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?’
– Ruth 2:10
Ruth’s reaction to Boaz’s kindness is one of humility and wonder. She’s overwhelmed that someone like him—wealthy, influential, and respected—would notice someone like her: a poor, widowed foreigner trying to survive by picking up scraps. Her question, “Why have I found favor?” is the heart-cry of anyone who truly understands grace. She knows she doesn’t deserve it. She isn’t entitled to kindness. And that’s what makes Boaz’s attention so powerful—it mirrors the heart of God, who sees and lifts up the lowly.
Sometimes we get used to God’s kindness and begin to think we’ve earned His favour—or worse, that we deserve it. We need to be reminded of how staggering it is that the holy God of the universe would take notice of us at all. And yet He does. He sees us in our need, our loneliness, our vulnerability—and He moves toward us in compassion. Just like Ruth, we don’t have to be important in the eyes of the world to be noticed by God. His grace isn’t based on status, background, or merit. It flows out of His generous, loving heart.
Prayer
Father, I don’t deserve Your grace, but I thank You for it. Help me never to take Your kindness for granted. Let my heart stay soft and grateful every time I remember how You took notice of me. Amen.
Meditation
When was the last time I was truly amazed that God has shown me such kindness?