“In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength” (Isaiah 30:15).
The Holy Spirit gives us strength when we release all our needs into God’s hands and trust in his might. We see an example of this kind of trust in a Moabite woman named Ruth. After her husband died, Ruth traveled back to the land of Judah with her mother-in-law, Naomi, who was quite elderly and also a widow. The two women lived together in humble surroundings, and Naomi became concerned about Ruth’s welfare.
Ruth went to work in the fields of a wealthy man named Boaz who just happened to be a relative of her deceased husband. According to Jewish law, Boaz was suited to marry her and continue the husband’s lineage, and Naomi encouraged this. God orchestrated a wondrous plan for Boaz to take Ruth as his wife, give her a child, and provide for her and Naomi.
This fascinating story is detailed in the book of Ruth, and we see the beautiful way God brought about his plan. After working in the field all day, one night, Ruth said to Boaz, “I am Ruth, your maidservant. Take your maidservant under your wing, for you are a close relative” (Ruth 3:9). In short, she was asking him, “Will you marry me?” Now, this was no manipulative scheme. Ruth and Naomi had done everything in divine order. We can be sure of this because Christ’s lineage came through Ruth (Matthew 1:5).
After Ruth asked this question of Boaz, she told her godly mother-in-law what happened; and Naomi advised, “Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out” (Ruth 3:18). She was confident that she and Ruth had done their part, and it was time to sit still and trust God to perform what he had promised.
Ruth and Naomi relaxed and praised the Lord as they watched God work out his divine plan in surprising ways. Likewise, when you put your complete trust in God in quietness and confidence, he will never fail you.