One of the things that makes grief and loss so difficult is the sense of helplessness. We often feel so powerless, and nothing we can say or do that will make any difference. It’s easy to fall into a victim mentality, to feel helpless, disempowered, angry, and bitter. The story of Ruth grapples with all of these emotions.
In this passage, Pastor Philip shows three powerful realities that Ruth experienced that helped her move forward even as she was grieving:
1) The Power of Agency: In grief, we can’t wait until inspiration strikes, and we can’t wait until everything’s in order. All we can do is the next right thing, and move forward one step at a time.
2) The Power of Providence: We live in the care of our Father, not the chaos of chance. We need to learn to trust the unseen hand of God.
3) The Power of Justice: We are conduits of mercy, not merely consumers. Our best course of action is to let mercies flow freely.
Takeaway: Through the events of our lives, we’ll find that God is shepherding us into a life of proactive dependence.
Ruth 2:1-17
