This is a category-breaking, custom-smashed, and expectation-busting moment.

And he said, “Bring the garment you are wearing and hold it out.” So she held it, and he measured out six measures of barley and put it on her. Then she went into the city. - Ruth 3:15

This is certainly not a verse you hang on your office walls or send to a friend to give them some daily encouragement.

However, if we take time to consider the context, this verse has a lot to offer.

There are two characters introduced to us here: Boaz and Ruth.

Boaz: a wealthy landowner of Bethlehem in Judea, and a relative of Elimelech, Naomi's late husband.
Ruth: a Moabite woman who marries a Judean immigrant named Mahlon (1:1–4; 4:10). Upon his death she becomes a childless widow who chooses to accompany her mother-in-law, Naomi, to Judah.

And in our little random verse, two major things are happening:

Women are not permitted to be on the threshing floor, yet Ruth is there (Ruth 3:14).
Boaz has no obligation to provide food for a foreigner like Ruth (Lev. 23:22).

Yet, despite both those barriers, Boaz clearly provides an abundance for Ruth (and Naomi) through six measures of barley.

This is a category-breaking, custom-smashed, and expectation-busting moment.

Boaz's provision for Ruth in our verse is a mold of Jesus' way of life and love. It reminds me of Jesus' words in Matthew: "For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me" (23:35).

"Hold out your garment."

There are many people who feel like they are on the outskirts of faith. If you feel like that is you, read Ruth 3:15 again, but put yourself in the place of Ruth and God in the place of Boaz.

"Hold out what your garment (your hands, life, calendar), and I will fill it with abundance."

Let's pray about that.

God, we are thankful you are a category breaker. Help us be category breakers in the way we love those in our path today.

Today's verse comes from my TikTok series, Roll For Verse. In this series, I roll dice to pick a random Bible verse each day, Testament, Book, Chapter, and Verse all up to chance! Then, I spend a few minutes sharing a devotional thought on the verse. If you'd like to join the fun and explore the Bible in a new way, come check us out on TikTok – our community is growing every day!

@pastor.payton Episode 1 of Roll for Verse takes us to unexpected places to reveal God’s boundry breaking love. This video is based on the fun format of Roll for Sandwich by @Adventures In Aardia Come back for more just like this. #rollforsandwich #rollforinitiative #d20 #d20games #biblestudy #verseoftheday #christiantiktok #rollforverse ♬ original sound - Payton Minzenmayer