Day 126

Ruth 2:1–4:22; John 4:43-54; Psalm 105:16-36; Proverbs 14:26-27

RUTH WAS A Moabite woman, and her mother-in-law, Naomi, was a Hebrew. Their fates brought them together because of loss. Naomi’s husband and two sons died in the land of Moab, which left her a widow in a foreign land —a bitter pill to swallow, indeed. One of those sons happened to be the husband of Ruth, and when Naomi decided to take her bitterness and return to her homeland, Ruth would not leave her. This allegiance was remarkable, for Ruth was leaving everything behind to devote her life to Naomi.

When they arrived back in Israel, Ruth’s story of devotion carried great weight among the Hebrew people. But a good reputation doesn’t always put food on the table, and Ruth began working in fields, gathering what was left or dropped by the harvesters. Allowing widows and orphans to gather what they could in this way was commanded in the Mosaic law (Leviticus 23:22).

Naomi soon discovered that Ruth had been working in the fields belonging to a close relative named Boaz. The traditional site of these fields can still be seen near Bethlehem today. Boaz was incredibly kind to Ruth as she gleaned from his fields, and before long, the wise Naomi took note of his kindness. She guided Ruth through the process of signifying her availability to Boaz while retaining her dignity, and it worked. Boaz and Ruth were married shortly thereafter, and when Ruth conceived and gave birth to a son named Obed, Naomi’s grief and bitterness were replaced by joy. Obed would later become a father himself. His son’s name was Jesse, and Jesse would one day become the father of King David.

It is beautiful how God arranged the lives of Ruth, Boaz, and Naomi; how He turned famine, death, and loss into abundance, joy, and redemption. In this story, we see heartbreak and bitterness. But we also see how character, dignity, loyalty, and trust in God lead toward new life, rather than further into darkness. No matter the bitterness we are facing now, our story is not completed. If we choose to be people of character and faith, we will be following the path of Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz —and remarkable good can come from tremendous hardship.

MEDITATION:

Those who fear the LORD are secure; he will be a refuge for their children.