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Introduction

Before I start, let me share with you a little story of interaction with my son. Just a few months ago, my son received this puzzle, right at the back over there. (Pastor showed a picture of puzzle on the screen) He received this puzzle from his best buddy. And to me, this is a puzzle that looks so simple. This is a children’s puzzle for two years old, I suppose. So I thought, “How hard can this be?” You know the goal of this puzzle is to put all the pieces neatly fit into this square without any gap, without any hole. So I thought, “Children's puzzle, how hard can it be?” So I attempt. I took out everything. And I tried and I tried, and the more I tried, the more I realized that it's almost impossible to fit all the pieces neatly into this square. I asked my friends to try, and we tried different combination. Nothing seems to work. I got a bit of like frustrated, you know. What? What's going on? Children's puzzle. I'm 37 years old. How come I cannot even solve this puzzle? And but isn't that like life?

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Sometimes in life, we want to put all the pieces neatly together. I wish that I could have got a glimpse of the answer sheet so that I can cheat a bit and pretend that I know the answer. But the problem is, I don't have the answer sheet to life, and we do not know how life will turn out, isn't it? Sometimes we want to be in control. We want to know exactly which pieces of our life will come next. But the problem is, life does not happen that way. The reason why is because we are not God. God is the one that knows where each pieces were supposed to be, and I am not God. And interestingly, that is what the book of Ruth is all about.

The book of Ruth is about how God is going to orchestrate different events, human decision for a greater purpose, for a greater glory, for a plan for redemption. And the book of Ruth is a beautiful love story between this lady called Ruth, and the man called Boaz. The book of Ruth to me, I entitled the Book of Ruth as “The invisible hand of God”. How God is going behind the scenes, weaving and orchestrating different things together for His glory, for His purpose, for their good and for our good ultimately as well. So let's go through the book of Ruth, four chapters into one sermon. I will try my best. So I'm not going to go to all the little details of the book of Ruth.

The Background

The setting of the book of Ruth happens in the time of Judges. If you know the time of Judges, it was a time of rebellion, it was a time of relativism. Because if you look at the book of Judges, the Bible tells us

there was no king in Israel during that period of time, and everyone did what was right, according to their own eyes. (Judges 21:25)

They are not following the law of God. They're following whatever they feel like doing. It's like a ‘YOLO’ life in a language of youth. They do whatever they want. They don't care, and they don't bother. It was a time of rebellion. It was a time of chastisement from God as well. And if you look at the book of Judges, they are going through this sin cycle. The people of Israel rebelled against God, God punished them, and then the people of God repented, and then God restored them back again, over and over and over again. That is the context of the book of Ruth, happening in the time of Judges. And it happened that God is chastising the people of Israel. And God gave them famine in the land. There was no food, and everyone was scrambling for food to survive.

And then there came a man.

A man in Bethlehem, in Judah, went to the country of Moab, his wife, himself and the two sons. (Ruth 1:1b)

Who are they? The narrator introduced us to these four characters. The guy's name, the head of the house name is called Elimelech. The wife's name is Naomi, and the two sons name are Mahlon and Chilion or Kilion. Interestingly, the word ‘Elimelech’ means ‘My God is King’. However, God wasn't, God wasn't his king at all because he did not trust God to provide for them as a family in Israel. Instead, he went to a place called Moab. Do you know where's the place of Moab? If you have listened carefully through the book of Numbers and in Numbers chapter 25, the Bible tells us it was a place where the women of Moab will come and seduce the people of Israel to turn them away from God, to worship Jehovah God and to worship the pagan god. That is the context of Moab. And this Israelite man brought the family and to raise his children in this land. He did not trust God at all. What happened next? He died. The Bible tells us Elimelech, the husband of Naomi died, and the sons took Moabites wives. So now left to the two sons, right? The sons married. One son married Orpah, the other son married Ruth. And the Bible tells us they died as well. Mahlon and Kilion died. Interestingly, Mahlon and Kilion, in the Hebrew words, means. Mahlon means ‘sick’ and Kilion means ‘wasting’ or ‘pining’. Indeed, they are sick and wasting, and they died. And now the story tells us, now Naomi was left with the two daughters-in-law, Orpah not ‘Opera’. Orpah and Ruth, herself. And the story is going to begin to unfold in these few chapters.

