Philippians 1:12 says, But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;  Paul did not ask for the sympathy of those that he was writing to because of his situation, but said even though he was imprisoned that it was for the furtherance of the gospel.  If we find ourselves discriminated against or even imprisoned because we are a Christian and are living by God's standards, we should likewise count it as an honor to suffer for our faith.  We should never complain if something bad happens to us because we are living by faith, nor should we expect sympathy from anyone.  Verse thirteen states, So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places;  Paul said that people in the palace as well as in other places knew why he was in bonds.  If Paul had been in prison for something that he had done that was wrong then his imprisonment would likely not have been noted by so many people, especially those in power.  As followers of Christ, just because we may be suffer may not mean that we are suffering for our faith.  We like Paul must truly be persecuted for our faith if our suffering is to bring glory to God and be a witness to the world.  Verse fourteen says, And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.  Paul said that instead of making his fellow believers afraid to proclaim the gospel, it impowered them to do so even more.  When we hear of Christians being persecuted, imprisoned and even killed today because of their faith, does it make us bolder in Christ or does it cause us to be silent for fear of the same thing happen to us?  We should always choose to be bold in our faith.  Verse fifteen states, Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will:  Paul said that not all people preached the gospel the same way, or even for the same reasons.  There will always be those who preach the gospel differently, but the question should be is if the truth of the gospel is being preached.  Verse sixteen adds, The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds:  Paul said that some people preached a Christ of contention hoping to add to his bonds, or suffering.  He also said that they were not sincere in what they preached.  I believe that these people would have been saying that Paul should have fought harder and not allowed himself to be imprisoned, but that they themselves were not really going to do anything to cause themselves to be imprisoned.  Verse seventeen continues, But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.  Paul said others preached out of love for God and for Paul himself, knowing that it was for the sake of the gospel that he was imprisoned.  As followers of Christ, when we see or hear of a fellow Christian being imprisoned for their faith, we must still preach the gospel based on the love of Christ.  Verse eighteen declares,What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.  Paul said that whatever the reason for the gospel being preached, as long as it was preached in truth, then he would and did rejoice.  Our question should never be how or why the gospel ids being preached, but simply is it being preached and preached accurately.  If it is, then we should rejoice in God.  Verse nineteen adds, For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,  Paul said that his suffering would lead to his salvation through their prayers and the power of the Holy Spirit.  Paul was not saying that his suffering was what brought him salvation, but that his faith in Christ did, and that if he remained imprisoned in this life that he would be set free in death.  This has to be the kind of faith that we have.  Verse twenty continues, According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. Paul said that whatever happened to him in this life was unimportant as long as his life glorified Christ.  How often do we complain to God when the least little thing goes wrong in our life instead of glorifying God?  Vere twenty-one concludes, For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.  Paul said that if he lived that he would live that Christ would be glorified, and that if he died that would be even better for him, because he would be with Christ forever.  This did not mean that Paul wanted to die, but that he was unafraid of dying for his faith in Christ.  We should be the same way today.

