“Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out.”

I woke up with this phrase on my heart, along with a song. Such an odd thing to have running through your mind at break of day. I wasn’t sure where the words were from, or even what they pertained to.

After a quick search, I found them in Ruth. In this book, a woman named Naomi had lost both her husband and her two sons. She was eventually left with only her daughter-in-law, Ruth. Not only had they experienced deep emotional turmoil, but also financial ruin, as this time period was not forgiving to women without husbands to protect and provide for them.

In their distress, Naomi and Ruth return to Bethlehem, hoping that a family member will marry Ruth and redeem their devastation. Ruth does everything Naomi instructs towards that end, but when there is nothing left for her to do, this is what Naomi says:

“Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out.”

There is a time to simply wait and see. God was working behind the scenes in ways that neither of these women could fathom. Their job was simply obedience. God’s job was redemption. In short, Naomi was telling Ruth to stay in her lane and trust God because…

In His providence, God was orchestrating events for their provision and protection.

What I find so fascinating is that God was working redemption for BOTH their personal situation AND all of humanity at the same time.

In due time, Ruth was blessed with a husband, and through him, a baby boy named Obed. This boy became a “restorer of life and a nourisher of old age” for Naomi and Ruth. Dayenu.

But God didn’t stop there…

Obed became the father of Jesse, who was the father of David, from whose line came Jesus, all of humanity’s Redeemer.

“God is always doing 10,000 things in your life, and you may be aware of three.” John Piper

Psalm 27:14 Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!

He is working in your waiting.