FAITH CAPSULE: The seed of a good heart will yield the fruit of a good life.

Out of the abundance of a good heart, a good and noticeable action emerges. In life, it will be almost impossible for a good heart to yield forth evil act. Ruth was identified as a virtuous woman in a country which was not her hometown. It is written, “Now it came to pass, in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem, Judah, went to dwell in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech, the name of his wife was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion—Ephrathites of Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to the country of Moab and remained there.  Then Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons.” (Ruth 1:1-3) After the death of Elimelech, Naomi’s her two sons also died and she was left with her sons wife (Orpha and Ruth) When Naomi decided to go back to Bethlehem, her two daughter in-laws, Orpha and Ruth insisted on going back with her. Naomi persuaded Orpha and Ruth to turn back. Orpha turned back but Ruth out of her good heart, could not be persuaded to turn her back on her mother in-law.

In Bethlehem, with Naomi’s permission, Ruth went to Boaz’s field, in attempt to work.  While Ruth was working on Boaz’s field, she became noticeable to Boaz. Boaz then ordered protection for Ruth, “So she fell on her face, bowed down to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” (Ruth 2:10) Ruth was overtaken with the favor she received from Boaz whom she never met. Ruth did not realize that the seed of a good heart she sowed was about to yield the fruit of a good life. In this world, one thing is certain, it is not possible to sow good and reap bad. Boaz responded to Ruth, in Ruth 2:11-12, “And Boaz answered and said to her, “It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before.””  Coming out of a comfort zone to an uncomfortable zone for the sake of engaging a goodness of heart will always provoke the goodness of God to one’s favor. God will always take notice of a good act from a good heart.
Prayer for today: Ask God to renew your heart that you begin to have a good heart.