Ruth

AUTHOR:

Unknown

AUDIENCE:

The people of Israel

PURPOSE:

To show how three people remained strong in character and true to God even when the society around them was collapsing.

In the midst of loss and grief, we may be tempted to doubt God’s goodness. Over the course of ten years, Naomi buried her husband and both of her sons. This left her and her daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah, widowed and with few options. Both young women initially clung to the mother-in-law that they had come to love, but Orpah eventually heeded Naomi’s advice and returned to her father’s house. Ruth made a different choice. She stayed at Naomi’s side, proclaiming her allegiance to Naomi and the God she served. Together, Naomi and Ruth found courage to trust God for their survival. As a result, the Lord brought them through their intense grief and into a safe place of promise. They also experienced the compassion and generosity of Boaz, their family redeemer, whom God used to provide for them in ways that were beyond their wildest imaginings.

SUFFERING AND DISABILITY THEMES

  floral bullet  God delivers us from heartache. When tragedy strikes, we fear that we may never have another reason to rejoice. But no matter how hard the circumstances or how severe the suffering, God is in the business of redeeming our pain. Naomi and Ruth teach us that when all we see is sorrow and death, our Redeemer wants to give us new life.

  floral bullet  Caregivers depend on God. The role of caregiver is friendship at its finest. Caregivers put another’s needs above their own, often with few pats on the back or words of encouragement in this life. However, as Ruth cared for her aging mother-in-law, Naomi, she learned to depend on God’s strength and reaped the blessings of sacrificial love. Ruth’s story illustrates how God gives both eternal and earthly rewards for our devotion to those in our care.

  floral bullet  God gives dignity to the marginalized. People living with disabilities, chronic disease, and poverty often feel like they are forced to exist on the margins of society. As a foreigner, Ruth felt the sting of rejection. Yet, God elevated this young outcast to a place of honor as part of the lineage of Christ. It is God’s desire that all people, regardless of their earthly status, be treated with dignity. If you feel marginalized, rest assured that God cares for you and there is a seat for you at the “banquet in the Kingdom of God” (Luke 14:12-24).