Walk in Wisdom

Patience and Preparation

Ruth 4:1-2

Now Boaz had gone up to the gate and sat down there. And behold, the redeemer, of whom Boaz had spoken, came by. So Boaz said, “Turn aside, friend; sit down here.” And he turned aside and sat down. And he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down.

Let’s talk about the art of hunting for a moment. Hunting, you might say, is ninety-five percent patience, four percent taking aim, and one percent letting fly. Yet, think of it: if hunting is mostly just sitting around on a tree perch waiting for a shot, can’t anyone do that? What’s the difference between sitting on a hunting perch and sitting in a line of cars at rush hour or sitting quietly at a funeral procession? Well, that’s where the five percent comes in. That’s where the skill takes over—the part that doesn’t come easy. Knowing where to be and how to aim and when to shoot is the art that determines whether you’ve got six months’ worth of meat in the freezer when you get home or nothing. In fact, you can be the most patient person in all the world, but if you don’t know how to aim and fire, you’ll go home empty. And likewise, you can be as sharp a shooter as Wyatt Earp, but if you’ve got the preparation but not the patience, you’ll go home empty, too.

Boaz, we’re discovering, is as earnest a hunter as he is a saint. He effectively wakes up early, grabs his gear, and takes his seat at the city gate. His eyes are peeled. Hours go by perhaps, but he isn’t moved. He studies the terrain, scoping out the comings and goings of passersby, as still as a statue, waiting for the one buck who could bring him the greatest prize of all. And as soon as he catches sight of the man, he moves stealthily and swiftly, not in a rush; not scaring the man off; but with a plan in place and the elders of the city on call and a firm grip on the situation.

Friend, God has placed within our hands significant responsibilities and commissions, and we’ll need a combination of patience and skill to accomplish them successfully. Let’s not come back home today empty-handed.