Philippians 1:1 says, Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:  Timothy was with Paul at this time and Paul was writing to the church at Philippi, addressing the church leaders in particular.  I don't believe that he was only writing to them, but that he expected the church leaders to share his letter with the rest of the members.  Church leaders have always had a responsibility to share the news of God with their congregations.  Verse two states, Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.  As always, Paul ask that the grace of God be with the church, which would bring them His peace.  As followers of  Christ, we are living under the grace of God, and since we are we should be at peace in the world.  Verse three adds, I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,  Paul said that he thanked God every time he remembered the believers at Philippi.  Verse four continues, Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,  Paul said that he was always praying for them in joy.  We should likewise remember our fellow Christians in prayer and pray that they will continue in the joy of Christ.  Verse five declares, For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;  Paul said that he was thankful for their fellowship in Christ from the very first, which indicates they were some of the first to accept Christ as Savior and Lord.  We should always be thankful for those fellow believers who have been a part of our Christian life from the beginning.  God always calls His people to fellowship with one another and to be thankful for each other.  Verse six adds, Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:  Paul said not only had they been followers of Christ since the very beginning, but he had confidence that they would remain true to Christ until He returned, or until they went to be with Him, though he didn't say the last specifically.  We should likewise have confidence in our fellow believers today.  As followers of Christ, we must remain true to His teachings until He returns or until we leave this world to be with Him.  Verse seven says, Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.  Paul said that it was proper for him to think of and pray for the Christians at Philippi, because they had defended the gospel and had remained faithful to him as well, even after he had been arrested.  It would have been easy for them to distance themselves from Paul after his arrest, but they didn't.  If Christian leaders are imprisoned today for their faith, then we must continue to pray for them and support them any way we can.  Verse eight states, For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.  Paul called on God to be his witness as to how much he desired to come visit the church at Philippi again.  When we look at the life of Paul, I believe that we can pretty much disclaim the name it and claim it religion.  Paul, one of the greatest men of faith, often had a desire to do something, and God denied his request.  What we need to do today is not attempt to get God to endorse our plans, but to make sure that we are following His plan.  Verse nine adds, And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;  I believe that Paul was praying that they would grow in their knowledge and judgment through their faith in Christ.  He was not praying that they would become more educated in the things of the world, but that they would become more educated in the things of God.  We may become very educated in the things of this world, and we may even think we are a good judge of what is right or wrong, but unless this is based on our faith in and obedience to God, it is of no real value.  Verse ten continues, That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;  The things that are excellent that Paul was writing about were the things of God.  Paul asked that they be sincere and without offence until Christ returned, and this is what we today as Christians should do as well.  Our faith in Christ should never waver.  Verse eleven continues, Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.  Paul prayed that they would be filled with the fruits of righteousness, which was only possible by faith in Christ, and resulted in glory ot God.  Likewise today, as followers of Christ, we should be full of fruit for Him and for God's glory.

Ruth Review

We will do a review of what we learned from the book of Ruth.   First, we see that bad things do happen to God's people.  Because of a famine in Israel, the land of God's chosen people, Elimelech, Naomi, and their sons Mahlon and Chilion left Israel and went to Moab.  While there, another tragedy struck Naomi, as Elimelech died, leaving her dependent on her two sons.  The sons had married women of Moab, Orpah and Ruth and lived there for about ten years, then both sons died, another tragedy for Naomi.  We need to realize that just because one tragedy strikes us in life as followers of Christ that it does not mean that we are exempt from another one.  Naomi was left with her two daughters-in-law that she did not know how to provide for, so she decided to return to Israel and her people.  When tragedy does strike us today, the best thing we can do is turn to God and His people if we are Christians.  Of course, the best thing anyone can do in a tragedy is to look to God for help, but if we are His people but are away from Him spiritually for whatever reason, then we definitely need to return to Him.  Then, Naomi told Orpah and Ruth that they would be better off going to their own people for help.  I believe that even if we don't know all the answers, we should never attempt to send others away from God.  Naomi seems to have become bitter toward God though and this may have influenced her actions.  No matter what happens in life, as followers of Christ we cannot allow it to make us bitter toward God or to even question His love and provision for us.  Orpah left, but Ruth declared her devotion to Naomi, her people, and her God.  Our best choice in a tragedy is to declare our devotion to God, even if He was not our God before.  In Israel, Ruth proved her devotion to Naomi by working to provide them with food.  She was a widow herself in a strange land, but she exhibited a greater faith than Naomi did.  She did not expect others to provide for them.  Because of her willingness to work, she met Boaz.  I believe that we can accurately say that God led Ruth to this place.  Even when we may not realize it, God is at work in our lives if we are His people.  Naomi saw a solution to their problem after there was no longer a crop to glean for food, and that was the fact that Boaz was one of her kinsmen, and she was going to put Ruth in a position where he would have to marry her.  I don't believe that we should ever use deceitful or dishonest means to better ourselves if we are followers of Christ.  Boaz looked out for Ruth's good name and then did the honorable and legal thing concerning her.  He first made sure that another closer kinsman did not want to redeem Naomi's land with the stipulation that he marry Ruth, who could also have had a claim on the land.  We must never try to claim what might rightly be considered something that belongs to another without letting them have a chance to claim it themselves.  Then, we see that God blessed Ruth with a husband and a child and Naomi with a grandchild, and that Ruth, a woman of Moab, was in the direct lineage of David.  It does not matter where we are born, if we become a follower of Christ, then we are a part of His family forevermore.         

