Out of the mouths of babes…and teenagers.
I recently hosted a baby shower for a close friend but began preparing months in advance for it, along with the other hosts. A mound of supplies was slowly but surely overtaking my home office.
About a month before the shower, a young friend had noticed the stock pile and all the preparing so he assumed the shower was that upcoming weekend. I told him we were actually still a month away. He proceeded to tell me that I was taking the shower too seriously and that it could really be put together in 24-48 hours.
If you are someone who has hosted a baby shower like I have, then you already know what I was thinking.
My young friend had obviously never planned a baby shower. When we aren’t directly involved in something, we often arrive at events like baby showers or weddings with an understanding that there was planning involved but forget how much it takes to achieve the desired result.
God knows something about that too.
Ruth 4:21 Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed,
22 Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.
It sounds like any other begat section that we read (or skim) through during our quiet time. But when you know what all it took to get to that point, it brings on a whole new appreciation for it.
Salmon isn’t just a great spring color or type of fish…this was the name of one of the spies sent into Jericho. He meets Rahab who agrees to help him escape and he in turn promises to keep her and her family safe once Israel invades Jericho.
Long story short – Salmon & Rahab get married and have a son named Boaz.
Around that time, there is a young woman named Ruth whose husband dies and she ends up moving to his hometown along with his mother. She serves her mother-in-law faithfully and works hard to provide for them. She “happens” to meet Boaz and eventually marries him.
The union of Salmon & Rahab, then Boaz & Ruth continues the lineage of Judah, including their great grandson, David (as in King David)…and eventually, our Messiah – Jesus.
Divine providence…perfectly planned.
It is amazing to me how these events in history transpired. While Salmon meeting his future wife wasn’t the primary story of the battle at Jericho, God knew that was going to happen.
When Ruth was mourning the death of her husband, little did she know that this loss would soon lead to her gain…a new people, a new land, a new husband and a new God.
Andy Stanley says, “The foundation of our faith is not answered prayer or happily ever after endings. Dreams that don’t come true and prayers that don’t get answered say nothing about the presence, goodness or faithfulness of God…We’re mistaken to assume we’re forsaken.”
I can look back at my own life and attest to that. I bet you can too.
I understand why I was rejected by certain friends – they weren’t going to be the right kind of influence for me.
I see why I didn’t get a particular job once I graduated from nursing school – God knew what I needed at that time to get me where I would want to be later in my career.
I now know why I had to wait longer than expected to meet my husband and get married – it wasn’t going to be an easy journey and neither of us would have been ready any sooner.
The sovereign hand of God was at work every time. I couldn’t see it then but behind the scenes, He was orchestrating things on my behalf, “things too wonderful for me to know” as Job stated (Job 42:3b).
Trust that the God who brought together Salmon & Rahab and Boaz & Ruth is bringing things together for you. You may not see it, but there’s a lot of planning going on, all with you in mind.
“Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love.” Ephesians 1:4 (MSG)
~Anu
*Baby shower photos taken by Sophy George
