========================================================================
  PROVIDENCE AND PATIENCE
  by Keith Malcomson
========================================================================

Summary: This sermon delves into the book of Ruth, focusing on the theme
of providence and patience. Boaz exemplifies patience and wisdom in
navigating God's providential plan, contrasting with the other kinsman
redeemer who lacks patience and misses the divine opportunity. The
reward of patience is highlighted as Boaz ensures the fulfillment of
God's plan through careful and patient actions, ultimately leading to
the restoration of names and promises.

Topics: "Divine Providence", "The Reward of Patience"
Scripture References: Romans 5:3, James 5:11, Hebrews 6:12, Hebrews 10:36, Proverbs 14:29, Galatians 6:9, Psalm 37:7, Ecclesiastes 7:8, Colossians 3:12, 1 Corinthians 13:4

------------------------------------------------------------------------
DESCRIPTION
------------------------------------------------------------------------

This sermon delves into the book of Ruth, focusing on the theme of
providence and patience. Boaz exemplifies patience and wisdom in
navigating God's providential plan, contrasting with the other kinsman
redeemer who lacks patience and misses the divine opportunity. The
reward of patience is highlighted as Boaz ensures the fulfillment of
God's plan through careful and patient actions, ultimately leading to
the restoration of names and promises.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
CONTENT
------------------------------------------------------------------------

I want you to turn here tonight to Ruth chapter 4. Ruth chapter 4 and
we've covered a bit of ground here in the book of Ruth and we're coming
now to chapter 7. Last time when we dealt with this a couple of weeks
ago we looked at part 6 which was providence and romance and we're
looking in the whole book of Ruth this issue of providence. What is
providence? It is God's sovereign mighty divine hand hidden unseen in
the normal incidents of life. I actually believe that is even in me
looking up and seeing a Cornelius standing on the steps tonight.

I believe that he may not be aware of that, others may not be aware of
that, but God's hand can be in those things. God can be working and you
don't even realize he's working in your life, directing you, guiding
you, making sure you're in a meeting like this to hear about Christ.
God's hand is really in that because he loves you and so it's very
special.

But here tonight we're going to go a bit further. We're coming down to
the last chapter of the book of Ruth and I think I'll finish this series
maybe next week though you never know until you come to it. But our
entire series has been providence in the book of Ruth.

How God works in the normal things of life in your life to accomplish
his will and do a great work and we're going to read from Ruth chapter 4
the first 12 verses and this is my title tonight as we come down to the
end of this series. Providence and Patience. I actually believe patience
is a vital attribute if you're to work hand in hand with God's
providence.

God's providence is there, but if you lack patience you will not walk or
work with God's providence. You won't do it. Problems will arise and
we're going to deal with this tonight.

So Ruth chapter 4 verse 1 reading down to verse 12. Then went Boaz up to
the gate and sat him down there and behold the kinsman of whom Boaz
spake came by unto whom he said who's such a one turn aside sit down
here and he turned aside and he sat down and he took that is Boaz took
10 men of the elders of the city and said sit ye down here and they sat
down and he said unto the kinsman Naomi that has come again out of the
country of Moab selleth a parcel of land which was our brother
Elimelech's and I thought to advertise thee or to make known unto thee
saying buy it before the inhabitants and before the elders of my people
if thou wilt redeem it redeem it but if thou wilt not redeem it then
tell me that I may know for there is none to redeem it beside thee and I
am after thee and he said I will redeem it. Then said Boaz what day thou
buyest the field of the hand of Naomi thou must buy it also of Ruth the
Moabitess the wife of the dead to raise up the same of the dead upon his
inheritance and the kinsman said I cannot redeem it for myself lest I
mar my own inheritance redeem thou my right to thyself for I cannot
redeem it now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning
redeeming and concerning changing for to confirm all things a man
plucked off his shoe and gave it to his neighbor and this was a
testimony in Israel therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz buy it for thee
so he drew off his shoe and Boaz said unto the elders and unto all the
people ye are witnesses this day that I have bought all that was
Elimelech's and all that was Chilean's and Malon's of the hand of Naomi
moreover Ruth the Moabitess the wife of Malon have I purchased to be my
wife to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance that the name
of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren and from the gate of
his place ye are witnesses this day and all the people that were in the
gate and the elders said we are witnesses the Lord make the woman that
has come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah which too did build
the house of Israel and do thou worthily in Ephrata and be famous in
Bethlehem and let thy house be like the house of Perez whom tame or bear
unto Judah of the seed which the Lord shall give thee of this young
woman let's pray tonight Father we just thank you for your hand upon
your word we love you oh God we love the souls of men Father we pray for
your hand on this meeting and gathering we agree together right now for
your will for your plan for your purpose oh God Lord God we pray for
your will in every single life in this room that you'd grant us patience
oh God that ability Lord God to hold our calm oh God to act Lord God
clearly in the will of God no matter what happens in around us Father we
pray for your divine will Lord God we believe in your hand of providence
and Lord God yet we realize great patience is needed oh God when your
hand of providence tries us and allows tests and trials and troubles and
heartaches and Lord God things that break our heart things that we don't
understand and Lord God yet it is at such an hour we are to have
patience character Lord God we are to trust you to keep our eyes on you
to keep our cool oh God to be unmovable unchangeable and Lord God simply
to do your will we do love you tonight and we bless you and ask that you
continue to speak to us by your Holy Spirit in Jesus mighty name amen my
message here tonight part seven providence and patience remember what I
said about God's providence God is a God of providence he's not only a
God of miracles he doesn't always do an actual miracle he doesn't only
just speak and I want to tell you God really speaks but we begin to
think that the only way God operates is by audibly speaking or speaking
to our hearts clearly or doing something miraculous visible and unusual
but I want to tell you God's normal work and some of his most astounding
works have been seen and unhidden by those that are looking at it in the
face do you know that about um the year in fact I won't give you the
year there's no set date I was going to estimate when Patrick got
kidnapped in England he was about 15 years old just short of his 16th
birthday he was a British young rebel 15 years old he's a rebel against
