RUTH

RUTH

HER NAME MEANS

"Friendship"

HER CHARACTER:

Generous, loyal, and loving, she is strong and serene, able to take unusual risks, dealing actively with life circumstances.

HER SORROW:

To have lost her husband, homeland, and family.

HER JOY:

To discover firsthand  generous, loyal, and loving nature of God, as he provided her with a husband, a son, and a home to call her own.

KEY SCRIPTURES:

Ruth 2-4; Matthew 1:5

HER LIFE AND TIMES 

GLEANING

When Ruth and Naomi arrived in Bethlehem, it was harvest time. They would not have the opportunity to plant their own grain and harvest it. So, unless there was another way to get food, they would starve. Naomi knew the Mosaic laws and urged Ruth to follow the harvesters and "glean," or gather, what they left behind. In this way, Ruth would be able to provide food for both Naomi and for herself.

The laws of Moses directed landowners to leave some of the harvest behind for the "poor and aliens." As a Moabite with no one to support her, Ruth fit both categories. Harvesters were not to reap to the very edges of their fields, nor were they to go over a field a second time to pick up what was missed the first time. This grain was to be left for the poor (Leviticus 19:9; 23:22; Deuteronomy 24:19-22). This "welfare system," set up by Moses, took care of the needy by encouraging the rich to share their bounty with those less fortunate. 

But it wasn't a handout. The poor still had to work for their food, following along behind the harvesters and picking up what was left by them. When Boaz ordered his reapers to purposely leave behind stalks of grain for Ruth to pick up, he went beyond the letter of the law.

Boaz also ordered his reapers not to "embarrass" Ruth were she to glean in the wrong part of the field; that is, if she didn't follow the rules exactly. His admonishment offers a glimpse into the heart and character of this man, who took great care to follow the Mosaic law and who, with Ruth, became an ancestor of Christ.

Was it by chance that Ruth "found herself working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech [Ruth's father-in-law]" (Ruth 2:3)? Of course not. Even in what appeared to be a chance situation, God was at work, divinely preparing for Ruth's and Naomi's sustenance. Never assume that what happens in your life is merely a matter of chance or coincidence. Remember: God is at work, divinely orchestrating events to bring about his purposes in your life.

HER PROMISE

All that Ruth did was done for love of her mother-in-law, and for love of Naomi's God. She made a promise on the road to Bethlehem that she was determined to keep. Though it was a promise made by one woman to another, it is often quoted in wedding ceremonies as an eloquent expression of love and loyalty between spouses. 

Ruth had no way of knowing that her way of blessing Naomi would eventually become a blessing in her own life. That's just the divine irony of our God, who delights so much in seeing us love and bless others that he turns that love and blessing back on us in double measure.

Promises in Scripture

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

A generous person will prosper, whoever refreshes others will be refreshed -PROVERBS 11:25

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

-MATTHEW 5:7-8

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

-1 TIMOTHY 6:17-19

HER LEGACY OF PRAYER

The women said to Naomi, "Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth."-RUTH 4:14-15

REFLECT ON:

Ruth 3-4

PRAISE GOD:

That he provides for those who have no one to provide for them. 

OFFER THANKS:

For the way God has used other women, your mother or mother-in-law, your sisters or daughters, to provide for you.  

CONFESS:

Any tendency to compete with other women. 

ASK GOD:

To help you appreciate your own mother and mother-in-law and to give you a vision of the power of two women, linked by love and faith.

Lift Your Heart

It's easy to assume the important women in our lives know how much we cherish them. But Mother's Day cards and friendship cards, nice as they are to get and give, don't really do the trick. We also need to verbalize our love sincerely and regularly. Don't wait until Mother's Day to treat your mother, mother-in law, or an older friend to tea or a leisurely lunch. Tell her just how much you care about her. (Make sure you take time beforehand to think about all her wonderful qualities. Take notes so that you can be specific.) You might even buy a small blank book and record all the ways she's blessed you. Decorate each page with colorful stickers or stencils. Package it with scented soap and bath salts and give it as a keepsake she can treasure.

Father, I thank you for the women who have played such an important role in my life. Please bless each one in a special way today and help me find ways to express to them my love and gratitude.