A Sunday school teacher was telling her youngsters about Daniel and the Lion’s Den. To illustrate the lesson she had a picture of Daniel standing, brave and confident, with a group of lions around him. Suddenly, one little girl started to cry.

The teacher said, "Don’t cry. The lions are not going to eat Daniel."
Snubbing back sobs and tears the girl said, "That’s not what I’m crying about. That little lion, over in the corner, isn’t going to get anything to eat."

Some people have a lot of belief in “luck.” That explains people buy lottery tickets, enter sweepstakes, play the slots, etc. Many people base their lives on luck, while others are convinced that if it wasn’t for bad luck, they wouldn’t have any luck at all. So let’s talk about luck. The Bible doesn’t talk at all about luck. Instead, it talks about ‘favor.’ But Christians often think of God’s favor in the same way others think about luck. Instead of blind chance, the Scriptures point us to a personal God who bestows favor on people. Do you desire God’s favor? Do you have any idea if or how you will receive it?

How do we receive God’s favor?

Naomi and Ruth could certainly have blamed bad luck for their circumstances – dead husbands, sons, and no future.

Let's read Ruth 2:1

“Man of standing” That means Boaz was a man of stature both in wealth and in character.

Let's read Ruth 2:2 Ruth asks Naomi’s permission to go out and find some work, get some food. They were in desperate need. She is resolved to provide her own (& Naomi’s) keep. Though she had the right to glean (pick up after the reapers), she needed someone’s favor - The law allowed her to glean, but landowners could be very uncooperative.

Let's read Ruth 2:3  - It just so happened she ended up in Boaz’s field...
Of all the fields in all the places, she ends up in Boaz’s. Here we see an important step on the road to receiving God’s favor. The first step has to do with how you view your circumstances. In a situation like this, you have to decide: whether it is a coincidence? Or is God involved? God’s involvement in the affairs of people, guiding them is what we call providence. What do you think happened?

Ruth 2:4 and Ruth 2:19-20 make it clear God is behind this seeming “luck” - let’s read both verses.

God is constantly at work behind the ‘seen,’ arranging the events and people in our lives to flood us with his favor.

We often think we are not recipients of God’s favor because we fail to see his providence in our lives. We write things off to coincidence. But if you want to receive God’s favor we need to first,

1. RECOGNIZE GOD’S HAND IN YOUR LIFE

You must become aware of the times and ways that God arranges things for your good. Is it by chance that you lived where you did or went to school where you did? ‘Chances’ are, you have received far more of God’s favor than you recognize. Think about all God has done for you.

We must learn to recognize God’s providence at work in our “coincidences”.

What is next if we want to receive God’s favor?

Let’s look at Ruth 2:4 again and look for the second step to receiving God’s favor.

“Just then”

As we read Ruth 2:5-7, notice the request Ruth has made…
Boaz cares enough about his workers to notice a new one. This is another providential moment – that he takes notice. He assumes she is connected to someone else. Her request was unusual - not just to glean, but “gather among the sheaves.” This is something like gleaning from that which has been harvested and collected. Ruth asks for more than she is entitled to. She asks for provision.  But she asks for help and receives it.

Let’s read Ruth 2:8-9 to hear Boaz’s response.
Boaz’s answer is amazing. She got the job! Boaz gives her permanent work, meaning she doesn’t have to looking elsewhere.
He also gives her protection. Ruth was young and attractive enough to get Boaz’s attention. Working in the fields could be dangerous. Boaz even grants her access to precious water! Obtaining water would have required leaving the field and taken precious time from gleaning. This is far more than she could have hoped for! She has received favor! Boaz becomes the source of God’s blessing to Ruth.

All that Boaz gave her came because of her request, because she asked for it. If she hadn’t made the bold request, she wouldn’t have gotten the bold response. This is the second step to receiving God’s favor. You and I must ask for GOD’S FAVOR
We must be willing to ask God to grant us favor. James says in the New Testament that “You do not have because you do not ask.” That certainly applies here as well. If you want God’s favor, need his favor in a certain situation, ask for it. Asking that gets answers is asking that follows careful, quiet listening to discern God’s ways. Certainly this is what Ruth did.

If we want God’s favor then we need to ask.  How often do we ask for God’s favor?  Take some time and think about it.  Where do you need, want God’s favor in your life? Stop and listen, and when you think you have God’s leading, ask for favor accordingly. Ask God to show you the answers.