Ruth 4:11

Ruth 4:11 says, And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem:  The people at the gate told Boaz that they would be witnesses that he had been honorable in his actions.  They then asked that God would bless his marriage to Ruth and that she would be like Rachel and Leah who had produced the nation of Israel.  Of course, there were two other women who were also responsible, but they were not mentioned.  Even if we are honest in our actions, unless we are doing what God has led us to do, we should not expect Him to bless us in the action.  Verse twelve adds, And let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which the LORD shall give thee of this young woman.  The men continued to ask by asking God's blessing on the family, that they might have many descendants, like Pharez of old.  Verse thirteen continues, So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son.  After they were married, God gave Ruth and Boaz a son.  Boaz, and Ruth as well, had lived honorably and followed God's laws, and He had blessed them with a son.  This is not to say that they were prefect people, but they were doing their best to follow God's law.  Even as followers of Christ, we will never be perfect, but if we want to be blessed by God, then we need to try to follow His laws.  Verse fourteen states, And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel.  The women also said that God had blessed Naomi by giving her a grandson, so that her name would not be cut off but that her grandson would be famous throughout Israel.  She was still considered Ruth's mother-in-law, and the son was seen as a continuation of her family name, even though Naomi had seemingly become somewhat bitter toward God.  God had not forgotten her, and He will never forget us today if we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse fifteen adds, And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him.  The women told Naomi that this grandson would restore her life and that Ruth's love for her was better than seven sons would have been.  Naomi now had no reason to give up on life and to be bitter toward God.  Of course, as followers of Christ, we should never do either of these things.  Verse sixteen continues, And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it.  Naomi now had a new purpose, and that was to nurture her grandchild.  When we accept the salvation of God, we have a new purpose in life.  We are to nurture our fellow Christians in faith, as they are to nurture us.  Verse seventeen says, And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.  The women named the child, and said he was Naomi's son, though he was really her grandson.  He was the one through whom her family name would be carried on.  Then, the next five verses list the genealogy of Obed, Ruth's son, going back to Pharez and ending with David.  Verse eighteen adds, Now these are the generations of Pharez: Pharez begat Hezron,  Verse nineteen continues, And Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab,  Verse twenty states, And Amminadab begat Nahshon, and Nahshon begat Salmon,  Verse twenty-one adds, And Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed,  Verse twenty-two continues, And Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.  Ruth, a widowed Moabite woman because of her devotion to her mother-in-law and becoming one of her people and accepting her God as her own, became a part of the lineage of David.  We really aren't told of anything great that Ruth did, except to be a devoted daughter-in-law who accepted her mother-in-law's people and God as her own, and then lived honorably to provide for the two of them.  We may not think that we have done a lot in life today, but if we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord, try to live honorable lives by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, identify with God's people, and reach out to others with His message of redemption, that is all that we can do.  Fortunately, that is all that is required after we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.

