RUTH 3:4 : “Then it shall be, when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies; and
you shall go in, uncover his feet, and lie down; and he will tell you what you should do.”
A few years ago, a $100,000 mistake was made because someone failed to wait for complete
instructions. As reported in Entrepreneur magazine, a dispatcher for a cement company was
instructed to send a fleet of trucks to Portland: For some reason he failed to wait for the rest of the
message. The result: eight trucks of cement went to Portland, Oregon, when their real destination
was 3,000 miles away in Portland, Maine.
Naomi wisely cautioned Ruth to wait for instructions-complete instructions. Ruth was to approach
Boaz after the festivities at the’ threshing floor. Uncovering his feet was not an improper flirtation.
As a Middle Eastern custom, it was a way for a woman to ask that she be taken into the man’s family
as his wife. There was nothing improper here. Afterwards, Naomi prudently advised her, “Don’t hurry.
Don’t try to second-guess what Boaz might have to say. Simply wait, ‘and he will tell you what you
should do.”
God also promises to give us complete instructions. The psalmist said of the Lord, “I will instruct you
and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye” (Ps. 32:8). The God who knows
the beginning from the end, who holds the past, present and future in His hands, wants to
communicate His total plan for our lives.
But it seldom comes all at one time. Instead, God reveals a little bit, and then we wait. He reveals a
little more, and again we wait. But through this process, we become aware of God’s complete
instructions for our lives.
Are you eager to know God’s plan for your life? Don’t rush ahead of Him. Be patient and wait for Him
to reveal His instructions. Then go only so far as He reveals. When you no longer know what God
would have you do next, stop and wait for Him to tell you more. Give Him time; God will make it all
clear.
WAITING FOR GOD’S INSTRUCTIONS IS TIME WELL SPENT.