Devotionals

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Ruth is one of the most beautiful books in Scripture. Truly, this is a story of a woman in a helpless and hopeless situation. Mahlon, her husband dies along with the other men in his family. Naomi is the only remaining survivor of the little family from Bethlehem. Yet, Ruth’s love for Naomi was strong, refusing to allow her mother-in-law return to Bethlehem alone.

Ruth, a Moabitess, left her entire family and way of life to step up to the plate and assume responsibility for Naomi. It is Ruth and Naomi alone, struggling to survive. They only have each other.

Gleaming for their food, Ruth followed the harvesters of the barley and wheat fields. She picked stalks of grain missed by the workers. This humble woman is not too proud to work and endured this backbreaking intense labor.

How lonely her nights must have been. Her husband of ten years is no longer there to comfort her, talk to or hold. She was alone with her thoughts, and dead dreams. However, even though she could not see it, the Lord was there watching over her, guiding her to certain places at specific times.

She caught the eye of Boaz, a wealthy man of the region. She finds protection, water and food through his acts of mercy. He even instructs the workers to leave extra grain behind just for her. In fact, Boaz was a close relative of her dead husband.

Then the big night comes, following Naomi’s instructions, she hid at the threshing floor until all is quiet. It’s pitch black as she eased her way through the sleeping men. Imagine Boaz’s surprise when he discovered the lonely widow lying at his feet.

“And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.” Ruth 3:9

Spread your skirt over me. Cover me! Ruth has again left her pride behind, humbly asked this man to reach out and meet her needs.

How the Lord longs to do the same for each of His children today. His heart will always arise to the occasion when one of His beloved kneel with a submissive heart and ask, “Lord, cover me.”

Being omnipresence, there is no question the Lord is fully aware of our needs. However, He longs to hear us cry out our heart’s desires. This is a sign of intimacy when we can approach the Lord and make known our need. This is not the need for earthly or material requests but spiritual and physical needs.

Does your heart cry out, ‘Lord, cover me!’. Cover my sin with Your forgiveness, my shame with Your grace. Blanket my heart with Your love. Spread Your wing over my exposure with Your protection. Touch my sickness and diseases with Your healing power. Every need I have in my life whether physical, spiritual, or emotional, You have the ability to meet the need.

Wash me clean with Your blood. Calm my troubled heart with your peace. Where there is confusion reveal divine direction. Liberty my bondage with the freedom that only flows from Your throne. Wherever my life reveals weakness, disclose Your abundant mercy. Replace my hopelessness with divine inspiration.

Intimacy on this level comes from closeness. My pastor has shared repeatedly in several sermons, we are as close to the Lord as we desire. This is a statement of great truth. Ruth did not cry out her request from the edge of the threshing floor. She placed herself at Boaz’s feet and made known her request.

The Lord is waiting even now for each of us to draw closer than ever. Today we can cry out. “Lord, cover me!”

© Joyce Sykes

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