Ruth 4:1

Ruth 4:1 says, Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down.  Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there, waiting to see if his kinsman would come by, and he did.  Boaz asked him to come and talk with him.  The gate of the city was where court was held.  Verse two adds, And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down.  Boaz had ten of the elders of the city there with him to do things legally.  Even if we are attempting to get something we want as Christians, we must do it honesty and above board.  Verse three continues, And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech’s:  Boaz told his kinsman that Naomi had a parcel of land to sell that belonged to Elimelech before he left.  There were specific redemption laws in Israel, and Matthew Henry says that Elimelech might have mortgaged the land before he left during the famine, and now Naomi wanted one of her kinsmen to redeem it for her.  He also said that the other possibility was that Naomi wanted to sell her rights to the property so she would have money to live on.  I believe we can say that God has the right of redemption for every person, but it is up to us whether or not we allow Him to use it.  Verse four states, And I thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy it before the inhabitants, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know: for there is none to redeem it beside thee; and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it.  Boaz told his kinsman that he wanted to come before the elders and see if the man would redeem the property, and Boaz told him if he didn't that he was the next in line to be able to redeem it.  He was doing nothing behind the man's back, but was dealing honestly and openly with the situation.  We must do the same with people today, even if means that we may not get what we want.   The man said he would redeem the property.  Verse five adds, Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.  Boaz then told his kinsman that when he redeemed the land from Naomi, he was also redeeming it from Ruth, a woman of Moab, who was the widow of one of Naomi's sons, and that he would need to marry her to produce an heir.  Matthew Henry points out that the marriage law at least at first only applied to the brothers of the man who had died but may have been changed at some time.  Still, this was basically being done based on the law of redemption.  Verse six continues, And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it.  The kinsman then said he couldn't redeem it himself because he might mar his inheritance.  Matthew Henry says that the man may have already been married and had children and didn't want another heir with a claim to his inheritance, but for whatever reason, he would not or could not claim the inheritance if it meant marrying Ruth as well.  He told Boaz to redeem the property himself.  God offers us redemption today if we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, but he does not force us to accept it, just as this man was not forced to redeem the land.  God will continue to offer redemption to others, even if we turn it down.  Verse seven says, Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour: and this was a testimony in Israel.  We are told that in Israel that the manner of confirming a deal was for a person confirming it to take off his shoe and give it to the one with whom he was confirming it.  This may have been a better way than all the lawyers who would likely be involved today.  Verse eight adds. Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee. So he drew off his shoe.  The kinsman confirmed the deal with Boaz by handing him his shoe to confirm the deal.  Verse nine continues, And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, of the hand of Naomi.  Boaz told the elders and all the people around that they would be witnesses to the fact that he had bought all that was Elimelech's and his two sons, Chilion and Mahlon, inheritance, from Naomi.  We are never told what the price was.  We can rest assured that when we accept redemption through faith in Christ as our Savior and Lord that the price has been paid by Him through the His death on the cross.  Verse ten concludes, Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are witnesses this day.  Boaz said he had also purchased Ruth to be his wife to raise up an inheritance, or a child, to carry on the name of Mahlon.  We don't have any such inheritance laws today, but we do know that Christ died so that we can have an eternal inheritance with Him if we accept salvation that He alone makes available.

Ruth 3:8

Ruth 3:8 says, And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet.  Boaz awoke at midnight afraid, and turned over and saw the woman, Ruth, at his feet.  We are not told why he was afraid, but I am sure he didn't expect to find a woman at his feet.  Verse nine adds, And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.  Ruth told him her name and said she was a near kinswomen of his.  She also said she was his handmaiden and asked that he spread his skirt over her.  She was simply asking Boaz to take her under his protection as the Jewish law of that time would have dictated he do.  We are likewise to come under the protection of Christ if we are His followers, and when we do, we will be wrapped in his protective arms.  Verse ten continues, And he said, Blessed be thou of the Lord, my daughter: for thou hast shewed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich.  Boaz asked God's blessings on Ruth, since she had not gone to a young man for protection, but had come to him, even though he was old.  There may be more physically appealing things in the world today than the ways of God, but we need to realize that the old paths of God will always be better.  Verse eleven states, And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman.  Boaz told Ruth not to fear, that he would do what she asked so that all the city would know that she was a virtuous woman.  He had seen her work to take care of her mother-in-law and knew that she would not be there for immoral reasons.  What does our character tell people about us today?  Verse twelve adds, And now it is true that I am thy near kinsman: howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I.  Boaz told Ruth that he was a near kinsman, but that there was one who was closer kin.  If Boaz were to follow the law of God, he could not simply ignore a part of it to suit himself, just as we cannot ignore any of God's law today simply to suit ourselves if we are followers of Christ.  Boaz would only marry Ruth if the closer kinsman refused to do so.  Matthew Henry says that Naomi must not have known of this closer kinsman, or she would have sent Ruth to him instead of to Boaz.  Verse thirteen continues, Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman, well; let him do the kinsman's part: but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee, then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee, as the Lord liveth: lie down until the morning.  Boaz told Ruth to lie down until the morning, and if the closer kinsman would fulfill his obligation to marry her, then that was how it would be.  We as followers of Christ should never have to rely on others to fulfill our obligations to God, but sometimes if they don't fulfill theirs, we may have to fulfill theirs.  Boaz also said that if this other kinsman would not marry Ruth, then he would.  Verse fourteen says, And she lay at his feet until the morning: and she rose up before one could know another. And he said, Let it not be known that a woman came into the floor.  She rested there until sometime before morning and then left as Boaz had instructed her to do.  Though they had done nothing wrong, it would have appeared that they had to others.  Boaz did not want this to be a problem for either of them.  We must live in such a way that no one can accuse us of sinning just because the appearance of what we are doing makes it look like we may be doing something immoral.  When it comes to our relationship to God, we do have to care what others think.  Verse fifteen adds, Also he said, Bring the vail that thou hast upon thee, and hold it. And when she held it, he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on her: and she went into the city.  Before Ruth left, he gave her a measure of barley in her veil.  He was already beginning to take care of her needs, just as God will always take care of ours today if we put our faith in Hm through our relationship with Christ.  Verse sixteen continues, And when she came to her mother in law, she said, Who art thou, my daughter? And she told her all that the man had done to her.  When Ruth returned to Naomi, she asked Ruth who she was, not because she didn't recognize her, but because she wanted to know if she was now married or not.  Ruth told Naomi all that had happened.  Verse seventeen states, And she said, These six measures of barley gave he me; for he said to me, Go not empty unto thy mother in law.  Ruth told Naomi that Boaz had not sent her away empty handed but had sent her with food for the two of them to eat.  Since it was past gleaning time, Ruth would not be able to get food for them that day.  We do not need to simply glean spiritually from God's provisions as Christians but can feast at His table if we put our faith in Him.  Verse eighteen adds, Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall: for the man will not be in rest, until he have finished the thing this day.  Naomi told Ruth to rest, because Boaz would not wait, but would settle the matter that day.  We as followers of Christ can rest easy today, because God has already settled the matter of our salvation when we accepted Jesus as our Savior and Lord.  

