know we were gonna wait till the fall, but let's do it right now, I've been saving this perfume. Right, let's let's put a little bit on there. What's interesting too, is that, as commentators point out, chances are, was that ruth had been wearing the clothes of a grieving widow. And so what Naomi is saying is okay, it's time to get out of the grieving widow clothes and put on the new digs, the new dress, the new cloak. And so he goes now go down to the threshing floor. But do not make yourself known to the man until he's finished eating and drinking. But when he lies down, observe the place where he lies and then go uncover his feet, lie down and he will tell you what to do. Oh this could get not appropriate real fast stick with me here because we're gonna see boaz response because then she says, okay, all that you say I will do Verse six. So he went down to the threshing floor and did just as her mother in law had commanded her. And when boaz had eaten and drunk and his heart was merry. He went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain and then she came softly and uncovered his feet and laid down. She just kinda cozied up. And at midnight the man was startled and turned over and behold a woman lay at his feet now in that day where men had complete authority and power and subjected women to abuse and predatory behaviors. Right? This could be a very dangerous scenario for ruth. But watch his response. And he said, who are you okay? A couple of things here might have had too much to drink. It's dark, but also ruth might have been a hot mess in those fields, if you think about it because she was grieving close hadn't bathed worked all day in the spring, in the heat in the Middle East. To the point that when she got cleaned up, boaz, his first response is who are you? He didn't even recognize her. And she answered, I am ruth. Your servant spread your wings over. Your servant, for you are a redeemer. In other words, you can save our family. And he said, May you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter? Whoa! Again, a level of respect for her. He says, you have made the last kindness greater than the first and that you have not gone after younger men. You could have gone chasing the younger guys. But you came and humbly presented yourself to help your mother in law. Naomi, to save your family lineage says you. It says here that now my daughter do not fear, for I will do for you what you asked For all my fellow townsman know that you are a worthy woman. There's some people compare this to the proverbs 31 woman, if you will, that ruth is the picture of that. And now it is true that I am a redeemer. Yet there is a redeemer nearer than I. In other words, there is somebody higher on the list or closer on the list that can step in and marry you remain tonight and in the morning, if you will not redeem you good, let him do it, or if you will redeem you let him do it. But if he will not and he's not willing to redeem you, then I as the Lord lives, I will redeem you. So lie down until the morning. She doesn't take advantage of her. Is this rest here and I will save your family. And in the morning he actually gives her more grain and send her back. Now next week I encourage you to come back because we're gonna finish our story and talk about how this story, how their faithfulness and their obedience and their courage not only saved their family, but literally changed entire world history as we know it. So don't miss that one. Come back for that one. But I want to pause here for today because notice the faithfulness of these two people surrounded by uncertainty. They did. What was right in the moment Ruth as I mentioned, was humble and hungry. She hustled. No I didn't pull these three words out of thin air. This actually comes from a leadership book called H three. Leadership from an author. Bad laminate. And these three words represent three questions that need to be answered. First humility answers the question who am I? Because when your identity is secure, you can humble yourself and live from your identity now for it. And then second stay hungry. Ruth had a goal in mind. She had a direction and when she walked, she had a purpose in her life. Do you have a call in a drive in your life that has a dream or aspiration? Something that you want to do. Something where you're not just sitting on the sidelines. But he said, I want to provide for my family. I want to start this business. I want to reach so many people for christ, whatever that calling your dream is. Are you hungry for that? And then the third thing is always hustle and that is how you get there. Don't let the uncertainty of tomorrow stop you from the courageous obedience. Today, The story goes on to tell us that Ruth Gleaned in those fields for the next 2-3 months. Every day, every day, morning till evening. That's our upon hour upon hour doing the little things that no one's watching no one's seen or so she thought, But those little steps of obedience created a reputation that influenced boaz. So that when she presented herself to him, he already knew the type of woman that she was. And then on boaz, we see that he was a generous and faithful steward. He loved his people, his people loved him. He looked to give beyond and he viewed his responsibility to lift others up. Don't you see how these two names stand out? They would stand out in today's culture, wouldn't they? Imagine a boss who is generous and faithful and leads by serving and giving beyond his means and treats everybody with respect? Imagine being that person facing tragedy and uncertainty and difficulty and just she's saying I'm gonna do what I can. I want to close this morning by sharing a poem by Mark Patterson. He wrote a book called Chase the Lion and in it it's a poem for those who are tired of being tired. Mhm. It is a message for those that don't want to sit back and just live a life in a passive way. And he writes this, quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. Run to the roar, set God sized goals, pursue God given passions, go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention, stop pointing out problems become part of the solution, stop repeating the past and start creating the future. Face your fears. Fight for your dreams, grab opportunity by the main and don't let go live like today as the first and last day of your life. Burn the sinful bridges blaze new trails, live for the applause of nail scarred hands. Don't let what's wrong with you? Keep you from worshiping what's right with God, dare to fail. Dare to be different, quit holding out, quit holding back, quit running away. Chase the Lion. If you're going through a difficult time. If you're going through a battle. If you have uncertainty. If you face tragedy, I want you to know that you are here for a reason that God loves you and God created you on purpose and for a purpose and that he has given you this day to stand up and fight for what you believe in. And he has given you a calling to live out a job to do and a person to become. You can leave a lasting legacy for generations to come by, choosing to be obedient right now. In this moment, I want you to know that God loves you, that God is with you, that God is for you and I don't know what tomorrow brings, but what I do know is that God is here and he is now and he is calling you to be obedient and calling you to be courageous today, will you pray with me amen dear God, help us find meaning in the mundane, help us find the miracle and the daily responsibilities, help us to be courageous and obedient to who you've called us to be and what you called us to do. And God, we ask that if we are faithful in the small things that you come into our lives and take care of the big things, big things God, we ask that you move right now for those that are in this room that have never prayed to receive you. I pray that we can humbly come before you and trust you as Lord and savior. God, it's only through your son jesus, that we can be saved, our sins can be forgiven, but when we believe in you as Lord and savior God, not only do you promises eternal life tomorrow, but you promises abundant life today. That's the life we want. We love you and we give you this day and we give you our lives and it's my heart and my prayer that we don't let the uncertainty of tomorrow keep us from the courageous obedience. Today. We love you guys. We stand before you and we thank you. Singer says, Let me pray Amen.