“Then her mother-in-law Naomi said to her, ‘My daughter, shall I not seek security for you, that it may go well for you? Now then, is Boaz not our relative, with whose young women you were? Behold, he is winnowing barley at the threshing floor tonight. Wash yourself therefore, and anoint yourself, and put on your best clothes, and go down to the threshing floor; but do not reveal yourself to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. And it shall be when he lies down, that you shall take notice of the place where he lies, and you shall go and uncover his feet and lie down; then he will tell you what you should do.’ And she said to her, ‘All that you say I will do.’
So she went down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law had commanded her.” Ruth 3:1-6

Have you ever struggled with fear of rejection? This can show itself in several different ways. This fear is common because it goes directly against our fundamental desire to be known and loved. Rejection cuts deep, so we often avoid it at all costs. We save our attempts for safe spaces, talk only to those who approach us, or practice tirelessly so that we never have to experience that sting.

In this passage, Ruth was advised to go directly to Boaz. The fear of rejection could have kept her from following Naomi’s advice, but trusting her mother-in-law and following in faith, she listened to her advice. Many times, we have our own ideas of what we want to do and how to best preserve ourselves in the process, so listening to the advice of others may not be easy. Listening to the wisdom of others can be risky, especially when we are not sure what it will cost. But God often uses others to speak into blind spots or places that we are afraid of the risk. When we receive wisdom and walk in faith, we get to see God work in ways we would have never expected otherwise.

• Who has given you wise counsel in the past? Did you take their advice? Why or why not?
• What is difficult about receiving the advice of others? When have you taken the risk and listened to the advice of wise counsel to your benefit?
• Pray and ask God to help you discern who in your life you can trust and listen to their advice, even when it takes you out of your comfort zone.