How Does a Loyal Girl Face the Future?

Claire Black: This is True Girl, a podcast for girls and their moms. Together, we’ll explore God’s truth for us one flight at a time!

This week’s True Girl Travel Agency tour includes a stop at one of the wonders of the ancient world: the Taj Mahal! We’re going to be in … India!

Get ready for fun music; beautiful, colorful clothes, and deliciously spicy food. (Our co-host, Staci Rudolph, loves Indian food!)

We’ll explore this culturally rich country as we study chapter 3 of Ruth’s story. Dannah Gresh and Staci Rudolph are here to help us see how a loyal girl deals with uncertainty about the future.

So, let’s get to it! It’s time for Episode 4, called “How Does a Loyal Girl Face the Future?”

Dannah Gresh: Hello?? [snaps]Earth to Staci?? Are you there? Our True Girl travelers are waiting for you to continue your lecture about this fabulous location.

Staci Rudolph: Yeah, I’m sorry. I just can’t believe we’re here . . . in India! I’m standing in front of the Taj Mahal! This has been on my bucket list for years!

Dannah: Yeah, it is pretty unbelievable. It’s so big, too! True Girl, did you know the Taj Mahal is really an enormous tomb made by an emperor for his wife when she died?

Staci: Yep. Oh—ahem—the Taj Mahal is filled with precious stones. Twenty-eight varieties of stones were used to decorate it—from diamonds, to amethyst, to pearls, and lots more! Let’s go see them all. 

Dannah: Man, Staci, we are killing this tour guide thing! The True Girl Travel Agency is a hit! 

Staci: I’d say so! That was some of my best work. 

Follow me, True Girl. 

Dannah: Oh hey, everyone. I want to play a conversation I had with my friend Becky who lives in India. Let’s listen to it before we go in.

Staci: Wait, Becky? That’s your friend from the U.K., right?

Dannah: I have two friends named Becky. The one who helped us navigate our time in London and one who lives here in India. This Becky is a full-time Christian missionary to her own nation. I had a zoom call with her to plan our time in India. I won’t play it all. I have it cued up to start just after I asked her what her favorite food was. Here’s Becky.

Becky: My favorite food is called biryani. It’s rice cooked with meat and spices. I just love that. In fact, yesterday I had the best biryani ever!

Dannah: Alright, when we get there, where should we go? What should we do?

Becky: India has a rich history. A very, very colorful history I would say, so there are lots of different places you can visit. India is so diverse as well. You can visit the Taj Mahal 

Dannah: Yeah, the Taj Mahal—that’s one of the man-made wonders of the world right?

Becky: It is. It’s one of the seven wonders of the world.

Dannah: So, it should be on our to-do list for sure. I want to ask you a question about being a Christian in India. Is it difficult?

Becky: India is a secular country, which means all religions are accepted here. By our constitution we can practice and profess our faith. Unfortunately, in recent times, India has become more exclusive. There are fundamental groups here that claim India is exclusively for Hindus, so that’s making it very difficult for Christians to practice and profess their faith—increasingly dangerous. I would say there’s a lot of persecution. The whole atmosphere is changing rapidly, and the church will soon be pushed underground like in China.

Staci: Oh, man! That made me want to pray for our Christian brothers and sisters who live here. True Girl, remind me to do that, okay?

Dannah: You know, the Christians here are not sure what their future looks like. Right now, they can still worship Jesus freely by law, but there are a lot of attacks on them. It’s not that safe. And they think very soon they won’t have the freedom to worship publicly. They’ll have to hide in private homes. That’s what she meant by underground. 

You know, that’s actually a good jumping off point for our study of Ruth. Let’s just sit on these nice marble benches and do our study before we go inside.

You know, it’s not always easy to think about the future. Do you ever find yourself worrying, Staci?

Staci: Sometimes. I mean, there’s so much to juggle! From grades to hobbies to friends to family. It can be so much!

Dannah: I agree. True Girl, if your mind starts to wander and you sometimes get anxious about things that might happen in the future, that’s pretty normal. I’ve felt that too! 

Staci: Yep!

Dannah: You may have something in the future that you’re worried about right now. We’re going to keep looking into Ruth’s story, because she did a great job handling the uncertainty of her future, and I hope it helps you with yours too. 

But first, Staci, what did we read last week in Ruth’s story?

Staci: Well, when we left Ruth, she was still adjusting to her new life in Bethlehem. She started collecting grain in the fields and met Boaz, the owner of the field. She spent the rest of the summer working hard in this field and providing for Naomi and herself. 

