Finding Favor Through Sacrifice: Ruth's Story

When Favor Meets You at the Right Place

Let me tell you a story that perfectly captures what we're going to talk about today. One of our members was going through a long, drawn-out court case. They were finally coming to the end, heading to final judgment. While standing in line at Starbucks, they did something simple, they let another man go ahead of them. "I'm not in a rush," they said. "You can go ahead."

When they walked into that courtroom, guess who was sitting at the bench? The man from Starbucks. The judge. Their eyes met, the judge smiled, and when the judgment came down, favor showed up.

That's what favor looks like when you don't even know who's watching.

Don't Let What You're Going Through Become Who You Are

Here's something critical you need to understand in your faith walk: God will take you through some things. But you cannot allow what you're going through to become who you are. You will experience trials, tribulations, pain, loss, tears, cries, life, death, it's called life.

When you're going through seasons, understand that God isn't trying to hurt you, He's trying to grow you. We don't like God's growth process, but God knows what's on the inside of you. He's trying to develop godly character through trials and tribulations.

Today we're looking at a woman named Ruth. Ruth never allowed what happened to her to change who she was. And here's the challenge: you never know who's watching you. That brother going to court didn't know he was opening the door for the judge. Sometimes in your walk, you don't know who you're blessing and whose eyes are watching you.

That's why you have to be careful to be consistent in your character and not allow what you're going through to change how you treat people.

The Power of Covenant Over Contract

Ruth's story begins in tragedy. Her husband dies. Her father-in-law dies. Both her brothers-in-law die. Her mother-in-law Naomi is left bitter and broken, ready to send Ruth and her sister-in-law Orpah back home.

But Ruth makes a declaration that changes everything:

"Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you. Where you go, I go. Where you lodge, I lodge. Your people will be my people. Your God, my God. Where you die, I die, and there I'll be buried. May the Lord do the same to me as He has done to you and more also if anything but death separates me from you." (Ruth 1:16-17)

You know what? I'm thinking about using this as wedding vows. Can you imagine? "Brother, do you want this woman?" "Yes, Pastor." "Repeat after me: Do not urge me to leave you or turn back..."

I bet we'd have fewer divorces.

Here's what Ruth did, she entered into covenant. Not a contract. See, many of us have contractual relationships: "I'll do this for you if you do this for me." But covenant means I go where you go. I die where you die. I walk where you walk.

The challenge is that so many people have conditional love: "I love you as long as you do this."

Once Ruth made this declaration, she unlocked something in the heavenlies. The Holy Spirit said, "Uh-oh, I hear sacrifice. I hear sacrificial love. She's not worried about a man. She's not worried about being married. I'm committed to you."

When God hears sacrifice, He moves. God loves sacrifice because every time you sacrifice for someone else, you are coming into Christlike nature.

The Sacrifice That Moves Heaven

Remember Mary's response when the angel told her she would carry the Savior? "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord. May it be done to me." (Luke 1:38)

Think about what Mary was accepting. Women who've had babies, you know, this wasn't going to be easy. There was no pleasure, just labor. People were going to talk. "Look at her, pregnant and not married." They'd call her names, question her character.

But Mary said, "Lord, use me."

Jesus did the same thing. "No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily, for I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also take it up again." (John 10:18)

When we decide to sacrifice for the betterment of somebody else, we are identified with Christ, and we unlock something that was not unlocked before.

Remember when Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son? The Bible says "Abraham went to worship." Abraham never called his sacrifice a sacrifice, he called it worship.

Your worship should be a sacrifice. That's why the Bible says, "I will offer the sacrifice of my praise." Not every day you feel like praising, but you make up your mind that God is good even though you don't feel good right now.

Making What's Important to God Important to You

When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said no more. Ruth was in covenant. She was riding with her.

Here's the principle: If you can make what's important to God important to you, God will make what's important to you important to Him.

Let me say it again: If you can make what's important to God important to you, God will make what's important to you important to Him.

If you can make what's important to God important to you, God will make what's important to you important to Him.

The scripture that captures this is Matthew 6:33: "But first and most importantly, seek, aim, strive after His kingdom, His righteousness, His way of doing and being right. Stop chasing stuff. Chase Him. Chase His presence, and stuff will come to you."

