Ruth 1: 11-18
But Naomi said, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have no more sons, who could become your husbands? Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me–even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons–would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord’s hand has gone out against me!”
At this they wept again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-by, but Ruth clung to her.
“Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.”
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 will be my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.” When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.
A Thought
There was a famine in Judah causing Naomi, her husband, and their two sons to move to Moab. There their two sons married Moabite woman. Naomi’s husband and both their son had died. Now Naomi decided to return to her homeland and told her daughter-in-laws to return to their mother’s home and to remarry; one of which did. Ruth, because of her love and loyalty, has decided to stay with Naomi, to journey to a strange land, and accept her people and her God as her own. This is the kind of love, faith, and trust my God wants me to have in him.
Our Prayer
Father, help each of us to love you with all of our heart, to have faith to go where you send us, and to trust you in all things. You alone are our redeemer. Thank you. In Jesus name. Amen.
