In the previous meditation, we learned of the misfortune that befell Elimelech’s family when they relocated to Moab. However, we know that God will never leave Himself without a witness. The witness left behind in the life of Naomi was her daughter-in-law, Ruth, who decided to stay with her and serve her God. On her part, Ruth’s story is a clear pointer to what grace could do in any life. One thing that stands out above others is the fact that grace can grant an exemption. We can define exemption in two ways. It could be seen as freedom from obligation that is expected of others. The other way to capture the meaning of grace is to see it as freedom from restriction that is slammed on others. This is where the story of Ruth comes in.

Grace can lift barriers for you. Grace can make you go past where your peers and relatives stopped. And in times of global epidemics, you can count on grace to exempt you.

Ruth was from Moab. That nation, plus Ammon, were founded through incestuous relationship. In addition to this, when Balak ruled over that nation, he hired Balaam to curse Israel. God’s judgment on Moab was to put a restriction on all Moabites.  “An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the LORD for ever” (Deuteronomy 23:3, KJV). By this general decree, Ruth was banned from the commonwealth of Israel but grace exempted her. She not only entered the congregation of the Lord, she also became an ancestor of the Lord Jesus by human genealogy. Grace can lift barriers for you. Grace can make you go past where your peers and relatives stopped. And in times of global epidemics, you can count on grace to exempt you.