Women’s Ministry Minute
April 29th, 2020
With Jade O’Connor
“Strong For Our Tasks”
One rainy Wednesday a few weeks ago, I was having a really rough day. This was before the initial stay at home order, and before this new reality had become, well, real. Anyways, it was gray outside, my energy and motivation to go to classes was low, and it seemed like one of those days where I just couldn’t do anything right.
I sent out a text to one of my D groups, knowing that they could help pray for me and we would be able to talk about it at D group later that night. Less than 10 minutes later, I got texted a verse that changed my whole day and, little did I know, would contribute greatly to shaping my outlook on the self isolation that I would soon be going into just two days later.
“She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.” Proverbs 31:17 NIV
This scripture reminded me that with a heart focused on God, like the Proverbs 31 woman, we can all find the strength to do our tasks that we have set out to do and energy to get through the day in a way glorifying to God.
Looking back now, this was a verse I really needed to hear, because let me tell you, motivation to continue school and working my job from home during this time is difficult to find! I know that many of us can relate right now to a current reality that seems displaced from what we have known. Things are different, and it seems like my whole world has been flipped upside down.
Lately I have been studying out the book of Ruth, because she too had her whole world flipped upside down. Very suddenly, her husband passed away, and then in an act of faith to God and love for her mother in-law, Naomi, Ruth moved to a land forigen with her, living a life that was different than she had known and probably not what she expected her future would look like. Yet after she had gone through all of these things, in Ruth 2:2 NIV it says: “And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi ‘Let me go into the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor’”
While it doesn’t directly say so in the scripture, I infer that Ruth gave herself time to mourn the loss of her husband, and her old life, which is a healthy thing to do (plug for Ron and Patty’s grieving Bible class which can help all of us do this in our own lives!). However when it came time to be productive in her new reality, she didn’t shy away from working hard and being as serving as she could in her new circumstances. She set vigorously about her work, and her arms were strong for her tasks, Proverbs 31:17 in action! And in seeing how her story concludes, we can see how God works in our everyday lives to turn a not so great situations into a great ones.
“Then the elders and all the people at the gate said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. Through the offspring the Lord gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.” Ruth 4:11-12 NIV
As Ruth lived a Godly life in her new situation, she was able to meet someone, Boaz, who was able to be the redeemer for her family, and bring honor to Naomi’s line and bless her with a grandchild. Ruth gave birth to the grandfather of King David, a familial line that led all the way to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
There’s a lot that I have been able to learn through studying Ruth’s story and reflecting on it during this time of physical distancing. God is always present, He is always there, even when it seems times are the darkest. I am strong and can set my work vigorously by being deeply rooted in God and His word. And finally, my story isn’t over yet. Imagine if I had stopped reading Ruth in chapter 1, what a sad story that would be! But if we can be patient and remain steadfast in God, and keep reading till the end, blessings can happen and turn our life that we thought was flipped upside down back right side up, pointed towards God