Tuesday, August 23 – Ruth 3:1

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?”

Sometimes life is so busy that we begin to crave rest—a vacation, a breather, a moment to catch a break. In this passage, the Hebrew word for security is manoah, which means “resting place.”[1] Naomi’s words were more than advice but a reminder to Ruth about her need for rest. Whether we are busy with good things or hard things, it is easy to forget about our need for rest. We see from this passage and so many others that rest is more than a quick breather but a deep need for every person. It is not always something we prioritize naturally. We need reminders, people in our lives to work alongside us and rest with us.

Where are you in life right now? Do you need a reminder to rest? Is there a friend you are close with who needs that encouragement? Alongside each other, we can pursue rest in God. Hebrews 4:9-11 says, “Consequently, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. Therefore let’s make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following the same example of disobedience.” We must make every effort toward rest in God that we may be filled up in Him in good times and bad.

• When was a moment you needed a reminder to rest?
• Who can you encourage to rest today? How can you serve them so that they can see rest in God?
• Pray and thank God for the reminders He gives through others to rest in Him.

[1] “H4494 – Mānôaḥ ,” Blue Letter Bible (Strong’s Hebrew Lexicon (ESV), accessed July 7, 2022, https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h4494/esv/wlc/0-1/.