Ruth 3, Proverbs 31, James 3

Courage. What a gutsy move! Ruth's heart must have pounded in her head as she bathed and dressed. Then as she snuck to the threshing floor, she may have had thoughts running in her mind such as, "You're crazy!" Or, "You're a foreigner. What makes you think Boaz will take you?" Or even, "What if he does take me? My reputation could be ruined."

Obedience. If Ruth made a list of the positives and negatives related to her choice, it would have come out even. There is only one real reason she went. Obedience. She knew Naomi's love for her and chose to obey the voice of love. Sometimes our decisions must be made solely in obedience to our Lord's voice of love.

Advice. King Lemuel's mother was concerned about two things. One, that Lemuel would stay away from women he wasn't married to, and two, that he stayed away from wine. She spends a little time dispensing wisdom on each subject before devoting great detail to qualities he should look for in a wife. Any ordinary woman wouldn't do for her son!

Example. The woman Lemuel chose to marry should be a hard worker and wise business person. Verse 18 may indicate spiritual provision rather than actual food. Either way, she is kind and generous. She reminds one of Ruth.

The final quality of a virtuous woman is the "bridled" tongue James describes. Controlled speech. Wise.

Ruth, the virtuous wife, and the person James describes together present a picture of the kind of woman I want to be.

Ruth 2, Proverbs 30, James 2

It seems that Ruth knew who Boaz was in a general way, but not that he was a close relative. It was appropriate for her to seek help from Naomi's family for the two of them. The heart of Ruth is revealed in three ways:
1. How she worked hard to gather enough not just for herself, but Naomi, too
2. Her respectful attitude toward Boaz
3. Her generosity in keeping enough dinner leftovers to take to Naomi.
This is the picture of a quality young woman. The kind God just can't wait to use for a grand purpose.

Proverbs 30 is completely different from the rest of the book. Agur is unknown to us, as are Ithiel and Ucal. But Agur's desire to know God is evident, as well as his acknowledgment that wisdom comes from knowing God. His observations are astute because he knows where to look for answers--God's word. (v.5)

Ruth's character, and Agur's understanding, came from God. But had Naomi shown partiality and refused to love, accept, and teach Ruth, and had Boaz rejected her because of prejudice, God would not have worked his marvelous plan to create Obed and the family line to Jesus Christ. Agur believed (had faith) and in faith wrote words that speak truth thousands of years later.

All these people lived out their faith--made it evident--by the things they did. Because faith without works is dead.