Prosperity & blessing – 3 July 2009

Real friends enjoy each other’s company and true friendship weaves lives together. The friendship between Ruth and Naomi is one of the greatest described in the bible. We know more about their friendship than we do about them as people. They teach us how wonderful a good friendship can be. They did not share many of the things that bring people together, they came from different back grounds, were different ages, but they had both lost their husbands and were left with nothing but each other.

There was real freedom in their friendship.  Often in friendships we try to hold each other too tightly and friendship can fade when there is no room to breathe.  Naomi was willing to let Ruth return to her roots if she wanted to; Ruth was willing to leave her homeland to go to Israel with Naomi; Naomi even arranged Ruth’s marriage to Boaz even though she knew it would change their relationship.

Ruth and Naomi came to Bethlehem as poor widows but they soon became prosperous through Ruth’s marriage to Boaz.  Ruth became a mother and eventually became great grandmother to King David. Yet the greatest blessing was not the money, the marriage or the children – it was the quality of love and respect between Ruth, Naomi and Boaz.

We tend to think of blessing in terms of prosperity rather than of high quality relationships that God makes possible for us.  No matter what our economic situation, we can love and respect the people God has brought into our lives. In so doing we give and receive blessings.

What does it mean for you to be blessed by God? Give thanks today for the many ways he has blessed you, and especially for the true friendships and enduring relationships he has blessed you with.