God he's a rebel against the gospel he's a rebel against the church he
is a wild young man wanting to sow his wild oats he was reckless he was
proud he was arrogant do you know what happened all of a sudden
shockingly Irish raiders invade that part of Britain on the west coast
and they invade his luxurious home the spoiled brat got stolen from his
bed carried off as a slave by these traitors and carried to Ireland it
was a shocking thing but you know what had done that young rebel who
said I don't believe in God I don't need to live holy that one action of
being kidnapped by slave traders shook him to the very core woke him up
and made him someone who's going to seek after God when you read the
life of Patrick we read that he remained as a prisoner a slave for the
next six years he looked after sheep and they say on Slemish up in the
north through some debate and argue over it but do you realize through
all that time and being captured at 15 years old carried to a foreign
land having to learn a foreign tongue being held by another culture that
was wild against him six years living like that and yet in that six
years he become a man of holiness of prayer of the word of God of faith
of the zeal of God of passionate relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ
those six years created and forged a young man that was going to shake
all of Ireland in just 30 years do you realize what that was when the
hand of providence was on those slave traders to capture him you know
what God's plan is he's going to learn Irish culture he's going to learn
Irish language I'm going to put him here he's going to gain a burden a
passion a knowledge and understanding so intimate that he'll become my
vessel that is God's hand of providence and with this little book of
Ruth we have seen it began in tragedy but it's going to finish with a
glorious testimony when we look at Ruth and what we've already covered
in Ruth chapter one we see all is lost but in chapter four that we're
dealing with here all is recovered in chapter one all is in chapter four
all is light in chapter one all is visibly working together for evil
here in chapter four all is visibly working together for good in chapter
one hearts are very sad and bow down but here in chapter four hearts are
being lifted up revived and now rejoicing what a different chapter one
is to chapter four where we are now I've got six points for you I think
here the need of patience long patience short patience controlled
patience no patience and last of all the reward of patience you see I
believe if you're gonna work with God's providence God working in the
normal things in around your entire life if you are going to work
effectively with that you need patience and if you lack patience you
will be rash and you will do things to remove yourself from God's
blessing and where God actually wants you you've got to understand God's
providence in and so let me give you these six points tonight number one
the need of patience when we deal with providence God working mightily
in the normal things of your life guiding you and you don't realize it
putting thoughts in your mind and you think it's you God's providence if
you're really going to work with it you have a need of patience and
that's our first point listen to what it says in the new testament in
Romans chapter 5 verse 3 we glory we praise we rejoice we Christians in
tribulation also Paul writes we Christians glory when tribulation comes
what is tribulation it's the word sleep feetless it's used 45 times in
our new testament it means a terrible pressure coming to bear on your
life coming from the outside not inside but outside pressures that crush
you that press together and press you together do you know the old
Romans they named an instrument one of the first steam rollers that used
to roll over wait they created this a steam roller and they named it
after this word sleepless or they called it a tribulum this tribulum was
basically tribulation that worked on the weight it crushed it it
absolutely pulverized it and done a full work in it well look what Paul
uses this word for in the new testament we Christians glory in
tribulation it's the same you're literally being driven over by a steam
roller and we glory we're glad about it have you ever seen anyone get
rolled over by a steam roller and they go praise God wasn't that
wonderful and yet Paul is saying here we Christians glory in tribulation
also but listen you've got to know what he knows or else you won't do
that knowing this the tribulation worketh patience do you want patience
tonight have you ever prayed for patience some of you prayed oh God
teach me patience then certain things start happening pressure remember
what he's just said tribulation worketh patience you want patience
there's only one way to get it do you want unbelievable unusual pressure
to come on you that's going to feel like it's crushing you welcome to
patience the need of patience is constantly repeated in the new
testament tribulation worketh patience or the word worketh means to
bring to fullness completion to where it has to be do you want to be a
patient person do you want patience in your life do you want to be
marked by a godly character of patience then do you know what you will
suffer tribulation you cannot become a patient person unless you go
through tribulation God actually plans the tribulation in your life
terrible crushing pressure he loves you don't forget that but if you're
going to become a patient person what does the word patient actually
mean in the new testament because time and time again we're told to be
patient to have patience it's commended it's wonderful when you have
this it's not the immature or the weak or the carnal or the slack or
patient i've never seen a carnal person who's patient never it's a mark
of real spirituality here's what tribulation sorry here's what patience
means is the greek definition cheerful endurance the ability to stay
under in your position to keep going forward even when it gets tough you
keep going or you remain under a set of very hard circumstances and
burden you don't remove yourself from them just because it's hard that
is patience what is patience it's getting really hard really hot really
tough but i'm going to stay in my position and i'm going to keep moving
forward that is patience and not just grimacing you gain a joy you
actually have a joy a rejoicing a praising of god that's what real
patience is you're not a sour puss you're not a grump you know some of
those people have been through hard trials they're angry at everyone
bitter at everyone vengeful at everyone there's something very terrible
with it but do you know what patience is a cheerful endurance when
there's trouble all around you you're calm cool-headed not reacting
never react and run when something happens in life make sure you're led
by the spirit of god some unexpected troubles some dark time some trials
some person don't change direction because of that stay where you are
but as i obey god's will look what happens to me i need to change
direction no get god's will and stay there if the going gets tough let
the tough get going but do not move from from off that position and so
we see that tribulation worketh or bringeth patience to maturity to
completion to fullness and i believe this patience is vital if you are
in god's school of providence i want to tell you troubles come things
happen to you it's not out of god's will god is using that to make you a
patient person and they bring forth the character that no matter what's