Ya know, there’s something I’ve been wondering.

Dannah: What?

Staci: After spending day after day working just to have enough to eat, don’t you think Ruth probably started to wonder, What happens now? Do I do this for the rest of my life!? 

Dannah: Yeah. She may have. Maybe she wondered what would happen if she got sick and couldn’t go out to the fields to get food for a while. 

Staci: Or if another famine happened? I mean, her future truly was not certain at all. 

Dannah: For sure. Ruth was probably not looking forward to spending the rest of her life working so hard in the fields to bring home dinner for that night. 

We’ve already discovered that because of the strict traditions in society. It was not easy to be a foreigner in the time and place where Ruth was living unless people were loyal to God and His commands. Plus, it was way harder to be a woman without a husband, because she couldn’t get a job like a man could to bring home money and provide for a family. For that reason, marriage was the best option for a woman at that time.

I’m sure Ruth would have chosen that option, but there was one big obstacle. You know what it was, Staci?

Staci: I don’t, but I bet it was another tradition

Dannah: You know it! There was a tradition at that time that said that once you married into a family, you were supposed to be a part of that family forever. Since Ruth had already been the wife of Naomi’s son, her new husband would have to be from that same family. It sounds like a crazy rule to us now, but back then, that’s just how they did things. 

Staci: Woah!

Dannah: Knowing that will help us understand Ruth chapter 3. It begins with Naomi hatching a plan. 

Naomi didn’t want Ruth to have to pick the leftover grain for the rest of her life, but she didn’t see an easy way out. Since Ruth was a foreigner, it would be difficult to find a man willing to marry her. But then, Naomi thought about how kind Boaz had been. And this is super important . . . he was a relative of Naomis! And not just any old cousin, uncle, or grandfather. No, Boaz was a special kind of relative. He was a family redeemer.

Staci: A what?!

Dannah: A family redeemer. 

That was a person who was supposed to help family members when they had trouble. Their two main jobs were to protect the family and to provide for them. 

To redeem means to rescue or save. During the time that Ruth lived, a family redeemer would help rescue a young person sold into slavery, or pay off a debt on a cousin’s piece of land. 

Sometimes, he would even marry a woman in the family whose husband died so she could have a family to be a part of.

Staci: Ah, Dannah, that’s exactly what Ruth needed!

Dannah: I know! And guess what? The plot just thickened . . . with some romance!

Staci: Oh boy!

Dannah: Yep, as a family redeemer, Boaz could be a potential husband for Ruth. This gave Naomi a good idea, so she told Ruth. Let’s read chapter 3.

Staci: Ohh can I read it!?

Dannah: You sure can!

Staci: Here’s Ruth 3:1–6

One day Naomi said to Ruth, “My daughter, it’s time that I found a permanent home for you, so that you will be provided for. Boaz is a close relative of ours, and he’s been very kind by letting you gather grain with his young women. Tonight he will be winnowing barley at the threshing floor.

Now do as I tell you—take a bath and put on perfume and dress in your nicest clothes. Then go to the threshing floor, but don’t let Boaz see you until he has finished eating and drinking. Be sure to notice where he lies down; then go and uncover his feet and lie down there. He will tell you what to do.”

“I will do everything you say,” Ruth replied. So she went down to the threshing floor that night and followed the instructions of her mother-in-law.

Dannah: See, Naomi made a plan for the future. What we learn is that instead of worrying, Ruth listens to a wise advisor, Naomi, and makes a plan.

Staci: And it sounds like a nice one. Who doesn't want to take a great bath, put on good smelling perfume and a snazzy outfit?

Dannah: I know! Naomi must have sensed that love was in the air. When Boaz was kind and shared his food with Ruth, it could have been that they also shared sweet conversations. But Boaz was older. It’s possible that Naomi knew he may be shy about asking a younger woman to marry him. We don’t really know any of these things. But something made that mother-in-law bold, and she asked Ruth to trust her by working the plan. And work it, she did. Let’s see how. Want to keep reading for us, Staci?

Staci: Yep, I’ll pick it back up at verse 7

After Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he lay down at the far end of the pile of grain and went to sleep. Then Ruth came quietly, uncovered his feet, and lay down. Around midnight Boaz suddenly woke up and turned over. He was surprised to find a woman lying at his feet! “Who are you?” he asked.

“I am your servant Ruth,” she replied. “Spread the corner of your covering over me, for you are my family redeemer.”

