Ruth 1:16 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.
The story of Ruth is one of my favorites. If you have never read it, take some time to read it now. It’s not super long.
Ruth was a foreigner to the Jewish faith. She was from Moab where they worshipped idols and not our God. They worshipped the god Chemosh which also meant they sacrificed humans to appease him. It was definitely not like the God we know and follow.
Yet because of her family she made this loyal, dedicated declaration – your people will be my people, your God my God. I’ve often wondered about the love they had in the family. Were they witnesses to Ruth and Orpah? What happened when Elimelech and Naomi lived in Moab? It was enough to make her leave her home country and follow Naomi back to her home.
Ruth chose to stay with Naomi, refusing to leave her, despite having to leave her own country and beliefs. Her love for her mother-in-law was so deep and committed that she was willing to give up everything for her. By saying “your God will be my God,” Ruth turned away from her past and embraced the God of Israel.
Would you have done the same had you been in Ruth’s position? I am not sure I would have been able to walk away from my upbringing, my beliefs, and my home to follow someone who was family through marriage only. Ruth had no remaining connection to Naomi after their husbands had all died and Naomi even told her to go back to her old life. Yet Ruth refused, declaring her love and dedication to her mother-in-law and going with her with no idea how their future would look.
God blessed this family. Ruth and Naomi were cared for and redeemed when Ruth married Boaz. And Ruth, a foreigner and idol worshipper, is one of 4 women named in the genealogy of Jesus. She became a part of the lineage of King David and on through Jesus, her name forever memorialized.
Prayer: Lord, Help me to love wholly and completely like Ruth. Let me make personal sacrifices in my life to love others unconditionally. Amen
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