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In the professional world, we are trained to look for cause and effect. We want to know why things happened so we can control the outcome next time. Life often presents us with “Why me?” moments. In the Book of Ruth, we see two distinct sides of this question that every leader and businessperson will eventually face.
The Cry of the Empty: When Life Deals Bitterness
Naomi returned to her homeland after losing her husband and both of her sons. Her “Why me?” was born of deep affliction. She even asked to be called Mara, meaning bitter, because she felt the Almighty had brought her back empty.
In business, this is the season of the lost contract, the failed partnership, or the unexpected layoff. It is easy to feel, as Naomi did, that the “Almighty has dealt very bitterly” with us. Yet, even in her bitterness, Naomi was being positioned for a restoration she couldn’t yet see.
The Cry of the Favored: When Grace Appears
Then there is the other side of “Why me?”—the one we often forget to ask. Ruth, a foreigner with no claim to favor, found herself protected and provided for in the fields of Boaz. Her response was to fall on her face and ask, “Why have I found favor in your sight that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?”
This is the “Why me?” of grace. It recognizes that our successes, our talents, and our opportunities are gifts from God. Ruth’s character—her loyalty to Naomi and her willingness to work hard in the fields—was noticed by those around her, but she remained humble, acknowledging that her “wages” came from the Lord.
The Master Orchestrator
What seemed like a series of unfortunate events for Naomi and a lucky break for Ruth was actually a divine orchestration. God was working “all things together for good”. By bringing these two women together in the field of Boaz, God was establishing a lineage that would lead to King David and, eventually, to our Savior, Jesus Christ.
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