“The Lord bless you, my daughter!” Boaz exclaimed. “You are showing even more family loyalty now than you did before, for you have not gone after a younger man, whether rich or poor. Now don’t worry about a thing, my daughter. I will do what is necessary, for everyone in town knows you are a virtuous woman. (vv. 7–11)

Sounds like Boaz is down with the plan!

Dannah: Yeah, but there’s one very major problem. Keep reading.

Staci:

But while it’s true that I am one of your family redeemers, there is another man who is more closely related to you than I am. 

Oh snap! The plot twists again!

Dannah: Yep. But guess what this loyal man does? He makes a plan. Read the rest of the chapter.

Staci:

Stay here tonight, and in the morning I will talk to him. If he is willing to redeem you, very well. Let him marry you. But if he is not willing, then as surely as the Lord lives, I will redeem you myself! Now lie down here until morning.”

So Ruth lay at Boaz’s feet until the morning, but she got up before it was light enough for people to recognize each other. For Boaz had said, “No one must know that a woman was here at the threshing floor.” Then Boaz said to her, “Bring your cloak and spread it out.” He measured six scoops of barley into the cloak and placed it on her back. Then he returned to the town. (vv. 13–15)

Woah, so let’s recap that. So, Naomi made a plan. Ruth followed it. Then, Boaz made a plan. And Ruth followed it.

Dannah: Yes ma’am, she did. Let’s talk about exactly what she did for a minute.

When Boaz woke up, he was surprised to see a woman taking a nap near his feet. It was too dark for him to even know who it was, so he asked, “Who are you?” 

Staci: I think I’d say the same thing if I woke up and noticed some random person lying at my feet.

Dannah: Me too, Staci.

By going at night, Ruth found Boaz at a time where he had nowhere else to be and no excuse to leave, so she could really make her case heard. She was also allowing him to say no without any pressure from what other people would think, because no one else would be present to witness her request. It was fearless of her to break from tradition and bravely ask for what she needed: a husband!

Staci: I’m sure some people could see that as being kind of rushed and unwise. Don’t ya think?

Dannah: Yes, that’s exactly how some people see her boldness. 

But know this: it wasn’t an unwise sort of bold. She knew Boaz, and she knew that he was a kind man with a reputation for being good. Aside from being a man who was marriageable, he had a farm and could help improve her life. She had seen him show kindness before, so she knew he was trustworthy. I believe this was all carefully considered by Naomi and Ruth when they made the plan. We all need to have wise advisors like Naomi in our lives before we make plans. Staci, who would you say is a wise advisor in your life?

Staci: I’d have to say my mom. She has no problem letting me know when she sees me maybe making a bad decision or passing up a really good one. God often uses her to keep me on track in life. What about you, Dannah?

Dannah: Oh yes, my mom still advises me . . . after all these years. Plus, I have a board of directors for True Girl. I consult with them when I face uncertainty about the future. They give me good advice.

True Girl, having good, godly advisors in our lives is soooo important. And they have to be people who trust God. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Loyalty Lesson #3 is this: A loyal girl trusts that God is in control of the outcome.

Staci: Amen! No plan is a good one unless God is in charge!
So, what happened. Did Ruth marry Boaz?

Dannah: Well, there weren’t wedding bells just yet. Once again, the plot thickens.

Remember, there was one thing standing between Ruth and Boaz becoming husband and wife . . . . another man.

Boaz knew something that Ruth didn’t: there was another man in town who was actually first in line to marry Ruth. He was also a family redeemer.

Staci: There goes another one of those traditions.

Dannah: Yep, Boaz said he would go talk to that man, and if he didn’t want to marry Ruth, then Boaz would do it. He gave her some grain and sent her on her way, promising to tell people how virtuous (or well-behaved) she was!.Now, what will happen?

Staci: The suspense is killing me! I bet the news that there was someone else who might have the chance to ask to marry Ruth was quite the cliffhanger for her too! She had fearlessly followed the plan to the best of her ability, but was she getting married to Boaz or not? 

Dannah: Now True Girl, let’s get real. You’re probably not in suspense about who will ask you to marry him. (It’ll most likely be a few years until you think about that.) But, you might be wondering who will be your friend at school next year, if you will make the basketball team, or whether or not you’re going to pass your math test! Does that mean Ruth’s story is not useful to you? Not at all. This next piece of the story will be helpful no matter what you’re waiting to find out.

Verses 16–18 say this:

When Ruth went back to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, “What happened, my daughter?” Ruth told Naomi everything Boaz had done for her, and she added, “He gave me these six scoops of barley and said, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’” Then Naomi said to her, “Just be patient, my daughter, until we hear what happens.”