going on around you you rejoice in god you stay in your position you're
stable you're calm your hand is steady it is so so important again in
the new testament it says knowing this that the trying of your faith
when your faith is tested tried or put under pressure that faith worketh
patience your faith has to be squeezed squashed brought under pressure
if your faith is never tested you're not strong in faith i want to tell
you if you want strong muscles you have to use them all of you in here
that have very weak muscles you never exercise you never do it you never
have used your muscles you know every time you feel a little pinch or a
little pain you stop and go oh that hurt you realize the strong ones
amongst you those who body build know what pain is in their muscles do
you know that those that work out weights or do press-ups or do sit-ups
if you can do 10 sit-ups sorry 10 chin-ups tonight properly i'm going to
show you you understand what it is for your muscles to hurt at some
point guaranteed it has to happen do you honestly think you're going to
have a strong faith and exercise faith and yet not go through troubles
or be tested or be tried god isn't trying to harm you you know what he's
doing he's stretching you he's allowing things so that you have real
patience that you stay in your position you don't move you don't run for
your life but let patience have her perfect work for you thank you very
much a lovely picture thank you let patience have her perfect work in
you that you may be perfect entire wanting nothing let patience this
joyful endurance just stay where you are don't be moved just keep going
forward in the will of god and if you do it's going to have a wonderful
effect in your life and so that is point one the need of patience do you
realize in providence when god is working in your life or the
circumstance your life there are delays you're going to need patience
there are denials of giving you knowledge that you may desire god
doesn't give you the knowledge you need patience there may be
contradictions in your life or your situation there may be
disappointments and you say where is god do you know what you have need
of is patience you've got to keep your position and so providence cannot
be demanded you've got to know that you as an individual cannot rush
providence you can't push it you can't force it you can't speed it up
you can't control it you can't manipulate it you cannot do that or else
it's not providence if you can manipulate providence then it's not god
working it's you working and that's very dangerous a lot of people they
are the god at the center thank you another picture they are god at the
very center of their own life that's the first point the need of
patience number two long patience we have a need of patience but i want
you to see here in the book of ruth that there is an entire story of
long patience long patience not for a day not for two months not for a
night not for a year but over a period of 10 years we see this patience
working out you see i believe naomi had patience i believe ruth had
patience i believe boaz had patience i believe these three characters
were marked in an unusual and a real and a genuine and a very deep way
with patience i believe all the troubles all the trials all the
pressures all the hardship all the heartbreaking things had worked
within a nature that was patient they stayed in their position on mobile
listen with naomi we have the history of 10 years enduring through
troubles she lost her husband then her two sons she had to endure a
famine in bethlehem and moved to a foreign nation she lost her friends
her relatives all the help and around her she lost her home in bethlehem
she lost much of that and yet do you know what she was a patient person
she never moved until bread came when she's in moab all the pressures
the darkness the troubles the tragedy it didn't move her you see i
believe naomi is a patient person she was the embodiment of a godly
woman who had patience she may not have been happy she wasn't shouting
she wasn't singing but she was a woman who kept in the situation all
hell could not move her from the position she was in so all these
tragedies come she stays in moab you know what a lot of christians they
move they change there's no consistency there's no patience every time
something happens the will of god changes in their life they think about
the they change the direction of life you'll never accomplish anything i
want to tell you here's long patience she's there for 10 years and it's
hurting bad her heart is broken troubles are in around her you know what
she waits for news that bread has come to bethlehem that moved her that
moved you and i god coming speaking bringing bread to bethlehem now i'm
gonna move troubles couldn't move me heartaches couldn't move me death
couldn't move me my husband diane couldn't move me my son's diane
couldn't move me do you know what moves me the word of god the bread
bread coming to bethlehem and so we see that naomi had long patience she
really had this attribute the lady who gets back to bethlehem was marked
by patience the troubles move you then you're lacking in patience i
didn't say you didn't have any you're lacking in it maybe it's immature
maybe it's childlike maybe it's only beginning maybe you've walked on in
your christian life and gained knowledge but you haven't grown in
maturity do you know knowledge is not maturity character is maturity
when knowledge becomes a part of your character we not only see that
naomi had long patience we also see that ruth young ruth she also had
patience she also walked through this 10-year period different than
naomi but yet trials nonetheless now her husband is dead and she has new
children from that marriage then she heads out in a german journey to a
place she's never been before she had started on a journey with god now
it's leading out into unknown territory she could serve god in her own
country now it's getting nerve-wracking now you're going out into a
whole realm you don't know where you're going but you know what she
didn't change course remember her sister her sister-in-law actually
turned back it would have been so easy to turn back and to stay there
and go there her sister changed direction she began following god now
she turned back there was no patience no insurance whenever trials and
questions and someone says go back they go back they get misled you know
just like we said earlier before the meeting some people used to be here
oh they shone as bright lights shook the city and then disappeared never
to be seen again that's not impressive to god there's no character in
that there may have been gifting there may have been charisma but not
character not patience you know the patient ones are still sitting here
you may not think you're very patient i want to tell you there is a
patience that says it's not exciting i don't feel like skipping there's
troubles but you know what i'm going to stay in my place and so we say
that ruth was also a patient woman she was pursuing a older sad godly
woman there was no joy on naomi's face there was no laughter on her
tongue but you know what she says i know i'm in the right place it feels
sad we're not sitting here joking but i'm not letting go of this godly
woman i'm gonna stay on her heels in fact naomi couldn't get rid of her
she was like glue stuck to her you know what that is long patience you
ever stick your fingers with you who i'm sure none of you ever done that
but you who you who if you're not very careful you'll stick two fingers
