Well, we’re now in Week 8 (I think?) of the Word Wednesday Challenge. Ruth is a relatively short book, but it is such a beautiful story of faithfulness and of God’s love for us. Read it through–won’t take you long–and notice how tender and protective Boaz is. To a romance writer, he’s downright sigh-worthy. But, on to my favorite verse(s) from Ruth:
Ruth 1:14b-17–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 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.”
Naomi has lost her husband and her sons. As far as she is concerned, she has lost everything, and she tells everyone to call her Mara (which means bitter) instead of Naomi (which means pleasant). Naomi bases her entire identity on her suffering. (Hm. That would make an interesting blog post…) She even tells her daughters-in-law to leave her and go back to their people, because she has nothing to give them. I honestly think Naomi wanted to wallow in a pity party and to show everyone that she truly had nothing left.
Orpah takes off for her family, but Ruth stays. In fact, Ruth swears to stay with Naomi until the very end. This is no offhand vow she makes. Ruth essentially places her life on the line for her mother-in-law. I find it wonderful that, just when Naomi thinks she has lost everything, she finds out she still has someone who will lay down everything for her.
Isn’t Jesus just like that? When we are stripped of all that we hold dear, when we feel like we can’t take another blow, when it seems we are completely and utterly alone in the world… there is Jesus. There is the One who laid down everything for us. There is never an “alone.” When we sink to the bottom, if we’ll just look up, we’ll find we have more than we ever dreamed.
-JB
Care to share your favorite Ruth verse or discuss the one above? Leave a comment and join the conversation. If you’re blogging along with me, leave a link in the comments and give a link back here. I’d love to hear what you have to say.
Jason says
I love the story of Ruth. I once heard an old preacher say that “Ruth was one gutsy chick.” I don’t think I’ve heard a better description of her. 🙂
Jodie says
I like that one. It definitely describes Ruth!
Dawn Lucowitz says
I love how God provides in this story. Ruth does the right thing by staying with Naomi, but has no plan other than not leaving her mother-in-law alone. I love that she “happened” to find herself working in Boaz’s field. I love how God placed Boaz there to look after them. After Ruth asks Boaz why she has found favor in her eyes, He answers in Ruth 2:11-12…
Boaz replied, “I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband-how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.
I also find it incredible that Boaz is also giving God the credit and the glory for his place in Ruth’s life. He didn’t say “I will reward and protect you for the kindness you showed your mother-in-law.” He totally said “May the Lord repay you for what you have done.” He acknowledged that the Lord would richly reward her “under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”
I know in my head that if we follow God’s plan and will we will always be taken care of and have more than enough to meet our needs, but that is so incredibly hard. Ruth’s story is just another awesome example of just that!
Jodie says
I love your posts! You always seem to catch something I never saw before. I never noticed how Boaz gave God the credit. Really cool.
K.M. Weiland says
I was just reading Ruth last week. It’s a magnificent story and a wonderful reminder of God’s everlasting faithfulness. Praise Him for that!
Jodie says
I love Ruth. Seems like every time I read it, it tells me something different. It’s especially interesting since I just finished Sarah Sundin’s “A Memory Between Us” and it references Ruth.
Jen says
Okay, nothing deep for me this week…. just something that made me laugh outloud because it’s such a “mom thing” to say!
Ruth 3:1- One day Naomi, her mother-in-law, said to her, “My daughter, should I not try to find a home for you, where you will be well provided for?”
Maybe it’s because everyone I know has been trying to set me up for years, wondering just when I will decide to get married, but this verse struck a chord with me. I know it’s done out of love and concern, but really… enough is enough, Mom! 🙂
Jodie says
That’s funny. Kinda cool how the Bible can be “personal” in a lot of different ways. 🙂
Jennifer says
Loved this one!