Who’s The Main Character?

Oct 14, 2021

God loves underdogs.

Over and over again throughout scripture, God picks the unassuming, least-expected characters to play essential parts of his unfolding story. This is true for the book of Ruth. The author of this book stoops so low as to recognize an inferior person like Ruth, a poor Moabite widow. Moabites were considered the enemy of Israel. Her identity set her up for a future that seemed bleak.

Yet God highlights her as one of the only two women in the Bible who have books named after them. Ruth’s story shows unconditional faith and obedience in the eye of trouble, which results in abundant blessings. When it would be easier to run away from her problems, Ruth stays:

But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.”

- Ruth 1:16

God shows us underdog stories through examples like Ruth the Moabite Widow, the woman at the well, David, the unassuming shepherd, and Jesus, the little baby. His power is revealed as He shocks his audience and keeps the plot twists coming. Why does God continually champion the underdog and not live up to societal expectations? I’d never try to speak for God, but I do know that He is overwhelmingly powerful and endlessly deserving of glory. And a God like that doesn’t need to highlight the strong characters we expect.

Instead, He picks the underdogs, so there won’t be any confusion - He is the source of power and strength. He is the recipient of glory. He is the true main character.

And I think God intends for His people to look at stories like Ruth and remember that nothing disqualifies us from participating in His story and plan. We so easily let our insecurities make us doubt God’s strength or ability. But the story of Ruth and numerous others show us that nothing will stop God from achieving His eternal purpose through even the most broken people.

Do you believe in that kind of power? Do you believe it could work through you?

I doubt that you have the same insecurities as Ruth, but I’m sure you have your own skeletons in the closet that make you doubt your role in His story.

Dear friend, don’t let the lies of this world stop you from receiving the truth of Jesus. You are not too weak, you are not too dumb, you are not too far gone, you are not the wrong fit. God doesn’t make accidents, and He has specific plans that require your participation.

Stop disqualifying yourself from eternal endeavors. Let the God of the universe use you.

You might be an underdog, but that’s just the kind of story He likes.

Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever.