A famine drove Elimelech, his wife Naomi and their two sons from Bethlehem to the foreign land of Moab. There the sons married Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth. Then tragedy struck again and again. All three men died, leaving three widows with no security. Many of us know what it means to move far from home, to bury loved ones, or to start over. Ruth chapter 1 is a story of loss, but it is also a story of loyal love and a faithful God.
When Life Empties You
Naomi returned to Bethlehem a broken woman. When the town asked, “Is this Naomi?” she said, “Call me not Naomi, call me Mara,” which means bitter. “I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty” (Ruth 1:20-21). Naomi did not hide her pain, and the Bible does not hide it either. Faith does not mean pretending everything is fine. God invites us to bring our grief to Him. He heals the broken in heart and binds up their wounds (Psalm 147:3). Even in sorrow, Jeremiah could say that God’s compassions fail not; they are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). Naomi felt empty, but she was not alone. Ruth was standing right beside her.
Who do you know who feels empty right now, and what practical thing will you do to stand beside them this week?
Love That Will Not Let Go
Naomi urged both daughters-in-law to go back to their families. Orpah kissed her and left. But Ruth clung to her (Ruth 1:14-17). Then Ruth made one of the most beautiful promises in Scripture: “whither thou goest, I will go.” She added, “thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.” Ruth gave up her homeland, her gods and her future security to stay with a grieving widow. This is loyal, covenant love. It is love that keeps showing up. A friend loves at all times (Proverbs 17:17). John reminds us not to love in word only, but in deed and in truth (1 John 3:18). Ruth’s love was not a feeling. It was a decision she made and kept.
What specific act of faithful love will you show this week to a family member or friend who is hard to love right now?
God Is Writing the Story
Hidden in this sad chapter are signs of hope. Naomi decided to return because she heard the LORD had visited His people with bread (Ruth 1:6). And the two women arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest (Ruth 1:22). God was already preparing a field, a kinsman and a future. By the end of the book, Ruth marries Boaz and becomes the great-grandmother of King David (Ruth 4:13-17). Matthew even lists Ruth by name in the family line of Jesus (Matthew 1:5). A foreign widow became part of the Savior’s story. When your life looks like chapter 1, remember that God has not written the last chapter yet. He wastes nothing.
What small sign of God’s goodness in your hard season will you write down and thank Him for this week?
Conclusion
Ruth chapter 1 begins with famine and funerals and ends with harvest. In between, we see honest grief, loyal love and a God quietly at work. Ruth’s choice to follow Naomi’s God brought her into the family line of Jesus Christ, our true Redeemer. He is the One who welcomes outsiders and fills empty lives. Whatever has emptied you, bring it to Him. And like Ruth, choose to love faithfully, even when it costs you.
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