Ruth's Strategy: Purpose, Favor, and Position

Now we get to Ruth chapter 2. Naomi had a kinsman, a relative of her husband, a man of wealth named Boaz. And Ruth says something powerful: "Let me go to the field and glean ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor."

Did you catch that? She spoke what she was looking for. This is a defining moment. Ruth had a plan:

1. Go to the field (purpose)
2. Find favor (faith)
3. Position herself (strategy)

Things don't just happen. You've got to have a strategy. Ruth knew that harvesters left the corners of their fields for the poor, and they could follow behind the reapers to collect the scraps. She wasn't going to let pride stop her from going where she needed to go.

The challenge is that sometimes we allow what we're going through, well, "I don't want people to know my business." Well, you're hungry, mama. You're hungry, brother. Go get some food. Stop worrying about what people think about you. Stop worrying about the opinions of people who are not helping you.

Speaking Your Future Into Existence

The best way to predict your future is to speak it.

The world was formed by the words of God, and He gave you the power to create your world with your words.

Job 22:28 says: "You will also decide and decree a thing, and it will be established for you, and the light of God's favor will shine upon your ways."

How does favor come?

Number one: You decide. Why is this critical? The Bible says a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. If you haven't made a decision, why would God join you? You haven't made up your mind what you're going to do.

Number two: You decree it. After you make a decision, you've got to speak it.

Number three: It becomes established. God says, "I created the world with words, and you create your world with your words."

You are living in the harvest of your words. If you don't like your life, change your mouth. Because when you change your words, you change your world.

You've been around that person: "Man, I'm never going to get out of here." You're right. "We're never going to move." You know what? You're right.

Studies have shown that 90-plus percent of prisoners were told when they were little, "You're going to be locked up."

Death and life are in the power of the tongue. Be careful what you say.

Declare These Things Over Your Life

2 Corinthians 4:13 says, "We have the same spirit of faith. I believe, therefore I spoke. We also believe, therefore we also speak."

What you speak should be what you believe. And if you're not saying anything, you just told me you don't believe.

Proverbs 18:21: "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it and indulge will eat the fruit and bear the consequences of their words."

You are exactly where you said you're going to be. And if you don't like where you are, you better change what you're talking about.

Say this: "I'm the head and not the tail. I'm above and not below. Favor is on my life. No weapon formed against me shall prosper. I am more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus who strengthens me. God has given me power to get wealth to establish His kingdom. Atmospheres are shifted when I step in the room. Grace and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. Greater is He that's in me than he that's in the world."

Ruth's Character Caught Boaz's Attention

Ruth gleaned in the fields, and she happened to stop in the part of the field belonging to Boaz. When Boaz came from Bethlehem, he asked his servant, "Whose young woman is this?"

Notice, the Bible doesn't speak about Ruth's beauty or how she looked. But one thing we know: she had character.

How do we know? Look at what the servant said: "She is the Moabite girl who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. And she said, 'I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.' So she came and has continued from early morning until now, except when she rested a little in the house."

Let me break this down. She came when? Early. How long was her lunch break? Short. When did she leave? She hasn't left yet.

Here's the challenge: Do you come late, have long breaks, and leave early, and wonder why God hasn't blessed you? God will not be mocked. You reap what you sow.

God said, "Wait, she came early? How long was the lunch break? It was short?"

Philippians 4:11-13 says: "Not that I speak from any personal need, for I have learned to be content and self-sufficient through Christ, satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or uneasy regardless of my circumstances. I know how to get along and live humbly in difficult times. I know how to enjoy abundance and live in prosperity. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing life, whether well-fed or going hungry, whether having abundance or being in need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me and empowers me to fulfill His purpose. I'm self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency. I am ready for anything, equal to anything."

Ruth did not allow her circumstances to change her character.

What Boaz Saw: Protection, Provision, and Peace

In verse 8, Boaz said to Ruth: "Listen, my daughter, do not go glean in another field or leave this one, but stay here close to my maidens."

He gave instruction. He gave direction. He brought peace.

"Watch which field they reap, and follow them. Have I not charged the young men not to molest you?"

That's protection. At that time, if you were a young woman without anyone to cover you, you were either prostituted, used, abused, or raped. When Boaz said, "I've charged them," he was offering protection.

"And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink what the young men have drawn."

