A Full Reward

UV 1664/10000 A Full Reward
The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust
Ruth 2 v 12
This uni-verse was spoken by Boaz to the Moabite woman who was gleaning in his fields, widow of one of his kin. Boaz came from the lineage of Rahab, a prostitute who sheltered the Jewish spies sent to Jericho. Rahab’s confession of faith in the God of Israel altered her DNA, her destiny and her lineage. Boaz was born in the line of Rahab. He was upright, righteous and a prosperous farmer. He recognized the faithfulness of Ruth in her remaining with her mother in law Naomi even though death had dissolved all ties with her husband’s family. He encouraged her by blessing her in the name of the Lord. Boaz , a mere mortal could discern the inner attitudes of this stranger Ruth. How much more the Lord discerns our every thought, the motive behind every thought, word and action, our every need, our attitudes.

Indeed, the Lord rewards those who diligently seek Him. He rewards those who take shelter under His wings of faithful prayer and obedience to His Word. His promises and commands are the feathers that cover them. They are the wings which will take them to new levels of blessing and strength. The Lord does not reward partially or grudgingly but fully and generously. He rewards our work of faith as He is a just Master. He pays His workers their wages in full. He causes them to rejoice and be exceedingly glad. He makes a note of every act of faithfulness on our part. He does not overlook a single thing we do through Him, for Him and in Him.

The Lord takes responsibility to guard His own. He takes them under His wings as a hen takes its chicken under its wings on seeing the predator eagle. The Lord caused Boaz to issue instructions to his servants to leave deliberately an extra measure of grain so that Ruth could glean it. He also strictly instructed them that none dare to attempt to harass, molest or harm her as she moved about his fields. Similarly, when we glean from the fields of the Lord, He nourishes us, blesses us and safeguards us. The Lord altered the destiny of Ruth and through her made the desolate Naomi a fruitful and blessed one. Nobody comes close to the Lord and remain unchanged. Just as the hen’s wings surround the chicken in all directions or 360 degrees, so also He rewards us in 360 degrees, in multiple ways and through many days. Boaz was mindful of Ruth. Similarly, we need to respect and love the Lord and He will be mindful of us. Jesus intercedes with the Father and asks Him to bless us and reward us for our general faithfulness and for every specific act of faithfulness. He blesses us with the abundant and eternal life. He blesses us in the quantitative as well as qualitative dimensions of life.

Prateep V Philip