or a thumb and a finger together long patience do you know what this
character patience you get stuck into something you're unmovable or
everything should make you turn back or go in a different direction you
know what she said i want your god i want this salvation i don't want
the counterfeit i don't want the false i don't want to be deceived i
don't want to journey for 10 years and then change direction and lose it
all i don't want to do that and so we see ruth was marked by patience
then thirdly boo us here's a man in his 40s mid 40s there about he's
single as best as we know he's rich he's hard working when a famine and
a lack and a financial crisis comes to jerusalem you know what he done
he stayed there sorry in bethlehem he stayed there the troubles the lack
the fears the concerns it didn't move him so here you have a man for 10
years there's no rain there's no harvest there's no bounty there's no
plenty but here's a man who says this is where god has put me i know
god's will is here it might be right for a limelight to go to moab but i
know it's god's will for me to stay here let him fulfill god's will of
moab but i'm staying in bethlehem and as he did it couldn't have been
easy to stay in that environment but you know what we read about him
that he was rich at the end of that 10 years it's famine people are
scrimping to get enough food and yet here is a man boas and you know
what he's hard working he's a grafter he gets others working he is
plowing over the fields he is a rich man after after a 10-year famine
you see i believe there's preachers and churches and christians after
the spiritual famine we've gone through they're very very rich can i
tell you there's a very rich church i mean more rich than you can
possibly imagine i'm not talking about the bank account i'm not talking
about having millionaires in the church we have none but you know what
our richness is i have watched this famine for 30 40 years i've preached
about it prayed about it warned about it we are sitting here with the
church at the worst spiritual famine in my entire lifetime right now and
you know what you're not in a famine those who listen to us are not in a
famine we have a bounty of food i want to tell you we have a storehouse
and not just one storehouse we have storehouse after storehouse after
storehouse and you know what that's after this long period of time look
at boaz what an amazing man patient after 10 years also after two months
seeing ruth being drawn his attention going interesting if you realize
for two months he didn't make an advance on her he definitely wants to
marry her he is very interested he is conscious of his spiritual
responsibility towards her he is noting their character he is watching
her every single day carefully and yet he doesn't make any movement on
that he's a patient man he's not ruled by emotions or feelings or
circumstance he's not there saying on the first day there's providence
she's for me he didn't say that this is two months later he is a patient
and a godly and a careful man he's thinking everything through two
months during harvest and he was hesitant about approaching ruth you
know why he's a patient man he is a controlled man he's controlled about
his emotions his decisions his actions his words you need to be very
slow in action those who are slow in action or have little to regret
afterwards i want to tell you and so we see the need of patience we have
long patience these three characters what remarkable long patience what
extraordinary but point three short patience long patience over years is
one thing but what about short patience that's my third point what about
when a day comes a time comes you've got to be patient for one night or
one morning or one single day what happens when all the pressure comes
and all the pressures upon you to act or to speak or to do or to change
direction or to take things into your own hand and it intensifies in one
specific situation one hour one day do you realize how many people make
a mess in one day they could go fine for 10 years and one day they could
get everything wrong everything could unravel in one day you know why
because they're not patient a man could be patient for 10 years and he
isn't for one night it could be disaster especially where it relates to
a lady if he wasn't patient for one night it could be disastrous in the
will of god it could mark his steps for the rest of his life and so it's
important we don't only look at long patience we look at short patience
you see with long patience god's hands of providence is working on it
see if you're not patient over 10 years listen this carefully if you're
not patient over 10 years and everything's going wrong and everything's
dark and everything's screaming at you to change and everything's
shouting that you're wrong and everything's saying get out do something
different or serve a god if you don't have patience you're going to lose
providence you know providence for 10 years could lead you through dark
hard times without seeing the fulfillment of god's plan if you have
patience you say i'm staying here to see what the end of the story is
but also with short patience on that day have patience you know this
could be a day or a night or a morning or a time or a friendship that
could be have god's hand of providence all over it all over it and you
know what you need patience for a day hold your tongue and don't say
that do you have the ability of patience to not speak the first crash
thing that comes into your mind or to make a decision that you could
regret for years people make decisions all the time oh i didn't think
why didn't you think could you tell me that why did you make a decision
to affect your life and yet you are sitting here saying oh i didn't
think it's a bit late that's how you get in trouble you don't think you
don't wait you don't learn i can understand anyone getting burnt but
when it happens two and three and four and five and you keep doing it
there is a real fault with you it's not providence oh well god just
keeps late no he doesn't no he doesn't the fault is with you it's not
god's hand of providence it's now your character you're not patient you
don't have the ability to temper yourself or to hold yourself or to keep
yourself you're just there trying to make something happen what a
dangerous thing and so we see that here in this story there's short
patience we see naomi we see ruth we see boaz brought into a time
they're going to be tested with short patience do you have patience for
a short brief moment of time what was the situation here see previously
in chapter 3 verse 12 it says i remember this was the night that nao
that ruth came down into the threshing floor uh floor and said put your
garment over me and he said i want to marry you i want to be in a
relationship with you he threw his garment over the sign of being
brought into covenant but listen to what he says and now it is true i am
thy near kin's man i am however there's a problem there is a kin's man
near to you than i he's got integrity what happens when you've got it
all sorted out god's plan god's purpose and you know as well and you go
surely this is god guiding leading feelings thoughts emotions position
in the right place the right people surely this is god and then one
thing comes out it's an absolute blinder you're absolute you go this is
god's will and one thing arises that changes everything do you know what
you need now is short patience you need to be very careful at that time
what you do in that situation and so here is boaz and ruth and they're
talking secretly they sometimes have a secret talk boaz had a private
