We don’t usually think of Ruth in the Bible as a business woman, but after studying her life, I’d say she could qualify as what we’d call an “independent contractor,” in that her take home pay was proportionate to her efforts. Maybe that’s a stretch, but there are many things about her work that do overlap with women in business today.
Chief among those things is that God did more to orchestrate her work than she did. She partnered with Him in the work she was given and the way He worked in her life was remarkable:
“And it happened that..”
That little phrase is mentioned in the King James Version Bible 467 times. If you link it to Romans 8:28, you’ve got a lot to work with (pun intended):
“And God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God
and who are called according to His purposes.”
Translation: God weaves divine things into normal things to get His work done.
God is working
Here are some of the divine things that played out in Ruth 2:
- The location of her work was of God (Ruth happened to arrive in Boaz’s field)
- The timing of her work was of God (Boaz happened to arrive from Bethlehem)
- The network of people involved in her work was of God, complete with family illnesses, depression, extreme financial struggles, moods, the challenges of being new in town, etc.)
- The strength Ruth needed to work from dawn to dark every day was from God (God wouldn’t have provided the grain without giving her the energy to pick it up)
- The provision left by Boaz was inspired by and ordained of God (remember that God had something to prove to Naomi – she thought He’d forgotten her)
All these things just happened to happen, and I love how unremarkable they looked from Ruth’s side of things. One morning, she obviously had an idea,
“I bet I could work in one of the fields and make some money, because we’ve just got to get some groceries.”
And later in the story, Naomi had an idea and said,
“Ruth, get cleaned up, put on that one outfit and go to the job site…”
From God’s side of this, what He was saying to Ruth with His God type of non-verbal communication in the form of directives, was,
“I’ve been hearing you. I’ve been seeing you. I have a plan for you, and it’s much bigger than you know.”
God has a plan for you
As Christian businesswomen in the New Year, we know that God is saying the same thing to us. I Corinthians 3:9 says that, just like Ruth, we work together with God. Specifically:
- God has orchestrated the location of our work: in this town, in our communities, with this World Wide Web
- God has orchestrated the timing of our work, now, and not at any other time in history
- God has orchestrated the network of people in our work, and with our specific families with their specific traits, quirks, budgets, and limitations
- God has orchestrated for us to have the provisions we need to care for those in our spheres of influence (1 Cor. 7:17, 2 Cor. 10:15), and He will always supply them
- God’s own Holy Spirit gives us the energy to get things done (with boundaries, in our own fields, with certain responsibilities outside work)
With all this in mind, we can take a divine view of the little happenings we bump into every day because all of them work for His glory and our good. We can get excited about everything that happens if we’ll see things as Divine directives. As for interruptions and diversions, they keep us close to Him and dependent on Him as the Master of our businesses.
You and I are motivated by the same things Ruth was: love for family, excellence in our demeanors and work ethics, and the knowledge that God will carry His plan forward (isn’t that GREAT?), so we have every reason to face the new year with total confidence that He has prepared the way for us. Bless the Lord for the thousand little “happenings” that have brought us to this very place today. They are not products of happenstance at all. They’re ordained by the Master of our work. Bless the Lord! We are Ruth’s daughters, and her God is our God!
The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps. Proverbs 16:9
This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in my eyes! Psalm 118:23
This year can be different
If you want this year to be different, check out our Bible Study/Business Mastermind for Christian Women Business Owners: Doing Business, with God.
Doing Business, with God is a mastermind/online training program designed to help Christian women in business gain clarity and confidence that will propel your business forward.
This is a 6-week program with daily and weekly assignments where we evaluate ourselves and our businesses in light of God's Word.
We'll discuss learning to partner with Him and what He's teaching us in a private Facebook group and weekly zoom call mastermind sessions. Everyone gets to be accountable within your small group.
I'll have weekly videos that walk you through how to make the practical applications from what you're learning.
We'll meet once a week on a live zoom call with your small group to work together on specific personal applications to YOUR business.
This program is for YOU if you're ready to put God first in your business, follow His lead and finally be able to make decisions with clarity and confidence!
Get more information here:
Cathy Canen is a writing curriculum creator, private English tutor, free lance writer and blogger whose passions include, loving on her grandchildren, helping others know God, and helping others enjoy life with low calorie diets. You can connect with her at CathyCanen.com.
