My Bible Blog

Ruth:

In my meek opinion, Ruth is a chapter in the bible that is often neglected. I never even knew who Ruth was until I read about her in a book I was reading. A friend from my bible study recommended that I do some research into her life. 

Initially, I was unenthusiastic to sit down and read an entire book of the bible. In all honesty, sometimes the phrasing of the stories in the bible makes my head spin, and I lose interest reading about the decedents of the family lines. (Getting to know the bible better is something I am currently working on). 

Therefore, I am going to tell you what I wished I would have been told before I read Ruth. Ruth is the undercover hero. Seriously, her story is one that I wished I had learned sooner.

Ruth was Naomi's daughter-in-law. Both Ruth and Naomi became widows as both Naomi's sons and husband had died. Naomi decided to travel far away, and she urged her daughters-in-law to stay behind and build themselves a new life. Ruth, however, refused, and she demanded that she follow her grieving mother-in-law.

At this point, Naomi had given up on life and God. She believed that God had turned away from them, yet Ruth still had faith. Her mother-in-law begrudgingly allowed her daughter-in-law to come along. 

Personally, I think that this was very selfless. Though her husband was gone, Ruth remained loyal to her family and to her God. She genuinely loved all of her neighbors. Would you stand by your family in such a way?

Once in Bethlehem, Ruth told her mother-in-law that she was going to find work to support them. She ended up working in a field, under a wealthy prince who owned a lot of land in the area, named Boaz. 

When Boaz saw Ruth working in the field, he inquired upon the identity of the young woman. Once he heard her story, he knew he had to help her and her mother-in-law. 

First of all, a high prince helping a poor, grieving widow like Naomi is admirable. God constantly calls us to help the poor, the oppressed, and the downtrodden, to support the widows and the orphans, and Boaz is a great example of this. 

Truly, I think that there is nothing more admirable than a person being born with a silver spoon in their mouth yet choosing to put aside their position to help those who are less fortunate. I, in a sense, feel that I have been born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I am not rich in money, so to speak, but I am so blessed to live in a place where I feel safe, to be in good health, to have shelter and food, and to be supported by many loved ones. However, I do not want to take this for granted or take advantage of it. I believe that God alone will provide for me and that I should use every gift and blessing that I receive to benefit others. Of course, I do not always succeed in this goal, but people like Boaz inspire me to continue trying. Boaz's help meant so much to Ruth and Naomi. 

He provided food for them, and Naomi had one of her first moments of joy since her husband's death as she saw Ruth carrying them home a basket of food. The simple reminder, to Naomi, that there are still good people, God's people, in this world caused her inexplicable joy. Ruth's perseverance and Boaz's selflessness showed Naomi that God had not turned away from her. Though Ruth did not directly assure Naomi of God's presence, she still did important work by trusting that God would make a plan for them. Even the simplest acts of trust in God, can make a big difference in unimaginable ways. 

Moreover, Ruth's story shows us that a normal person can make a difference. Not all of the heroes in the bible are bold, perfect, and well-off. In fact, many of them are quite the opposite. Though Ruth was unable to speak to her mother-in-law directly, she still made a difference. No matter who you are, where you come from, or what your talents are, God can make use of you too. 

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I have to say- this a complete oversimplification of Ruth. I encourage you to dive deeper into her story. 

Spoiler alert: Ruth and Boaz get married. Don't worry, I did not ruin everything, maybe you can learn your own lessons from her story. 

Psalm 82:3 "Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute."

Thanks for reading!