The Return

In chapter one, we're going to see how Naomi brought the daughters-in-law back from Moab, back home to Bethlehem, to where the people of God is, to where the presence of God is, to where God has redeemed the people of Israel and brought them out from Egypt into the Promised Land. Finally, Naomi at the lowest point of her life, she decided to return back to Bethlehem. They returned back, and on the way back from Moab to Bethlehem, Naomi turned back to say to the two daughters-in-law, “Hey, don't go back, turn back, go back to Moab, my daughter.” Why? “Because I'm an old woman. I'm an old widow. I cannot provide for you. And you Moabites, why would you want to come to the land of Israel when you have your own family in Moab? Go back home. You will be taken care of. You will be provided for by your family. You can marry again and to find a new husband, and the new husband can provide for you and care for you and love you. Why would you follow this old Auntie widow back home? Please don't do that.” So Orpah say, “Okay.” Make a practical reason, a reasoning. “Okay, I will go back home.”

But the Bible tells us, Ruth, on the other hand, clung unto Naomi. And this is what

Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or return from following you. For where you go. I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.” (Ruth 1:16)

What Ruth was trying to say to Naomi was this. “I am willing to leave behind my pagan god, to follow your God. I am willing to leave my family, all that I know about life. I'm going to leave all this behind and to follow you and to follow your God.” It is a headset loyal commitment to Naomi, and it's a loyal commitment towards the God of the Bible, the God of Israel. There we see this beautiful conversion, and they returned home.

As they went back home to Bethlehem, now the picture left with Naomi and Ruth. And when they are journeying back to Bethlehem.

And when they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them. And the women said, “Is this Naomi?” (Ruth 1:19)

Isn't this Naomi that 10 years ago, left the Promised Land and to go into a forbidden land? Isn't this Naomi's children married Moabite wives? Isn't this Naomi that did all these things? And who, who she came with? Ruth the Moabite. What is going on here?

And Naomi replied them, “Don't call me Naomi; call me Mara.” (Ruth 1:20a)

Huh, can like that one? Can I just change? Suka, suka change my name from Yu Fei to handsome? How does that? How does that work? Okay, if you look at the word here, ‘do not call me Naomi’. Naomi means pleasant or sweet. Because my life is not sweet, my life is not pleasant. I went away full with, I have a husband and two sons, and I came back home empty, with nothing, with no children. All I left with is this Ruth, Moabite. I am bitter. I am angry. I'm complaining. Call me Mara. Mara means bitter. Don't call me sweet. Call me bitter,

“because God the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.” (Ruth 1:20b)

And there the first scene came to a close, where they returned home.

She was depressed, she was sad, and both of them were widowed. There were no one to provide for them. There was no protector. And so happened in the midst of all these things, they happen to come to the time of the harvest barley, where there will be plenty of food provided for the people of Israel. It so happened. Remember, what we're going to see is God is weaving, orchestrating every situation, every event in the book of Ruth beautifully, for their good, for our good. Eventually you're going to see for His glory, for His purpose. So that's chapter one, they returned home.

The Refuge

In chapter two, we're going to see because they were hungry, they were widowed, there was no one to provide for them. Ruth said this, “I will go to the field to glean.” And the narrator in chapter two verse one, give us another character. His name is Boaz. So important for us to understand this concept, because Boaz will come into chapter two and chapter three and chapter four to do something for the family. Boaz was a relative of Elimelech. Boaz was someone close to this family. Hold that thought, we will come back and revisit that later. So because they were poor, they were hungry, and Ruth decided, “You know what, mother-in-law, Naomi, can I go to the field to glean?” But what's this

gleaning amongst the ears of the grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor. (Ruth 2:2)

In our 21st century, we will not understand what gleaning is, because we are all well provided for. You have your phone, you have your credit card, you can “didi”, all the food will come to you. You can ‘Grab’. During that time, there's no such thing. In fact, they were so poor. And Ruth knew there was a law in the Scripture that will provide for this group of people. The law was taken in Leviticus chapter 23 verse 22. God told the people of Israel, the wealthy people that have land, the land owner. These are the people, right? Land owners,

when you reap your harvest of your land, do not reap your field right to the corners of the field, you shall not gather the leftover the gleanings after your harvest. You shall let them be for the poor, for the sojourners, for the fatherless, for the widows, because I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 23:22)

God always have the heart for such people. If you look at Leviticus chapter 19, you will see that comparison, God has a heart for these people. And God just don't, just did not just care for the people of Israel, God also cared for the last and the least and the lost. And there was a law that stated here, do not reap, do not gather all the harvest, all the way, leave some behind. To some extent. Sometimes there will be 25% of the crops will be left behind for these people.

