First off, make this the year you lose the “Mom” mug as a Mother’s Day gift.
During the Bible time of the judges (and, thus, the book of Judges) an Israelite family (parents and two sons) journeyed to nearby Moab to find relief from the famine in their land. After they settled the father died. The two sons then married Moabite women, but about 10 years later the sons also died leaving their mom Naomi with her two daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth. When Naomi learned that God had rescued her people from the famine back home she determined it was time to return, insisting that the daughters-in-law stay with their people in Moab. (You can download a PDF of this devo here.)
This set up an unprecedented, and now famous, moment of loyalty and commitment.
1. Digging In (God, Show Me!)
As you experience the passage below, make notes on what you observe. Here are some prompts to use as a guide. You may want to mark your and then journal them in a doc or on a sheet of paper.
- What does Ruth commit to?
- What traits of faith is Ruth exhibiting?
- What personality traits is Ruth exhibiting?
Ruth 1:16-19
16But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge.people shall be my people, and your God my God.17Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried.theso to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.”18And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more. 19So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem.
So you might be wondering what became or Ruth and Naomi. In the case of Naomi and her daughters-in-law, there was no male heir. So Hebrew law called for the husband’s nearest kin to marry the surviving widow (or in this case, the widowed daughter-in-law) to keep the family name and inheritance intact. After a nearer kinsman refused, Boaz, a kinsman who was moved by Ruth’s faithfulness, agreed to take Ruth as his wife. They eventually gave birth to a son, as noted below:
Ruth 4:13-17
13So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And he went in to her,theLordher conception, and she bore a son.14Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be theLord, who has not left you this day withoutredeemer, and may his namerenowned in Israel!15He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you,is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.”16Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse.17And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.
2. Taking It Inward (God, Teach Me!)
There is much to mine out and apply from this short book of the Bible, including the picture of redemption as seen in Boaz. But for now, let’s simply focus on Ruth and her commitment to her mother-in-law, Naomi.
Traits:
What traits of Ruth would you like to imitate, both in your faith and your personality?
Circumstances:
What situations do you have going on in your life in which God may be asking you to trust Him for the outcome despite the unknowns you see in front of you?
What situations do you have going on in your life in which you need to do the next right thing simply because it’s the right thing to do?
Relationships:
How can Ruth’s example enhance your friendships?
How can Ruth’s example enhance your family relationships?
3. Putting Into Practice (God, Change Me!)
In honor of Mother’s Day, turn your responses to the questions above (Taking It Inward) into a commitment you can make to your mom or stepmom. Note specific situations between you and her where you can do the right thing because it’s the right thing to do. Then write it as a prayer and give it as a gift.
Download PDF version of this devo here.