Faithfulness – 29 June 2009

This week we’re going to look at the book of Ruth and learn some lessons in being Ruth-full and not Ruth-less in our relationships. If you get the chance, can I encourage you to read through the whole book? It is only four short chapters, and shouldn’t take much more than ten minutes.  If you can’t, then no worries!

The book of Ruth shows how three people – Ruth, Naomi and Boaz– remained strong in character and true to God even when the society around them was collapsing.

Naomi had been married to Elimelech, and they had left and moved to because of a famine.  Her husband Elimelech died whilst in , as did their two sons.  Naomi had therefore suffered the death of her husband and both her sons, and so she decided to return to with her daughters-in-law Ruth and Orpah as she had heard that the Lord was blessing his people with good crops there.  She later decided the girls may be better returning to their own families and finding new husbands to look after them, but Ruth remained faithful to her husband’s family, and to her mother-in-law, and committed to stay with Naomi and return to with her.

“Don’t make me leave you, for I want to go wherever you go and to live wherever you live; your people shall be my people, and your God shall be my God. I want to die where you die and be buried there.” Ruth 1:16-17

Once in , Ruth meets Boaz (a relative of Naomi’s husband) who allows Ruth to collect the fallen grains from behind the reapers to take home for her mother-in-law. Ruth eventually marries Boaz and bears him a son Obed.

Ruth’s faithfulness to Naomi as a daughter-in-law and friend is a great example of love and loyalty.  She could have deserted her and gone home to her own family, found a new husband and had a new life.  But instead she chose to stay loyal to her mother-in-law and support her as she had suffered so much through the death of her husband and sons.  Ruth knew she needed love and support and so she committed to stay with her.  Ruth, Naomi and Boaz were also faithful to God and his laws. Throughout the story we see how God is faithful to them in return.

Ruth’s life was guided by faithfulness to God and it was exhibited in her loyalty to the people she knew. If we desire to be Ruth-full then we should also imitate God’s faithfulness by being loyal and loving in our relationships.  This means not giving up on friendships when things don’t go as we plan, and sticking by each other when things are tough. It may mean making sacrifices, and sometimes some difficult choices.  Faithfulness and loyalty may come with a price, but the ultimate rewards are well worth that sacrifice.

Throughout today why not focus on one important friendship, and ask God to show you some specific ways you could show that friend more of God’s love.