Ruth came to know about this law, and Ruth asks permission from Naomi, “Can I go and glean amongst the field?” And it so happened that as she goes to the field out of the don't know how many fields there, maybe one hundred or whatever, it so happened that she came across this field that belongs to Boaz, her close relative.

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She happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the clan of Elimelech. (Ruth 2:3)

So happened. And then Boaz saw her, and she was wondering, “Who is this? Whose woman is this? Which clan does she belongs to? Who is this person belongs to?” And then the young, the workers of the few, told Boaz, “Oh, she's the young Moabite. They just came back from Moab.” He remember her daughter, her mother-in-law is Naomi. Yes, that's the woman. And Boaz immediately tell Ruth this, to show kindness to Ruth in such an amazing manner that is beyond what the law provided. Boaz said this to Ruth, “Don't just glean amongst the corners of the year. Just stay in this field. I will take care of you. I will protect you. I have charged my young men not to touch you, not to harass you, not to disturb you.” Remember, it was a time of crazy period in the time of Judges, where everyone did what was right according to their own eyes, and it was dangerous for a widow to be at the field. And Boaz provided this refuge, provided this protection and provision for Ruth, and not just that. “Ruth, when you are thirsty, you don't need to travel all the way back to the city gate to go to the well and to draw from the well to quench your thirst. You don't need. I have already done that for you. My young men have already done that for you. All you need to do is to just go to the vessel and to drink it from there.”

You see Boaz showed amazing kindness to Ruth, and because of that, Ruth responded to him by bowing down and says, “What have I found favor in your eyes? I am a Moabite. I am a widow, I am a nobody. Why are you so kind to me? Why do you even take notice of me?” Boaz replied, “Oh, you know what? Actually, I know who you are. My men have already told me what all the things that you have actually done to your mother-in-law, Naomi. And since the death of your husband has been fully told to me, I knew you are the young Moabite that took good care of your mother-in-law. I know you are the young Moabite that actually left your father and your mother and your native land. You left all that you know and cling on to, not just Naomi, but also you have come under the refuge of the Jehovah God, the God of Israel. How you left your people, how you left your faith, how you left your religion, your God. You come under the refuge, under the wings of refuge, under the God of Israel.”

Kindness begets kindness. The reason why Boaz was kind to her was because Ruth was extremely kind to the mother-in-law. And the reason why Boaz was kind to Ruth was because of a law that stated, and because God was kind to the people, and Boaz follow after suit as well. And you think that that's it. No. Boaz continued to show amazing kindness towards Ruth. Invited her to eat during the meal, during the midday time, and not just feed her well, he provided extra for the mother-in-law. And you think that's it? No, he asked Ruth that don't just go to the ears, just gather the grains, just gather the harvest together with us. And not just that, he asked the young men to intentionally throw some bundles of the things that they already collected, throw it on the floor so that Ruth can come and glean amongst along the way. “Oh, there's extra, oh, I just take. Oh, there’s extra, I will just take.” That was how Boaz show kindness to Ruth. So Ruth now comes under the refuge of the Jehovah God. Ruth comes under the refuge of Boaz. And when Ruth went back home and told her mother-in-law all that have happened. “This man has been so nice to me. And I so happened that I was working in this field. And it so happened this man, the guy that I was working with before, his name is Boaz.” Can you imagine what Naomi was thinking about? Boaz? And this is what

she said, “Boaz is actually one of our close relatives. Boaz was actually so actually one of our redeemer.” (Ruth 2:20b)

What does it mean? It means that Naomi knew something that Ruth did not know. Naomi knew that Boaz so happened to be a close relative of Elimelech. To us, what does it mean? But in the text, during the culture, during the period of time, there was a law, another law, that tells us that there is this marriage law that require,

which require a brother of a deceased man to marry his widow and to raise up a son to his name (Deuteronomy 25:5-10)

