Seeking God in RUTH

“And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.” RUTH 1:16

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rue love never abandons. It clings to the beloved unconditionally. Naomi offered no prospects to Ruth, in fact she sent her away. After losing her husband and her sons, Naomi felt she had no future. She felt there was nothing, absolutely nothing left in her life that was worth anything.

Have you ever felt so depleted after a difficult season in your life that you think “That’s it, I give up”? Notice that even when the spirit of hopelessness threatened to dry Naomi’s soul, God sent a sprinkle of divine love through her daughter-in-law, Ruth. What Naomi perceived as the end was in fact the beginning of one of the most beloved Bible stories, a story about hope, loyalty, self-sacrifice, and victory.

Ruth could have returned to her mother’s house, to the familiar grounds where safety awaited her. Yet she chose to follow an embittered woman, instead. Why did Ruth cling to Naomi? Perhaps she intuitively knew that following her heart was the sensible thing to do; or she simply couldn’t bring herself to forsake Naomi. Whatever her reasons, we admire her courage to love in spite of hardship.

Dear God, today we pray to have a heart full of love, the kind of love that never abandons. We pray to look upon others with compassion, that when they are going through personal trials, we do not look away, but extend them our devotion. Amen.