Day 16: January 20, 2026

Man's "No" Is Not The End

Devotional: 

“Yes, it is true that I am a family redeemer, but there is a redeemer closer than I am. 13 Stay here tonight, and in the morning, if he wants to redeem you, that’s good. Let him redeem you. But if he doesn’t want to redeem you, as the Lord lives, I will. Now lie down until morning.”

Ruth 3:12-13 (HCSB)

There was a man who had the legal right to redeem Naomi’s land and marry Ruth. According to the law, he should have stepped in to protect the family line. But when the moment came, he declined. He said no. Scripture does not record cruelty or malice, only reluctance. He feared what obedience would cost him. With that one decision, he stepped aside from a role that would have made him an advocate and redeemer. What he released, God reassigned.

Ruth could have allowed that rejection to redefine her future. Naomi could have lost hope. They trusted God’s leading beyond a human refusal. Ruth continued to walk in obedience, humility, and faith. She listened to Naomi. She stayed positioned, and God opened a greater door. Boaz said yes and became the kinsman redeemer.

Through that yes, came marriage, restoration, and legacy. Ruth became the great-grandmother of King David. Her name was written into the lineage of Jesus Himself.

Sometimes we strain, compromise, accuse, or self-protect because we fear hearing “no.” But Scripture reminds us that what feels like rejection may actually be a gift of redirection. God sees what we cannot. He knows what is waiting on the other side of a closed door. We may not understand the no in the moment, but we can thank God that He is still writing the story. A human refusal cannot cancel a divine plan. Man’s no did not end Ruth’s story.

Reflect

Have I allowed someone else’s “no” to make me doubt what God is doing in my life?

One Step Forward

Thank God today for a closed door you didn’t understand at the time. Ask Him to show you how He may have been protecting, redirecting, or preparing you for something greater.