In Deuteronomy chapter 25, there was a law that actually Boaz could fulfill, if he seems to, if he wants to, if he desires to, to fulfill as the brother in law, to redeem Ruth and to marry her and to raise a son on behalf of Mahlon, Ruth's late husband. Naomi now knew what could potentially be for their family and for Ruth. Naomi knew that maybe Boaz could redeem her and to purchase her back. Because, according to the law, according to the word ‘one of the redeemer’, it means ‘kinsman redeemer’. In Hebrew means ‘goʾel’ and a ‘goʾel’, a ‘kinsman redeemer’ can do four things. Can redeem a land on behalf of the late husband. A ‘kinsman redeemer’ can redeem someone from slavery that's according to the relative realm, in according to the same clan. A ‘kinsman redeemer’ can redeem a widow. A ‘kinsman redeemer’ can avenge a vengeance to those that have done harm to the late husband or relative. So a ‘kinsman redeemer’ can do a lot of things. And Naomi knew that this 'kinsman redeemer’, go’el, could potentially redeem the land and could potentially redeem Ruth and to provide a shelter and protection for Ruth.

The Request

So in chapter three, we see Naomi came up with a plan. Naomi requests Ruth to do something. This is what Naomi said, “My daughter, Ruth, should I not seek rest for you? Should I not seek all along I have been wanting you to have a family. That's why, at the start, I asked you to go back to Moab, but now don't need to go back anymore. I want to provide a family for you.” During that culture, there's no like dating apps, like what we have now. There's no go to this ‘Coffee meet Bagel’ and then interact and say, “Hi, I love you.” Oh no, I mean interact with one another. During that time, it was all match make. It was the parents that will match make for their children. And Naomi is trying to match make for Ruth. “Isn't Boaz our redeemer, our go’el, our potential redeemer, our potential go’el that could marry you according to the law of the Scripture. Hey, you know where he will be. He will be at the threshing field at the end of the harvest for the last six to eight months of interaction. At the end of the harvest, you will see that all these land owners will go to the threshing field to gather all the harvest. That's why the guy is at the threshing field.” And Naomi told Ruth to do something. “Hey, Ruth.

Wash yourself. Put on some perfume, olive oil. Cloak yourself. Go down to the threshing floor. Do not make yourself known to the man Boaz until he has finished eating and drinking (Ruth 3:3)

and celebrating from the harvest.

And when you see where he lies, observe where he lies, and then go and uncover his feet, and then you lie down at his feet. (Ruth 3:4)”

What is going on here? Can you imagine your mother-in-law ask you to go and find a man, and then your mother-in-law asked you to go and lie down at the feet of the man and then uncover his feet. What is going on here? Is Naomi asking Ruth to go and seduce Boaz, just like how the people, the women in Moab were doing during the period of time? Absolutely not. There was no hint of any sexual immorality in this scene. Then what is it all about? I will explain in a moment. So Ruth did exactly what Naomi told her to do. She lie down at the feet, uncovered his feet and

in the middle of the night, the man was startled and turned over, “Wow, who is this woman? (Ruth 3:8)

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Why is there a woman at my feet?” And he said, “Who are you? Why are you smelling my feet? What is going on here?” What is going on here? And Ruth replied, “I am Ruth. Remember the one, the one that had been working with you?

“I am Ruth, your servant.” And Ruth said this, “Spread your wings over me, over your servant, for you are my redeemer.” (Ruth 3:9)

You are a redeemer of my life. What does it mean?