Staci: Be patient? How could she?! There’s a proposal on the line!

Dannah: I know. I’m sure that after she put herself out there with a proposal, that’s not what Ruth was hoping to hear. But you know what? She chose once again to listen to wise advice. She was patient. (Practicing patience usually means not doing more things to control the outcome and being content rather than frustrated while you wait!)

Staci: Now, that’s a great way to put it.

Dannah: Thanks! And, why was Ruth patient? 

Staci: Well, I think it’s because she was ultimately being loyal to God. She trusted Him. She knew that it wasn’t really up to her how things turned out. She could try her hardest, but in the end, who would make the final decision about what her future would look like? God! 

Dannah: Bingo. Ruth trusted that God was in control of the outcome. She knew that all she could do was to ask for what she needed. The only thing that was in her control was whether or not she followed the plan. She did her part and left the rest to God.

Staci: “Do your part and leave the rest to God.” Talk about words to live by. That was a truth punch if I’ve ever experienced one. 

True Girl, have you been dealing with any fear of the future lately? Like maybe you have the biggest, baddest, scariest first year of middle school coming up, and you don’t know how you’ll do. Or your piano recital is soon and you have stage fright. It could be that your best friend is moving away and you don’t think you’ll have any friends left once she leaves. There are a lot of uncertain things in the future, aren’t there? 

Here’s a verse to live by. Luke 12:22–26 says,

Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear. For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing. Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?”

Being afraid of the future doesn’t help us at all! When we worry about what’s going to happen, we are only adding stress to ourselves and not making the situation any easier. When these feelings come, what should we do with them? We can follow Ruth’s example for how a loyal girl faces the future: we can make a plan based on godly advice and then be patient and choose to trust God.

Dannah: Here’s the big one and the loyalty lesson that I don’t want you to forget, True Girl. You can trust God as you wait patiently for Him to do His part . . . even if the plan doesn’t work out the way you want it to. If you feel some fear creeping back up during the course of being patient, you can always talk to God about it. Talk to God about that feeling and pray for your situation. In fact, here’s a Bible verse I like to remember when I get tempted to worry instead of trusting God.

It’s Philippians 4:6–7

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Staci: I love those verses.

When we trust that our circumstances are in our loving God’s hands, we’ll have peace. 

If you need a reminder to pray instead of worry, write down these verses on a piece of paper and tape it somewhere where you can see it every day. Then, pray and remember that God is in control.

Dannah: Sounds like a good plan! 

So, what are we waiting for? Let’s dig into the next chapter to learn if Ruth marries Boaz! 

Staci: I think we have to take a break and head in for our tour of the Taj Mahal! I don’t wanna miss it!

Dannah: Oh, yeah, me either! I guess we will have to wait until next time if Ruth marries Boaz. But Staci, didn’t you want to pray for the Christians in India? 

Staci: Yes, I did. Thanks for reminding me.

Dannah: Maybe we should do that now.

Staci: Alright, let’s go. 

God we just come to You thanking You. We thank You for just our brothers and sisters in India, who are committed to telling others about You, God, about Your love, and who You are. I pray that You would protect them and strengthen them as they continue to do that. Help us continue to pray for them as they do. In Your name we pray, amen.

Claire: Wait! What? I can’t believe we didn’t get to hear if Ruth marries Boaz! Ah, well, all the more reason to be back next time.

Until then, you and your mom could make some Indian biryani. That’s spelled b-i-r-y-a-n-i. While you cook, talk about the future and how you can trust God with it.

Oh, while you’re talking, review Loyalty lesson #3: A loyal girl trusts that God is in control of the outcome. Remember, all these loyalty lessons are from the Bible study Ruth: Becoming a Girl of Loyalty, by Dannah Gresh. 

We have lots of Bible studies for tween girls just like you. In fact, I highly recommend our on-demand Bible study for moms and daughters. It’s based on the book Lies Girls Believe and the Truth That Sets Them Free. Learn more at MyTrueGirl.com/LiesGirlsBelieve!

Be sure to join us for our next destination and loyalty lesson . . . and to find out if Ruth and Boaz end up together! 

Next week we’re headed to one of Dannah’s favorite countries. It’s extra special because True Girl has an entire team there ministering to girls all throughout Latin America! See ya there.

The True Girl podcast is produced by Revive Our Hearts calling women of all ages to freedom, fullness, and fruitfulness in Christ!

All Scripture is taken from the NLT.