A Son Is Born

Transcript

Hello, my friend… so glad you're with me today. This is By God's Call — day 79, A Son Is Born.

Ruth 4:17 — listen to this scene closely: "And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, 'A son has been born to Naomi.' They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David."

Think about who this Naomi is. Back at the start of the book, she asked people to call her Mara — which means bitter. She had lost her husband, both her sons, her land, her future. She came back to Bethlehem with empty hands and a broken heart. And now, a few chapters later, she is holding a grandson. The neighbor women can't stay quiet. They say out loud: a son has been born to Naomi. They are naming what God had been doing in secret, slowly, patiently, the whole time.

And notice the name they give the boy: Obed. That name means "one who serves." It is not a name of conquest, not a name of personal glory. It carries the mark of the whole story — Ruth's quiet loyalty, choosing to stay when she could have gone back to her own people; Boaz's care, acting justly in a time when almost no one else seemed to bother. A life built on humble service gets a name that honors it forever.

And there is something in this family line that needs to be said clearly: Ruth was a Moabite. She was a foreigner, from a people the law viewed at a distance. And still, God weaves her — on purpose, without hesitation — into the family line of Israel. God builds His story with people the world would count as outsiders. That should give you courage today. No background, no past, no label anyone has put on you is too much for God's purpose.

And here is the most striking point of all: this boy, Obed, will father Jesse. And Jesse will father David. Israel's greatest king. The man after God's own heart. One small, almost forgettable chapter, in a little town called Bethlehem, carries the weight of Israel's entire story — and later points forward to Christ Himself, who would be born in that same town.

So think about this: Ruth's faithfulness, in a barley field, in a hard season, with no guarantee of any reward — that faithfulness was never wasted. It's written into a family line that leads to the King. And your faithfulness today, even if it looks small, even if no one is watching, is not wasted either. God is weaving.

So here is today's call: write down the names of three people God used to bring you to where you are — a grandparent, a friend, a teacher, someone who helped you through a hard season. And thank God for each one out loud. Because your story has a family line too — and God is in it.

Stay close to God. Pray — then act. I'll see you tomorrow, my friend.