Maybe this picture will help you to understand what this statement means. (Pastor showed a picture of him and his wife on the screen). On the 26th of November, 2020, I better get the dates right, my wife is at the back. Yes. That day, that night, I brought my wife to a very beautiful restaurant, super expensive, I don't know why, but super expensive. Have a very delicious meal and after that, I brought her to this, under this very light bulb kind of thingy. And I kneel down on my knee, and I said to my wife, “Spread your wings over me, for you are my redeemer.” Of course not. What I did say is, “Hannah, will you marry me? Will you be engaged with me?” I will give her the engagement ring. That is exactly what happened here. If you want to know how it comes about, look at Ezekiel, chapter 16, verse 8, that is the imagery or the symbolic act. What Ruth was trying to say is, Ruth was trying to tell Boaz, “Will you marry me? Will you marry me because you are a redeemer? You are a kinsman redeemer. You are a go’el. You can redeem me if you want to.” And Boaz immediately said, “I will do it.” Wow. What a beautiful scene, right? During that time, the girl does that to the guy somehow. By our times it will be very awkward. Imagine Daoru go and ask Raynor, “Will you marry me?” It's a bit weird, but in that context, it's okay. Okay, I will do whatever you say, because all the all the people in the town know that you are worthy man. It's a matchmaking heaven. Ruth was a worthy woman, and Boaz was a worthy man, man of integrity, man that loves God, and he was a match make in heaven. But here is the problem. There is a problem. Yes, even though I know that I am a redeemer, he already knew. He knew, but he said, “I cannot come to you and propose to you or ask to redeem you, is because there was another redeemer, closer, nearer than I am.” So what's going on here? According to the law, there was a hierarchy, right? There's an order. The person that's closest to the family can redeem first and then next, and next and next. So it happened that there was someone that that have the responsibility to redeem this widow first. That's why he said, “Okay.

If this redeemer wants to redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he doesn’t want, as long as the as the Lord lives, I will redeem you. (Ruth 3:13a-b)

I will settle the case.

Lie down here until the morning. (Ruth 3:13c)

I will go and settle the case. Next morning, I will share with you what's going to happen.”

The Redemption

So in chapter 4, we see that the scene change to the city gate. There was this beautiful redemption. So it happened that Boaz, in the morning, went to the city gate. What's the city gate? A city gate is where a lot of transaction, a lot of businesses, a lot of deals are being made. And during that period of time, they don't have all the receipt that we have now. That during that period of time, how they confirm certain transaction is through witnesses. So it happened that Boaz saw the other redeemer and says, “Hey, hey, hey, come, come, come, come.” It so happened the redeemer came by, and he asked the redeemer, “Come, come, come. Sit down. Sit down.” And then Boaz also gathered the elders, the leaders of the city, “Come, come, come, come. Sit down. Sit down, sit down. Sit down, sit down. And I'm going to share with you a proposal. I'm going to share with you a transaction.” So Boaz told the other redeemer, “Hey, you know what. Naomi, who just came back from Moab, right, is selling this piece of land that belongs to our relative Elimelech. Do you want this piece of land?” Can you imagine this piece of land is probably cheaper than they're supposed to be. It's a good deal. Of course, the other redeemer say, “I will redeem it.” It's like, if you weigh the cost and cost benefit analysis, of course, I will do it. It's like asking me to buy a property in Orchard Road that costs $500,000. Of course it starts a good deal. And he says, “Of course, it’s such a good deal. I will redeem it.”

And then Boaz said this, “Oh, by the way, if you want to redeem this land, you also have to redeem Ruth, the Moabite. And not just that you have to redeem Ruth, the Moabite, you have to perpetuate the name of the dead, Mahlon in his inheritance.” (Ruth 4:5)

It means this - “Hey, you want the land, you must get Ruth. You must redeem Ruth. In order for you to get the land, you must have Ruth. And not just that, you must raise up a son for Mahlon, and this son will not be your son. This son will be the son of Mahlon. And not just that, you also have to share your inheritance, all that you have together for this son and for this family.”

Wow, when the other redeemer thinks about this, it does not make sense anymore. And immediately he said, “No, no, no, no, no, I don't want. I don't want, lest I impair my inheritance.” So he said, “Boaz, take the right for I cannot really meet. It does not make sense to me.” One person choose a very practical way to deal with it, but Boaz make a sacrificial approach to it, and he paid a price for the land, ultimately for Ruth, the Moabite, the widow of Mahlon. And they got married together in the witnesses of the elders and the people then. The Bible continue to tell us they got married, they had a son. For 10 years in Moab, there was no son, there was no blessing. But the moment that they were in the will of God, there was a son in that context. And this son's name is called Obed.

