Focus

Be still and rest in the Lord.

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Read

Ruth 1:1-18 (NRSV)

In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to live in the country of Moab, he and his wife and two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion; they were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. When they had lived there about ten years, both Mahlon and Chilion also died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.

Then she started to return with her daughters-in-law from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the LORD had considered his people and given them food. So she set out from the place where she had been living, she and her two daughters-in-law, and they went on their way to go back to the land of Judah. But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back each of you to your mother’s house. May the LORD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. The LORD grant that you may find security, each of you in the house of your husband.” Then she kissed them, and they wept aloud. They said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.” But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters, why will you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? Turn back, my daughters, go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. Even if I thought there was hope for me, even if I should have a husband tonight and bear sons, would you then wait until they were grown? Would you then refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, it has been far more bitter for me than for you, because the hand of the LORD has turned against me.” Then they wept aloud again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

So she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” But Ruth said,

“Do not press me to leave you
or to turn back from following you!
Where you go, I will go;
where you lodge, I will lodge;
your people shall be my people,
and your God my God.
Where you die, I will die—
there will I be buried.
May the LORD do thus and so to me,
and more as well,
if even death parts me from you!”

When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her.

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Reflect

I love my in-laws. In fact, I think they may even love me. But I’ve often wondered how I would respond if I were in Ruth’s shoes. Stay with the ones whom really I barely know or go back to the place I call home? It would be easy to do as Orpah did and return to the familiar; no one can blame her. Staying with Naomi meant entering a foreign land with little or no family, but Ruth chose to do just that.

I’m not so sure that every time Naomi looked at Ruth she didn’t hurt just a bit. I mean, Ruth was a reminder of what Naomi had lost. Yet, at the same time, Naomi must have realized that though her world had been shattered, her husband and sons lost forever, one person made sure she wasn’t alone—a daughter-in-law.

When we hurt, we need someone to stand with us in our pain. We don’t need them to tell us, “It’ll be ok.” We just need them to love us, hold us, care for us, just be there for us. Ruth’s presence was important for Naomi, even if it took Naomi a little bit to figure it out. What a gift to have someone in our corner when the pain is unbearable and all hope seems lost.

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Pray

Caring God, thank you for putting those people in our lives who help us and comfort us in times of dire need. Help each of us to remember that need and make a difference by being there for others, even when it can be difficult. Amen.

Go with God.