In each of Miss Austen's stories there is the prospect of true love lost, although Emma does not face the prospect as severely as Misses Dashwood, Bennet or Price. It is the very picture of what is taking place between Boaz and Ruth. The boy loves the girl, but the boy may not be able to redeem the girl. Now granted in most of these cases, the afore mentioned "boys" are older; but in each case, his heart is on the line. Billy Graham once spoke about being in love with a girl at a young age, saying that most would refer to it as "puppy love," then he said with some force, "It was real to the puppy!" No matter how old you are: it's real to the puppy.
And do we wonder that she won his heart so completely? Can we not see the hand of God working in her life, before ever the two meet? She as an even younger girl marries a man she loves, and also gets an extended family that loved her too. The father-in-law whom she must have looked to as a father, and no doubt he doted over her as well. And with in a short time, the family buries him. Not only grieving with her mother-in-law, but soon after for her self and her sister-in-law; tragedies that quickly matured her beyond her years. All these trials creating in her a quite and gentle spirit, who could depend on no one other than God.
How quickly she must have taken his heart, gleaning as a Moabite, sparing Naomi the shame of gleaning daily in the sight of those who knew her all of her life. Boaz providing for her by telling his servants to leave for her, as the King James puts it, "handfuls of purpose." The prayers that must have been going up early that morning? They were both as we all should be; loving children completely dependent on their Gracious Heavenly Father.
More tomorrow, loved ones.
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