Who is Obed? Can you imagine the story just end here? But the problem of this story that's just end here will not make any sense, because ultimately, God is doing a work that is behind the scene, that's weaving, orchestrating all these little events together for His good, for our good, for His glory and for His purpose. Because the Bible tells us, through this son came the line of Jesse, came the line of King David. Pause for a moment. Are you saying the whole book of Ruth is actually not about Ruth and Boaz? It's about this Son that came through the line of David, that God has an ultimate plan. Through that line comes King David, and through that line comes someone else. This is the big idea of the book of Ruth. God's providence is always at work even you don't see it, even in the choices of sinful people, the bad choices that they make. God is always at work, regardless whether you think it is true or not, guiding, providing, redeeming for His glory, for His purpose and for our good.

The Big Idea

The book of Ruth opens with a famine, but closes off with a family. The book of Ruth opens with loss of life, but it ends off with a legacy that's going to come forever and ever. The book of Ruth opens with no king, but it ends off with a king, and his name is King David. And you think that is the end, absolutely not, because through the line of King David comes through the line of Jesus. Can you see this whole picture that God is working out beautifully for their good and for our good, for His purpose, His glory and everything else? Can you see the invisible hands of God throughout the whole book of Ruth in this nutshell? Isn't that amazing to know that God is always at work, even when you don't feel like it? Through the line of Rahab, a prostitute, through the line of Ruth and Moabite, a Gentile, this group of people came under the faith, came under the covenant of God. Through the line of these people, ordinary events, ordinary people came through the line of David and came through the line of Jesus under the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew chapter one. Isn't that amazing?

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Before I go, I want to share some thoughts with you, some application. Knowing the whole story of the book of Ruth should drive us to know and to recognize that God is in control of every situation of our life, whether in the time of the good or even in the time of the bad, even in the times of famine, even in the times of loss of life, even in the times of rejection or uncertainty or heartbreaks or rejection or whatever, God is in control. There is nothing for you to worry about. He knows what is happening, and He knows everything works together for good to those who loves Him and are called according to His purpose. So train your heart to see God's providence in your day to day living. Train your heart to recognize the invisible hand of God.

I don't know what you're going through. I don't know what you're struggling with. I do not know whether you are going through a heart breaking season, loss of your loved ones, rejection or uncertainty in life. You not sure what's going to happen tomorrow. You are not sure if you are getting that BTO house, or is that girl someone that you are called to marry you. There's a lot of uncertainty in life, and we do not know the different pieces of our life, but God knows, God cares, and He is doing something for your good, and for ultimately, for His good, for His purpose. And the reason why when we go through trials or heartbreak or uncertainty, a lot of times we complain, we murmur, we become bitter like Naomi, because we cannot see the whole picture. But I want to encourage you to train your heart, to see, to recognize and that you can trust God's hand upon everything in this world that's going on, and even in your life. The reason why we don't thank God for His provision is because we don't think about Him all the time. But if you, if you really slow down your life, going back through your life, you will realize that nothing happened by chance, and you can praise God in the good times, and also even in the bad times.

Just think about this, the story of Ruth. There's ruin, famine, and because of that, they got into relationship, a forbidden, not forbidden, a relationship with a Moabite woman. And then we see how Ruth decided to follow and all these things did not happen by chance. How they returned home at the beginning of harvest, how it happens as Ruth was gleaning and reaping the harvest, the field, it happens to be Boaz. And how Boaz came and protected and gave refuge to Ruth. How Boaz was actually one of the redeemer and how the other redeemer rejected the offer. And how came the perfect redemption, how came the restoration through giving them a son called Obed, and how it came through the royal line of King David, and ultimately, how it came through the line of Jesus, the Redeemer of all, Jesus Christ. All these things did not happen by chance, my friend. Is God that is at work. And you know what? When we know that God is the one that's at work, He's Sovereign above all situations in our life, we can trust Him. And the moment you trust Him, you will see how He opens doors and closes doors, even if He say no to your request, you know that He's still in control, and He's doing something beautifully for your good, for His purpose. God is doing one thousand, one million, ten thousands things in your life, and maybe you are only aware, just the three of them. But when you calm your heart and you be still before God, and when you look back to your life, you will realize there is nothing that happened by chance.