Ruth 3:1

Ruth 3:1 says, Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?  Naomi asked Ruth if she should not seek rest for her.  She was concerned about Ruth's health and welfare, especially now that there were no crops to glean.  Verse two adds, And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to night in the threshingfloor.  Naomi's intention was to get Ruth a husband, and Boaz was the selected groom.  Naomi pointed out that he was their near kinsman, and under the law of that time might have even been the one who should have married Ruth, since she was a widow of one of Boaz's kinsmen who had no child.  Of course this really only applied to brothers.  Still, Naomi did not present her case to Boaz, but instead devised a plan to trap him into marrying Ruth.  If we need help from our fellow Christians today, we should simply ask them for help and never attempt to trick them into helping us.  Verse three continues,Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking.  Naomi told Ruth to get cleaned up and go down to Boaz's house but to not let him know she was there.  People who are doing things that might not be legally or morally correct often don't want to be found out until they have completed what they have set out to do.  We need to also remember that Ruth had declared her faithfulness to Naomi and her God, so she may have felt that this was God's plan as well.  We cannot just simply conclude that God is behind everything that those who profess to be His people do.  Verse four states, And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do.  Naomi told Ruth to watch where Boaz went to bed at, and then to go into his room and uncover his feet and lie down there.  Naomi intended for Ruth to approach Boaz as a wife, according to Matthew Henry, since under Jewish law he might have been required to marry her if he was the closest kinsman.  Still, we cannot justify this as God's plan.  We, as followers of Christ, cannot do evil in order to accomplish good, especially if that good is for our benefit.  Verse five adds, And she said unto her, All that thou sayest unto me I will do.  Ruth told Naomi that she would do as she had advised her to do.  We should not necessarily do what someone else tells us to do, even if they are supposedly a Christian.  As a matter of fact, we should always pray and seek God's guidance before we do anything if we are one of His children.  Verse six continues, And she went down unto the floor, and did according to all that her mother in law bade her. Then verse seven concludes, And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn: and she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her down.  Ruth went into the bedroom or chamber of Boaz and laid down at his feet.  I have to wonder how Ruth was feeling at this time.  She put herself in a very compromising position at the direction of Naomi, and she had no assurance that she would not be called all kinds of bad things and run out of Boaz's house.  I don't believe she even had the assurance that this was what God would want her to do.  We will never know what Boaz's reaction would have been if Naomi and Ruth simply approached him and presented the situation to him.  As Christians, we should never attempt to trick people into doing something, even if it might be the morally correct thing to do.