talk it wasn't right for her to talk like this to boaz publicly openly
in front of the workers it was for them and them alone but there is
going to come a time when it's public very open what they talk about
what they decide but here's boaz speaking there saying there's a closer
kin's man tarry this night how hard would that be you've got to tarry
for a night you need patience tonight do you know what our whole future
together hinges on tonight just go to bed and sleep can you imagine her
going to bed okay i'm just gonna roll over here and go off to sleep he's
just said now i don't know whether i'm gonna marry you or he's gonna
marry you but just tarry just go to bed and we'll find out in the
morning i'll make sure i deal with this in the morning i don't know what
sort of girl ruth was but i'm not sure i could have slept that night
here he is saying tarry this night and it shall be in the morning that
if he will perform unto thee the part of a kin's man well let him do the
kin's man's part but if you know ladies you want a guy who wants the
best for you he doesn't want you he wants the best for you he wants
god's will for you more than having you boaz had this boaz actually said
look if he is the redeemer if he is the kin's man if he is the one
that's gonna do god's will towards you and do what's right praise god i
just want god's will see god's hand of providence is here all of a
sudden one issue comes up and now i go i don't know is this god's will
is it not i believed that i was moving in this direction but this has
been my concern and so here he is he's gonna have to have short patience
you need to find out god's will for your life is god's providence
leading this way or this way two opposite directions oh that this throws
some people into a storm do you know what they do they put their hand on
it it's not getting away from me i'll make it fit i'll make the jigsaw
fit if i have to take a hammer and smash it into place but it will go
yeah do that and then there's going to be other bits of the jigsaw won't
go in there when you get that place you go oh no why did i force that in
it's too late you've destroyed all the pieces you've bashed them in
together you know why you had no patience at the vital time you put your
hand upon it and you forced it here he says lie down until the morning i
want you to notice this very important here in ruth chapter 4 naomi and
ruth are hardly mentioned only briefly this chapter 4 will settle their
future naomi and ruth it's going to affect their entire future what
happens right now on this particular morning decides everything and yet
in the entire chapter they don't speak once they don't act once they're
not talked about once you don't know anything that they're doing in the
entire chapter this is the decisive morning of their entire life 10
years remember chapter 1 10 years chapter 2 one day chapter 3 one night
now here chapter 4 one morning is going to decide everything it's all
come down to this particular time and you know what naomi and ruth are
totally out of the picture they're not even involved you realize that
everything they've had to say they had to say before this particular day
there's nothing more for them to say nothing more for them to do do you
know how much patience that takes for a woman i mean uh for anyone do
you realize the patience that when you're in a situation like this today
isn't your day to talk you're gonna have to trust god this isn't your
day to do anything you should have done it yesterday some people didn't
act yesterday didn't do the will of god yesterday haven't been doing it
for 10 years they haven't endured for 10 years now they all want to do
it in one morning you cannot do that you will damage the things of god
it's unnatural what you are the past 10 years when you get to this
particular morning you go i've got nothing else everything i've said
i've said before everything i've done i've done before i can just sit
here god it's in your hands that time in texas and um just opposite
three rivers i was in a car wreck it was an english man had driven the
car that's how we got in the car wreck i think and as that car spun i'm
telling you it was the last look i took sideways was of a big truck
coming side on and just i seen it and i closed my eyes everything
blanked out i put the side window in i broke the front window both my
hands i couldn't use for six months i was beaten up battered and as that
car spun everything was black filled with smoke from from the bag coming
out it was bad and as we spun i didn't pray there are lots of people who
get in crisis and pray and there's nothing wrong doing that you do that
but until i felt so much peace i went i'm prayed up i'm living right
walking with god doing all the will of god never was i as ready to meet
god as that particular day i was there just relaxed saying i'm gonna
find out what happens after this i'm totally at rest i go i'm totally in
your hands lord there's no better place to be than where i am right this
particular second i'm absolutely safe in the hands of god you know all i
had to do was before that it was too late to begin praying then too late
to put things right in my heart now people want to wait to death bed
conversion oh how dangerous oh i'll wait and put everything right one of
these days in my christian life you may be caught unawares your health
might be taken in your time and your ability to think you know when they
put you in a hospital now they'll drug you up you won't have time to get
ready you won't even know when it's coming it's such a dangerous thing
and you need to be so careful of on this day so much is forced onto it
and focused on it all the emotions and the urges to act and speak
pressed hard upon these ladies yet they sit silent and they leave it to
boo us there's a time when you've got to leave it to it's not time for
you to speak it's time for him it's time for him to act for him to do
and you need faith in god see trust providence if you really believe in
this god trust providence what happens when suddenly one thing could
hinder everything in your life change everything and all the loose
threads that seem to be coming together in god's perfect plan it seems
one thing is going to wreck it all and send everything in different
directions naomi naomi this morning is selling her field not her house
they're living in the house but she's selling the field that used to
belong to her husband and belong to her family and this situation's
created number four control patience feelings thoughts desires look at
boa's here for a moment i want you to see this man and his patience i
want you to see his spiritual maturity as he perceives the hand of
providence in this particular morning remember he was a patient man but
not today see you've got to understand patience doesn't mean silence in
action and just sitting there that is not always patience he is a
tremendously patient man this is his character his nature he can stay in
his position when all is hard around him but not on this day patience
demands action on this morning in fact it's not going to reach the end
of the day without a decision being decided he is going to know am i
marrying this girl or is the other kin's man he is going to force this
situation do you see boa's working with the hand of providence oh but
malcolmson you just said you shouldn't force or manipulate her i know
and you know what this is the nature of that man but to not act now
would be disobedience callous and reckless you know why all our emotions