Let’s read Ruth 2:10 -  notice Ruth’s response to all this favor she has received. Ruth responds to the grace and favor of Boaz with an expression of gratitude. She is thankful – how often do we give thanks to God for his help

Let’s read Ruth 2:11-12. It is Ruth’s faith that Boaz has responded too.
She was faithful to Naomi, showing her commitment to her by leaving her homeland and going with Naomi, even after her husband died. And she has shown her faithfulness to God. She has taken refuge under his wing.

Let’s read Hebrews 11:6 - God rewards those who seek him in faith. He bestows his favor on them.

Let’s continue and read Ruth 2:13-16 - Boaz has given Ruth “comfort” and “spoken to her heart.” - Ruth continues to realize her humble position. But things just continue to get better.
Just think about all that has happened.  Ruth showed up unemployed a foreigner.  She gets hired on for the day, then is given permanent status and some nice benefits. Then, the boss asks her to join him. He told the workers not to rebuke or bother her.

If we want to receive God’s favor we must
REMAIN FAITHFUL
Ruth had some very “good luck” that day. Getting the “lucky breaks” is more than just being in the right place at the right time. When we are faithful to God, we will find God’s favor on our lives. Ruth’s faithfulness wasn’t by accident. She didn’t reap this abundant favor just for having one good day. She had had faith and lived for Gold for a long time. If you want God’s favor, commit yourself to faithfulness for the long haul.

When we recognize God’s hand already at work, when we request his favor, and when we remain faithful, we are set up to experience and realize God’s favor in our lives. What do we do next?

Let’s read Ruth 2:17-19.

This result of all Ruth’s work is a take of an ephah (30-50 pounds!). Not to mention the immediate provision of leftovers! She was able to present this “bonus” to Naomi and Naomi recognizes favor has been shown to Ruth. “Where did you get all of this?” Finally, something good is happening.

Let’s Read Ruth 2:20-23. Learning the source of this favor, she breaks out in praise to God. He is a close relative! This meant job security, but there’s more. Boaz was a “kinsman-redeemer”. This significant Hebrew concept becomes very important to the story. A redeemer had the right and obligation to redeem land that was sold, people sold as slaves, etc. Naomi realizes he is a potential husband for Ruth! Naomi’s expression of praise is a reflection of her grateful heart – she is thankful!

When we realize that we have received God’s favor, it should make us grateful. This is the fourth step in receiving God’s favor. We must:
RESPOND WITH THANKS
When God gives us his favor, we should return to him with thanksgiving. Too often we expect God’s favor, get mad if we don’t receive it, and then fail to thank him when we do.

Remember when Jesus healed the 10 lepers.  Only one returned to give thanks.

Perhaps today you need to recognize the favor you have received from God, and give him thanks.

Let us look for God’ favor in our lives.  Let us recognize that it is God helping us, let us ask for his favor, let us always be faithful and let us give thanks when we receive God’s favor.

Let me close with this:

There’s an old story of a man and his grand-daughter who go for a walk to the local town park. The man and girl are sitting on a park bench sharing an afternoon snack when they are approached by a traveler.

"Good sir, please tell me. Is this a friendly town? I’ve had the misfortune to live in a town full of strife and conflict, its people so ruthless towards one another that they can never pass in the street without vile looks and comments. Please tell me. Is this the type of thing I will find here?"

The old man looks at the traveler and responds, "I’m afraid, my friend, that you will have to continue your travels. For you will surely find the same in our town."

Dejected, but thankful for the response, the man moves on.

A while later, another traveler pauses as they pass the pair. "Good sir, I am a stranger to this town. I come from a lovely village not far off. I was friends with many there, such a wonderful lot they were. But, life has seen fit to lead me elsewhere. I wonder, would I find such lovely people here in your town?"

The old man smiles as he looks at the man. "Welcome to our town, my friend. You will indeed find happiness here."

The stranger smiles warmly in return and bids the pair a good day.

As the stranger walks away, the child looks to her grandfather with puzzlement. "Grandfather, why did you lie?"

""I did not lie.” responded the old man.

"But," persists the little girl, "you told the first man that he would find anger and not be happy here and the second that he would find good people and be happy."

"Ahh, but you see," said the old man "the first man was looking for anger while the second was looking for goodness. Each will find exactly what they are expecting to find."

Let us expect to find God’s favor in our lives.

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