The book of Ruth is more than a beautiful
love story. It’s about an attractive but
lonely widow who steps out in faith and, through perseverance and endurance,
achieves the seemingly impossible. Her
life is changed dramatically from poverty to abundance. How can this happen? Ruth chose to leave her home, the country of Moab,
and follow her mother-in-law, Naomi, to the land
of Israel, God’s chosen
people.
As Naomi was leaving, both daughters-in-law,
Orpah and Ruth, followed her; however, Orpah decided to return to Moab. Ruth couldn’t wait to arrive in Israel. She had seen the love of God’s people and
faith had risen in her heart to turn from everything unlike God. Even though Naomi tried to change Ruth’s mind
about going, Ruth told her, “Where you
go, I will go and where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my
people, and your God my God.” Ruth 1:16
When they arrived in Bethlehem,
Ruth immediately went to work as a gleaner, gathering crops that were left by
the reapers. Not long after she started
working in the fields, she noticed Boaz, the owner of the fields. Each day he would speak to the field workers,
always leaving with a smile. His way of
saying thank you was, “May the Lord be
with you.”
After Ruth told Naomi about Boaz, she was
surprised to hear he was a relative.
According to Jewish custom, a relative was expected to marry the widow
of the deceased.
Boaz began to notice what a hard worker Ruth
was. He also saw her sincerity and
integrity. Love began to work a miracle
in Ruth’s life. Because of her kindness
and willingness to give of herself, God blessed her. It was not long before
Boaz, a mighty man of God, fell in love with Ruth.
Ruth proved love could lift one out of a
life of misery. Love can shed its light,
like a sunbeam, on all that it touches.
When she stepped out in faith, leaving her home, family and friends
behind, her life could never be the same.
It is faith that moves the hand of God.
Materially, Ruth had nothing; yet, she had
so much to give. She gave up everything
when she followed Naomi to Israel. She gave a labor of love when she went into
the fields to glean what the reapers had left behind.
And because Ruth gave of herself, God
multiplied it back to her in a way she could never have dreamed. God made her name honorable throughout the
end of the ages. For after her marriage
to Boaz, she had a son, Obed. He was the
father of Jesse, the father of David,
the ancestor of Jesus Christ. What
greater honor could one receive?
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