Friday, March 12th, ‘10

Friday, March 12^th, ‘10

NOTICED

“…May he who took notice of you be blessed…” (Ruth 2:19 NASB)

Ruth put in a hard full day’s work out in the barley field and Boaz, one of the chiefs over the harvest caught sight of her. Faithfulness may go unnoticed for a time but not for long. A supporting passage reads, “For promotion comes neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he puts down one, and sets up another” (Psalm 75:6,7). He brings the right person across your path that holds the power of favor and promotion. You don’t have to be known by someone to succeed, but it is often true that you have to be seen by someone. Jesus admonished, “Let you light so shine before men, that they may see your good works…” (Mat 5:16) That doesn’t mean we work to be seen. “Work hard, but not just to please your masters when they are watching…” (Eph 6:6 NLT) Faithfulness isn’t determined by a closed-circuit camera. Ruth was gleaning “as unto the Lord”. The icing was that she was noticed by both God and man, double reward.

Jesus was like that. He “increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52). God is listed before man for the obvious reason. Speaking of studying and growing in God’s word, Solomon wrote, “Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honor…” (Prov 4:8) Some bosses are swept off their feet by flare, only noticing the obsequious fawning worker, but you don’t need him anyway. The employer who counts can count. I mean, he’s been around enough years to know the difference between the faithful and the one currying favor. Your work does not go unnoticed. It may go unappreciated, but not unnoticed.

Of course, both Boaz and Ruth had to be in the right place at the right time. The convergence of events, what appears coincidence, requires the Lord’s intervention. What is certain is you will not be noticed if you don’t show up for the competition. People want their ship to come in but that ship is usually en route to the Bahamas or somewhere. You may have to swim out to it and catch it. The thing to remember is that God has a person or persons in mind that can assist every individual toward their destiny. We have to show up for work, give our best effort, believe the Lord is at work though we may not see immediate results, and be discerning enough to know when we meet those persons and then to not jump the gun. Self-promotion is the quickest route to demotion. But wait upon the Lord and He will steer someone your way who can help you advance. He did so with Joseph and Daniel. Both were given cabinet appointments – from the cabin to the Cabinet! But Ruth’s story tops them all, a poor, peasant girl from Moab, laboring then noticed, loved and finally married into the lineage through which Jesus Christ would be born. That’s favor.