“So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he had relations with her. And the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. Then the women said to Naomi, ‘Blessed is the LORD who has not left you without a redeemer today, and may his name become famous in Israel. May he also be to you one who restores life and sustains your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.’
Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her lap, and became his nurse. And the neighbor women gave him a name, saying, ‘A son has been born to Naomi!’ So they named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.” Ruth 4:13-17

Creating a piece of art or writing a book are things that take time. These pursuits are intentionally crafted with even the smallest details in mind. A masterpiece needs layers of paint, some of which are clear and some that seem out of place, but all vital to the final picture. A book takes time to develop with characters that change throughout the story and a plot that has many different pieces tied together. In life, a complete story also takes time. In moments of frustration, it can be hard to see past the challenges of today, and it is hard to imagine a day when things will come together. Yet as we follow God, we entrust Him as the one to bring the story together. Making broken things beautiful is His specialty.

Naomi witnessed God’s redemption through the loyalty of her daughter-in-law through her darkest times, and ultimately the birth of her grandson, as a living picture of God’s faithfulness when all hope seemed lost. Maybe you only see broken pieces right now or are struggling to see the purpose of your life in general. Take heart, the One who brings beauty from ashes is working to redeem the most damaged pieces of your story as part of His beautiful masterpiece.

• What are the hard parts of your story that need to be redeemed by God? What is the brokenness of the world you feel like is beyond repair?
• Where do you need to trust God with the broken pieces of your story? How can that make an impact on the way you handle the hard things you face?
• Pray and tell God the broken parts of the world you are struggling with and ask Him to continue to redeem those things.