are everywhere is this god's will is it not god's will you've got to end
this it's got to come to head if it's not god's will boas if you're not
going to marry her you've got to know today this morning if you are
going to marry her you've got to know today it's so vital you know
emotions are a terrible thing they're a terrible thing i'm telling you
they're not like anything else and you don't decide things by your
emotions you need something deeper than that your will can't be a victim
of your emotions your entire life can't be this this day blowing this
way and the next day blowing that way you don't want to do that look at
this man in chapter four verse one and two we read that boas on this
morning he's going to settle everything he's going to act he gets up
goes down to the city and sits down at the gate in those days the gate
was the place of authority leadership or where the elders gathered it
was a place of decisions of legal dispute of administration political
decisions military decisions the gates were the place of leadership you
remember elsewhere in the bible the lord says i'll give you the gates of
your enemies it's talking about authority leadership meets at the gate
of a city or it also talks about in isaiah it it says turn the battle
against the gate of your enemies you know what that means go to the
place of the absolute authority of your enemies turn that battle not
onto the sidelines and the foot troops go straight for the authority of
the enemy turn the battle to the gate of your enemies and so we see he
goes straight to the gate straight to a place of leadership this isn't a
private conversation on a threshing floor with ruth anymore do you know
what this is he's a man of integrity he does things right does not take
a lot of patience why didn't he just marry her why didn't he ignore this
other kinsman because he's got integrity but was don't you realize this
guy could come in sideways he's not even looking at her he's not even
working out you're her boss you're caring for her you're feeding her
don't you realize this guy when you begin all of this if you draw his
attention you know it's a bit like god with job devil have you noticed
job my servant oh yes yeah let me pay some attention to job do you know
what boaz is like here he is just going to turn the focus of this other
kinsman right on this beautiful girl that he's been looking for and he's
already covered her with his mantle saying i want to bring you into
covenant of marriage but there's this little problem he has legal rights
he has social rights there's a way of acting before god that's patience
in providence it's when you actually go you do what's right but it could
steal the girl no i'm gonna do what's right i'm actually gonna go
through the protocol boys don't do it you love her that's all that
matters god is in this providence is in this no i care about that other
guy i care about the word of god i care about the protocol i'm not gonna
act against that feelings and emotions and boas didn't make him through
that aside you know what he was patient in one morning one night he had
patience that controlled him and he said you know what i'm gonna find
out if god is in this or not and you know how i'm gonna do it i'm gonna
give this other kinsman the opportunity to marry her i believe it's
god's will for me to marry her i have already committed myself to her i
have every intention i'll put my money where my mouth is but you know
what i am actually going to allow this see people in their own trust god
never do this do you know i've had messages from god to preach i mean
years ago and i could have wrangled my way to preach them i believe
there was a word from god i believe there was a good word from god i
believed it was the right situation and someone else come in and i said
you've got the word of god you preach i'm talking about years ago when i
was a young guy in churches and there was preachers i gotta force my way
or god said i've got a word from the lord i'm gonna preach i need to
preach i want to preach oh okay son we'll get you to preach i never done
it i let god open the doors i go you know what i've got a word from the
lord if the doors close fine that's god's issue i'm not going to
manipulate ministry to get preaching my stinking little sermon
gratifying my own flesh and pride do you know what i needed was patience
to trust god if god shuts all the doors fine let him do it but i i'm
gonna have my heart right let him open the doors at the right time and
so here is boaz he goes down to the gates and he sits down and he gets
this kin's man and then he makes 10 elders sit down why did he make 10
elders sit down because they exercised a certain function they were to
be witnesses dependable there was to be unity amongst them they're going
to remember what happens this day you see how he's acting in the public
do you know this marriage arrangement and what happens here is going to
be absolutely and open for everyone to see it's going to be very very
clear boaz wants this settled today with no change he wants to get an
answer from god boaz took everything into hand he took the initiative he
acted he forced the situation he said this isn't going to last to
tonight today we're going to find out the will of god he acted promptly
wisely correctly thoroughly biblically in order to bring this to a final
conclusion you know what you have here is a man of great godly character
he controlled his patience you know sometimes you have to steer patience
into action it's still patience it's controlled it's actually moving
things in a direction where things could come in to change everything
that takes a lot of patience you're going to open up the door someone
could steal what's rightfully yours no they couldn't that's impossible
not if i'm walking with god in the will of god right with god try
stealing what i have listen to me try stealing what i have you can try
and steal my ministry so plenty of guys have tried that you can try and
steal anything of me i don't care because you know what if something is
meant for me and i'm walking with god all hell cannot take it away from
me my fifth point no patience no patience you go where's no patience
we've seen long patience short patience controlled patience now no
patience it's the kin's man the kin's man who's ahead of him in the line
he has no patience you're going to see this he's a man of a different
character oh look at the hand of providence do you realize providence is
about to come knocking at this man's door he's about to be offered the
deal of the year do you realize god's providence that we read about in
the entire book of ruth that's going to affect king david the greatest
king of israel and jesus christ the messiah of the world this plan is
going to come knocking at his door i wonder if any of yous have had the
hand of providence come knocking and you don't even recognize it or
you've lost it i hope you don't do it in the future i really hope that
but look at this man it's about to happen providence is going to draw
closer than at any other single day in his entire life this morning it's
going to come yelling at him begging him steering him teaching him
directing him and commanding him and he doesn't get the hints he misses
it listen let's look at this it says in verse one and behold the kin's
man of whom boaz spake came by boaz is sitting down and guess what he
just happens to come by at that time at that hour at that moment isn't
that amazing coincidentally or is it providence unto whom he said ho
such a one turn aside sit down here and he turned aside and he sat down