When I look back to my life, how I came to this church, because one of my netball Captain invited me to a barbecue event. I don't think that is that happened by chance. I don't think the passing on of my dad and my mom at the age of two years old and thirteen years old, is by chance. I don't think that I come to church because I want to get a girl and to get into relationship with God in this church, is by chance. End up, I didn't get into that relationship. Thank God. I don't think all these things in my life happens by chance. Yeah, and I don't think it by chance I was kicked out of my stepfather's house at the age of 15. By chance, I don't think it's because and so happened that there was a pastor, his name is called Pastor Yan, that took me in, into his home and provided a house for me for that period of time when I was growing up. I don't think all these things happen by chance. I don't think it happened by chance that I came to serve the youth ministry. And I don't think by chance that my wife wanted to get my number because of Club 39 and I don't think by chance that our hearts meets together. All these things are not by chance. If you were to slow down in your life, you will realize that God is doing one thousand over things in your life, and you are only aware of just the three of them. So calm your heart, slow your heart. Be still before God. You can praise Him, because He is doing a work in your heart, especially to those who are called according to His purpose. So recognize God's hand in your life. Recognize.

Secondly, if you are not yet a Christian, I want to encourage you. You can rest in the provided redemption plan of God through Jesus Christ. You can trust. You can rest in the finished work of our Lord, Jesus, Christ. Ruth, a Gentile, a foreigner, found grace in Boaz’s field. “We too can find grace when we come to Christ, the true Redeemer”, said by Sinclair Ferguson. By the way, he is coming in September. So please sign up for that, for that conference that that he'll be sharing with as well. But it's true, a Gentile outsider can come under the covenant of God, the God of Israel. Today, if you are not yet a believer, you can come to our Lord Jesus Christ, who have redeemed us from our sins. That's why the Bible tells us,

in Him, we have redemption (Ephesians 1:7)

What's redemption? Redemption means that you have to pay a price to get something to buy back by paying something. Ruth have to buy back the land and Boaz have to buy back the land and Ruth by paying a price. Jesus have bought us back, has redeemed us, buy us back to his embrace by paying a price. And the price was the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. He paid that price so that you can come under the fellowship of our Lord Jesus Christ, the forgiveness of sin in accordance to God's riches, God's grace. Can you imagine that today you can come under the redemption of our Lord Jesus Christ because he has paid it all through his blood?

And thirdly, as Christians, it's nice to hear about God's providence, but we must respond because of God's providence in our life. We must respond with faithful obedience towards him because of what he has done for us. We live out that gospel life. We drink in the gospel, live the gospel and give the gospel. That's why the Bible tells us that we should respond. Understanding his providence, understanding his redemption, we should respond with gratefulness. We should respond by serving Him, loving Him, while we wait for the blessed hope, the appearance of glory of our great God, Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself, a people for His own possession, who are zealous, passionate for good works. God redeemed us, so not that you can live your life the way you want. God redeem you from your sin so that you can serve Him, get to know Him, and to tell people about Jesus Christ. So recognize God's providence. Rest on God's providence, especially in the part of the redemption, and ultimately, please respond to God. You today can trust God regardless what you're going through. You can trust God's providence even when you don't see it or feel it. God's providence is always, always at work,

44:35
guiding, providing, redeeming, for His glory, for His purpose, and for our good, just like that puzzle. We may not see every puzzle where it's supposed to go, but you can take heart to know that God knows where to fit all the pieces beautifully according to His plan, not our plan. You can trust in the invisible hand of God today.

Let's bow with a word of prayer. God, we want to commit our life to you. We ask for your forgiveness, because many of times we want control, and when we don't get what we want, what we desire, we blame you, we complain and we fail because we fail to see that you are working behind the scene. In the rejection, in the crossroad of life, in all the all the little, little events, I know that you are in control, and you're orchestrating everything beautifully according to your plan, according to your purpose and for our good. And that's why we can trust, we can trust your hand, we can trust you, and ultimately, thank you that we can also trust in the finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you provided a way out for us through Jesus Christ, the forgiveness of sin, that we can come before your presence and to accept you as our Savior, and to turn from our way and to believe and repent and turn to you to be our Lord and Savior. So God, will you work in our hearts as we even in the weekends, as we go for our CGs to discuss the sermon? Will you show us Christ, and will you help us to remember how good and how good you are in our life? Thank you. We love you. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.