Ruth 1:6-16

(Here's the setting: an old woman named Naomi has two sons, who both married. Both of those sons died, and her daughter-in-laws were living with her. That is where this story starts off)

6 When Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, she and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there. 7 With her two daughters-in-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah.

8 Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the Lord show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me. 9 May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.”

Then she kissed them goodbye and they wept aloud 10 and said to her, “We will go back with you to your people.”

11 But Naomi said, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? 12 Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons— 13 would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord’s hand has turned against me!”

14 At this they wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her.

15 “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.”

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. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” 18 When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.



Ruth has a radiant quality of what true Christ-followers should have, not only in following her mother-in-law ("Where you go I go, where you stay I stay...") but later on she becomes humbled and committed to following orders to follow the guidance of a man who later becomes her husband. A huge theme in the book of Ruth is following.

My name is Christina, which means "Christ follower". I've always loved my name and it's meaning, but recently I realized how key it is in my life. I want to live out the name God has given to me. And this was the first verse I thought of when I realized the importance of the name I carry: "Where you go I go, where you stay I stay."

I want that kind of commitment and burning passion to follow the Lord in my heart. I want to live that out.

Another clear element in Ruth's story is service. Ruth pretty much lives to serve her mother-in-law, as well as the Lord; and later on for Boaz. Boaz is amazed by this servanthood and falls in love with her commitment.

I love this book, in which God shows us His power when we follow him and serve others, through this inspirational woman.

Dear Lord, I thank You for the amazing woman Ruth and her powerful story. Thank You that we are able to see characteristics we are to have because of her testimony. I pray that we could live out this testimony Lord; that we could commit and serve. We love You and thank You again for this story. In Jesus name, Amen

♥Chrissy