now i want you to notice carefully what happened here this other kin's
man is not aware of the facts he's utterly ignorant of his
responsibilities of his commitments look what's happening this is a day
of providence the day of the kin's man redeemer it's remarkable what's
happening this is the most extraordinary story and day about a king's
man kin's man redeemer in the entire bible outside of jesus christ down
on the cross and it's knocking on the door of this man it's about to
happen and he's utterly oblivious he doesn't know about his calling he's
not aware of his responsibilities and he's not active in this work of
redemption can you imagine this being so close and you're so oblivious
so ignorant so unbiblical oh i tremble at christians how many times does
providence draw near and because of your lack of knowledge and ignorance
you could miss it i hope you don't do that look at his quick response
boaz sets him down listen verse three and he said unto the kin's man
listen here's the deal naomi that has come out of the country of moab
selleth a parcel of land which was our brother alimilex and i thought to
advertise they are to make you know and understand all the facts saying
by it before the inhabitants and before the elders of my people if thou
will redeem it redeem it but if thou will not redeem it then tell me
that i may know for there is none to redeem it beside thee and i am
after thee and he said i'll redeem it do you see this man he doesn't
know his responsibilities he hasn't asked any questions he doesn't know
all the information and details and he immediately says i'll buy it do
you know what he's seeing pound signs a field a parcel boaz who's very
rich wants me to enter into this business deal it has to be good he
wants to buy the field no way i'm not letting boaz is rich boaz is
intelligent boaz is smart you know what i need to buy that field if he
wants me to move out of the way to buy it i need to buy that field do
you see that this other man he has no patience here he immediately says
i'm buying the land he hasn't even seen the land he hasn't seen the
field he's in it for the money he's in it for what he can gain or what
he can get you know some people providence comes knocking on the door
all they see is dollar signs pound signs euro signs get there in the end
and that's what this man was providence is manifest all around him
sovereign divine eternal remarkable providence all he sees is money in
this field a good deal a good business deal boaz is going to take this
further i will redeem the field boaz says oh just some information you
need to know i can tell you're a very quick-witted man a very
intelligent man you are a redeemer after all but he can discern this man
has no patience no character no depth no reality so he says let me
inform you of some further information and he goes further he says in
verse 5 then said boaz what day thou buyest the field of the hand of
naomi then must you buy it also of ruth the moabitess the wife of the
dead to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance you know what
he's saying you're gonna have to marry ruth and you're gonna have to
have a child to her and that child won't be your child it's gonna be our
brother alimilex and his son's child of that family and they will own
your field that you have to buy now do you still want to buy the field
so you get the lady you get the mother-in-law i'm telling you what a
deal there's not many people almost get tricked into a deal of buying
not only a field not only a beautiful girl but the mother-in-law as well
you're gonna have to pay for the whole hog you're gonna do everything
you know what this poor guy suddenly panics he is no patient he makes
decisions all over the place in a few minutes that is gonna affect his
life he's making dramatic decisions to buy then a dramatic decision to
say hold on i've changed my mind could i actually see the mother-in-law
rather than the bride and let me just be with her for a bit and then
i'll make a decision no he immediately says no way i cannot twice he
says i cannot but always the same you have to you must you you can't
just have a feel you can't just be in this for money there's there's
responsibility don't you wish a boa spoke to some young guys going into
marriage what you love her let's sit down and talk here that's what a
dad should do that's what a good friend should do that's what a preacher
should do let's sit down let's start talking through some practicalities
so you love her let's talk responsibility and commitment and buying and
money and losing you think marriage makes money you honestly you think
buying a house makes you money there's some very real things you need to
understand ruth cannot be separated from property and vice versa
redemption meant when you redeem her you redeem her property isn't that
amazing when you get redeemed it affects your property your house
everything around you if you're a d man your ground is redeemed by the
same work you know why this man didn't want to marry her he says i will
mar my inheritance i don't want to do this i i don't want to have a
child that's not mine and that child is going to become part of that
family i don't want to do that i don't want to do this for ruth's
husband her dead husband boaz did boaz said i want to do it for ruth's
dead husband and dead grandfather sorry dead father-in-law that's why i
want to do it you know boaz had a high spiritual view of this whole
situation but you've got here this man saying i do not want to mar my
relationship i bet he had his eye on a girl i bet he was looking at a
girl and thinking of his children and his future and his money says i
don't want to mar that some people only do things for what they
financially get and they make wrong decisions i'm going to tell you
you'll often make a right decision and you'll lose financially you could
lose land you you could lose different things through it but it's the
right decision when you always make decisions to go does this benefit me
what about me what about my life what about my plans you know what you
are you're a selfish better not say all i think you're a selfish so-and-
so that's what you are do you see here that his name is left out his
name is not mentioned here when it says here that boaz called him it
means in the text he uses the but the author the writer does not put his
name in the text do you know why would you want your name in there i
believe it's a very respectful way because it was a shame if you didn't
do the job of a kinsman redeemer over in deuteronomy 25 if it didn't
have all of this surrounded do you know if you didn't marry a widow and
you were the brother not a distant kinsman but a brother and you refuse
to marry the widow the widow goes to the elders at the gate and calls
together this kinsman redeemer and she loosens his sandal and then she
spits in his face and it was an act of shame onto him because he
wouldn't take his responsibility so maybe that's one reason his name
isn't mentioned here would you want your name mentioned when you missed
out on when you cared more about money and your own life i think god was
very gracious or was he do you know boaz didn't care about the name of
ruth's husband didn't care remember this whole redemption was to redeem
the name of the dead to recover a testimony to raise up a testimony it's
not about you this marriage wasn't even about boaz he is raising up a
testimony you know what this tells me god cares about the testimony of
those who died do you know today i'm walking praying thinking and i'm
thinking god cares about the testimony of candace i'm actually persuaded
