RUTH 3:11-12 – “And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you ask, for all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman. And now it is true that I am a redeemer.”
Worthy woman, I have two essential questions I deem necessary for you to ponder:
- What encounter with God did you experience that has marked your life?
- What have you done with that encounter?
An encounter with God is not by coincidence. It is not farfetched or unattainable. It is orchestrated by the Holy Spirit. It not a distance thing, but it is nigh your heart. It builds your faith, but at the same time, it addresses incomprehensible questions that expose the core hidden matters of your heart. An Encounter with God brings change from deep within to become the woman GOD designed you to be – A worthy woman.
Jesus knows everything about us, and yet He still pursues us. His love runs deeper than our failures and scars. He openly affirms our worth and dignity through miraculous encounters with Him.
If you don’t believe me, then take a look at the numerous encounters etched as life-changing examples throughout the lives of worthy women in the Bible and specifically during the time Jesus walked this Earth. To name a few: the Samaritan woman who is portrayed as immoral; the woman with the issue of blood who suffered from an incurable illness for more than a decade and experienced being socially ostracized; and the woman caught in the act of adultery who was left alone to bear the weight of public shaming and inevitably, death.
Even though their culture labels these women castaways, Jesus did not view them as outcasts. Instead, He sees them as His created ones, children of God, ones whom He loves deeply and has called into His eternal family. Jesus loved and honored women— including the very women that society had thrown out— the poor, illiterate, outcast, demon-possessed, sick, disabled, unloved, unwanted.
God neither belittles nor patronizes you. He demonstrates His acceptance and affirmation of you and straightforwardly dismisses social and worldly status. As a fundamental part of His life and ministry, Jesus went out of His way to ensure that you know you are loved by Him. Adding to this, He saves His best compliments and bestows His most distinct honors on you. Ruth 3:11-12 affirms that you are His daughter, therefore, do not fear. “He will do for you all you ask because you are a worthy woman, and He IS your Redeemer.”
Worthy woman, your faith is not meant to stay a seed in your heart, but it is destined to grow. Your encounters with God are like running water; they help you grow and increases your faith. Encounters also motivate you to press forward. They make our relationship with God sustainable because they give us hope in times of despair and affirm that refreshing times will come. It provides hope and comfort in dry and barren seasons. Therefore, embrace your encounters with Him!
Therefore, don’t discredit and downplay your experiences with God. Like those women of the Bible, be humble in seeking after God. Be righteous in character and pray earnestly with reverence to Him. If you ask Him with the right motives, He will increase your faith because He never despises a humble heart. He will meet you where you are, and you will encounter Him. He will launch you into an extraordinary life.
