One of the doctrines that always amazes me is the doctrine of the providence of God.  As I have looked back on my life and how God has guided me through life, it always amazes me how much God is REALLY part of my life.   One of the major themes in the book of Ruth is the providence of God.   God’s providence is His invisible hand.  Providence is called God’s invisible hand because God is working in our lives even though we may not see or realize it.  This is why the Bible says we should live by faith and not by sight.  Read these quotes I have found on the providence of God:

God the great Creator of all things doth uphold, direct, dispose, and govern all creatures, actions, and things, from the greatest even to the least, by his most wise and holy providence, according to his infallible foreknowledge, and the free and immutable counsel of his own will, to the praise of the glory of his wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and mercy. (Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 5, Section 1)

I often forget how much God is involved in our lives.  We often think that God is too “lofty” for us.  Do we really understand that God is actively part of our lives?  We need to remember that our God is the God who comes near us. 

"Tell me how lofty God is for you, and I’ll tell you how little he means to you.  That could be a theological axiom.  The lofty God has been lofted right out of my private life…. If God has no significance for the tiny mosaic pieces of my little life, and for the things that concern me, the he doesn’t concern me at all."  (H. Thielicke, I Believe, p. 33-ff)

 This is the one thing that amazes me about the book of Ruth is that the “little things” of life really matter to God.  The whole story of Ruth is about a certain family tree in the days when the judges ruled.  It reminds me that nothing is insignificant to God, and all things fall within His almighty care. 

Providence says that God is there, God cares, God rules, and God provides.  Faith in such a God undergirds every chapter of Ruth.   Do we know that God is there for us even when it seems like He is not?  Do we know that God cares for us?  Do we see that God really provides for all our needs?  We have a wonderful and amazingly personal God.  He is so personal we can call Him, Father.  I love to watch and take notice of God’s invisible hand working in my life.  It is truly good news.