that what happens right now in my life in the future or in this church
or in this work or through this preaching i believe it will affect her
testimony she is dead she's gone to reward she will never speak or act
again and yet something happening in a year's time could affect her
testimony in the earth isn't that amazing that god cares about those who
have died in christ and gone on ahead he still cares about their
testimony and you know what this man didn't care about their names he
only cared about his own name listen this he cared about his own name
his own testimony his own reputation do you know what god done god says
your name isn't getting in this book in this story nobody knows who you
are your name isn't going to be written in the bible i'm going to make
sure your name is excluded and instead i'm going to go back and pick up
the names of dead men who would have been lost but now their names are
going to be immortalized written into scripture i mean men who died
tragically sadly unnoticed but not anymore their testimony is being
raised up glorious do you know some people have been remembered they're
insignificant in christian ministry there weren't great preachers there
weren't great men they only labored away in a small situation but they
affected someone who'd become a national preacher or evangelist who
shook cities or stirred a generation and that great preacher could look
back to this little nobody Spurgeon done it Spurgeon said do you know
where i got my theology and all my great teaching and all the great
doctrines i preached to six thousand people in every single week do you
know where i got it it was in the scullery that's a good old fashion
word for kitchen in case you don't know i got it in the kitchen when i
was a teenager and the lady cooking the food i used to sit in the
kitchen and as she's cooking she's a servant in the house and as she's
cooking and making the food she's preaching to me explaining scripture
that's where i got my understanding of the covenant of grace Spurgeon
said that i got sound doctrine from that godly lady at that time six and
lastly let me finish quickly the hour is late for you online you don't
know what we're saying at all believe me and i still have my wonderful
pictures here but sixth and lastly let me close the reward of patience
the reward of patience verse 7 now this was the manner of some in former
times do you know what happened here we have the decision Boaz is going
to marry her this is the reward of patience so now a transaction needs
to happen and this was the custom in those days that the man would take
his shoe and he would hand it to the other man saying now it's your
responsibility i am saying i revoke the right of being the kinsman
redeemer and i'm making sure that Boaz now has the responsibility why
did he hand him a shoe it is a witness a public statement that nobody's
going to forget would you forget such a statement as a shoe is passed to
the other person it is unusual it is noticeable it is different but
listen the shoe represents the transaction or the transfer of rights to
Boaz not of the property but the right to be the kinsman redeemer do you
know why it was a shoe in Deuteronomy and Joshua the shoe represents
ownership possession and rights remember God said when you go into the
land the land the land of promise and claim it everywhere you put your
feet that land belongs to you everywhere you tread in your shoes with
your feet do you know when you go down to where the great exodus
happened you know all over the desert on the stones there they have
prints of sandals and rocks all over that Arabian desert you can almost
trace them there's it's still there from over 3 000 years ago prints of
sandals on every single rock around um what was the mount that God came
down on it's everywhere this symbol of a sandal and so the symbol of a
sandal means you own this you possess there are rights and here is Boaz
saying I'm taking on this responsibility I'm going to raise up a
testimony to Malon a man who died a side death utterly unnoticed with no
testimony but I'm going to raise up a testimony for him do you notice
everyone gets mentioned here Alemlech is going to get restored all of
them are going to get restored Chilean is going to get restored but
there's no mention of Orpah she made her decision there's no redemption
for her in this story she was a nice lady but she lost patience she
turned back and what a sad end she had this was not just the shutting of
the door in the past moving on forgetting the past do you know what it
it was recovering everything it says in Hebrews 6 and 12 that you be not
slothful but followers of them through faith and patience who inherit
the promises of God some of you will not inherit what God has for you or
has promised you unless you have patience you need patience it says in
Hebrews 6 and 15 about Abraham after he had patiently endured he
obtained the promise in Hebrews 10 36 it says for ye have needed
patience that after you have done the will of God you might receive the
promise in other words you don't receive the promise what God has for
good things from God unless you have patience you need a character and
nature God's providence like with this other kinsman redeemer the
greatest day of providence and he missed it because there was no
patience no carefulness no knowledge of God's word he could not discern
the hand of God's providence the day of God's providence and he missed
it but Boaz a man of long patience said this is the day this is God's
hand in this and God has brought this little girl to me next week we're
going to finish this on the most beautiful testimony and story at the
end of the book of Ruth will you pray with me Father we love you we
bless you we thank you Lord God we need patience here tonight Father I
pray that you speak to us by the power of your Holy Spirit Lord God I do
pray oh God that you move by your sovereign spirit and every heart on
every life oh God you know how fragile we are you know how weak we are
you know how much we need to grow into maturity Lord God you know how
easily we're affected by thoughts and emotions and decisions and Father
I pray for your grace that every single individual that you'd reveal
your hand of providence my God to lead them to guide them to help them
in the workplace and family with marriages with being single and
decisions oh God in ministry and doing the will of God Father I pray
Lord God give us strong patience not to be moved from where you put us
whether it's a church or a marriage or a job whatever it is wherever it
is but oh God to hold the line to be steadfast unmovable always
abounding in the work of the Lord and Father I pray tonight Lord God
revive us pour out your spirit and Lord God thank you for such an
amazing story of how you've worked in individual lives Lord God we
praise you we adore you and we bless you tonight and Father for our
friends who are with us tonight bless them oh God and this young girl
again Lord God keep your hand upon her Lord God we so love to see even
children like this so God who need you oh God who have a real need let
your hand of providence even be upon this young girl let your hand be
upon her and her family and her home in Jesus mighty name in Jesus name
amen

========================================================================
Video: https://sermonindex2.b-cdn.net/8oyDVHY09PE.mp4
Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/keith-malcomson/providence-and-patience/
========================================================================