In every generation, no matter how evil the culture may seem at the time, there is a faithful remnant of people who love and serve the Lord in obedience and humility. Even though Ruth was a Moabite, and not of the people of Israel, we see faithfulness in her and ultimately the Lord would include her in the lineage of King David, and therefore in the lineage of Jesus.
In the book of Samuel, we again see a faithful remnant in the time of the judges in the family of Samuel. As we will soon see, the Lord also had plans for Samuel in the furtherance of his redemptive story.
It is a great reminder that even amid a time of chaos, debauchery, idolatry, and open rebellion, God still works in and through his faithful people to accomplish his plans. Throughout the book of Judges, we can get the impression that he had somehow lost control of the situation, but the books of Ruth and Samuel show is this is not the case. It should inspire hope in our hearts that God can, will, and is working through us even now. When we look at the times in which we now live, we may be prone to feel as though all is lost. But when we lift our eyes to look to the One who is seated on his throne, remembering who he is and what his overarching story is throughout history – we remember that all is not lost and that he will accomplish all he has set out to do. In that, we have our comfort, our peace, and our rest. It is also in that truth that we have the confidence and courage to live our lives in a manner worthy of the calling to which we have been called (Ephesians 4:1).
Sola Deo Gloria!
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