“…Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back…Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.” – Ruth 1:16 (NIV)
The Biblical account is told about a husband and wife, namely Naomi and Elimelek, who were originally Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. They were the parents of two sons, Mahlon and Kilion. It is recorded that there was a famine in their land, so they all moved to a country called Moab to live. Elimelek, the husband and father, died, leaving Naomi and her two sons. Both sons married Moabite women, but after about ten years, both Mahlon and Kilion also died.
Imagine being in the pursuit of a better life when tragedy strikes. Naomi was left with no husband, no children, but two childless daughters-in-law. What do you do when you encounter such tragedy? How do you handle the grief? Naomi’s desolation was exposed. She even called herself “Mara,” which means bitter, because she was, but the account doesn’t stop there.
Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, so she prepared to return, telling her daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth, to return to their mother’s house. She blesses them by saying, “May the Lord show you kindness as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and me. May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband”- Ruth 1:8-9 (NIV). Then she kissed them goodbye. They all wept.
Orpah went back, but Ruth refused to leave Naomi’s side. In fact, she clung to her. She was determined. Why? Because of loyalty, love, and devotion. Her commitment to Naomi as a mother-in-law was remarkable. That’s the kind of loyalty, love, and commitment God desires from each of us. The relationship we have with our children should exhibit that trust. There was something significantly special about Naomi; her character as a mother-in-law was modelled before Ruth.
In the end, Naomi returned to Bethlehem accompanied by Ruth, and God favoured them both. Ruth found a husband in Boaz, became a mother to a son, Obed (who was the father of Jesse, the father of David). Naomi (which by the way means sweet or pleasant) gained a son in Boaz and became a wonderful grandmother to Obed. From tragedy to triumph. What a restoration. Naomi blesses Ruth in the beginning, and Ruth blesses Naomi in her latter years. What character!
Prayer
Dear Jesus, please give us the strength to endure tragedies in our lives, knowing that You are Elohim Ozer Li (God our helper). May we have the courage to persevere in difficult situations, knowing You are always with us. Give us resilience in trying times. May we remember that we become strong from fighting battles. In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.
Read: Psalm 46:1-2; Isaiah 54:10
Bible Reading Guide: Psalm 104:1-18; 2 Corinthians 2:12-17; 2 Corinthians 3:1-6; 2 Chronicles 33:21-25; 2 Chronicles 34; 2 Chronicles 35:1-19