That's provision.

Every single person should be looking for peace, instruction, provision, and protection. And if that brother doesn't give you peace, RUN. Peace is the umpire of your soul. God gives you a little check in the inside of you, and when you feel, "Ooh, ooh," you better run.

So many times we override God talking to us because we need something. The Holy Spirit told you to run a long time ago, but "he's so cute. I'm going to change him."

Okay. Good luck with that.

Then Ruth fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, "Why have I found favor in your eyes that you've noticed me, a foreigner?"

What did she look for at the beginning? She didn't look for a man. She looked for favor.

Boaz answered: "I have been made fully aware of all you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and mother and the land of your birth and have come to a place unknown to you before. May the Lord bless you! May the Lord repay you for what you have done, and may you have a full reward from the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge."

Now she's going to get repaid for her sacrifice.

Two Wisdom Keys for Positioning Yourself for Favor

Key #1: God will provide if you're faithful.

Luke 16:10-11 says: "If you are faithful with little, you will be faithful with much. But if you are dishonest with little things, you won't be honest with greater responsibilities."

Key #2: God promotes, stop worrying about people.

Ruth went to the field to find her favor because the person who was really looking was God.

Psalm 75:6-7: "For not from the east nor the west nor the south come promotion and lifting up, but God is the judge. He puts down one and lifts up another."

God is the judge.

The Consecration Process: From Potato to Mashed Potato

As I was preparing this message, the Holy Spirit gave me an illustration about consecration. I call it "The Consecration of a Mashed Potato."

If you want good mashed potatoes, here's what you do:

First, wash them. Have you been washed in the Word?

Then, peel them. You're not going to like this. Some of you want to be the same raggedy folk, but God says, "You're a new creature in Christ Jesus. Old things passed away. All things became new."

Next, dice them. "No, Lord! Don't cut me! Don't cut me!"

Then, boil them. After you're simmering, your consistency is changing.

Next, mash them. This is where the real transformation happens.

Then, season them. The Bible says you should be seasoned with salt.

Finally, whip them.

Then, and only then, can you serve them.

Some of you are trying to be served when God says you have not been consecrated to be used by Me yet. Have you been washed in the Word? Have you been peeled? Have you been cubed? Have you been smashed? Have you been boiled?

If God's going to use you, He's going to take you through some things.

The Price of the Anointing

I look back now—, f I had known when I started. If God would have told me I was going to lose my mother, lose my father, lose my brother, my baby was going to be sick, I was going to go through cancer and chemo, we were going to go through bankruptcy, foreclosure, repossession, if God would have told me that was what I was going to go through, I would have said, "Lord, I've got good credit! I don't need bad credit!"

But the Bible says, "I'll make you of no reputation."

If I had known long ago the price, people often want what you have, but they're not willing to pay the price you had to pay for it.

The anointing of God is not cheap, and it's not for sale. He will take you through some things. He will break you to make you. He will take you back to take you forward.

Joseph had to go through the pit, the prison, the persecution before the palace. Some of you want the palace with no pit. Some of you want birth with no stretch marks. Some of you want next level with no pain.

That is not the Word of God.

If you want great things, you're going to go through great things. To whom much is given, much is required.

When you say, "Lord, use me," are you sure? Are you sure? Because when you're asking God to use you, you put yourself in the firing line. Most of the disciples were martyred.

When you say, "God, use me," are you ready to die to self? "Fill me, empty me, mold me, use me. Less of me, more of You."

God wants to use you, but you're going to have to die to some stuff. That pride has got to go. Selfishness has got to go. That anger has got to go. Unforgiveness has got to go. Love has got to grow.

Your Sacrifice Positions You for Favor

Ruth's story teaches us that when you sacrifice, when you stay faithful, when you maintain your character even in difficult seasons, God sees. He positions you. He protects you. He provides for you.

You don't know who's watching. You don't know when your moment is coming. But I can tell you this: if you'll be faithful with what you're going through right now, if you'll maintain your character, if you'll speak life over your situation, if you'll make what's important to God important to you, favor is going to find you.

It may be in a Starbucks line. It may be in a field. It may be in a moment you least expect it.

But when sacrifice meets consistency, when covenant meets character, when faithfulness meets the right season, favor shows up.

And when favor shows up, everything changes.

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