Lessons from Ruth

I'm reading in the Book of Ruth these days. It's a very small book, only four chapters long, about an obscure woman named Ruth. She wasn't a queen or a descendant of Abraham or anyone special...or so it seems.

Do you feel like that sometimes? No one special? I do. As the youngest of five children, I often felt unseen. I was shy and quiet in school, so no one paid much attention to me. I've outgrown much of that shyness, but I'm still a relatively quiet person. I'd rather let everyone else be the center of attention and stand back in the shadows.

Ruth's story is a story of hope for everyone, but it's especially hopeful for people like me, the shadow lurkers. Ruth was born in Moab. Her husband's family had come to Moab because there was famine in their home country. They were of the Hebrew, or Jewish, faith, but Ruth was not. After Ruth's husband, brother-in-law, and father-in-law all died, Ruth's mother-in-law, Naomi, decided to return to the land of her birth. Ruth insisted on going with her, leaving behind her own blood relatives. When they reached Bethlehem, Ruth worked hard to provide for her mother-in-law by picking up leftover wheat in a field being harvested. The owner of the field, Boaz, turned out to be a godly relative of Ruth's father-in-law, and he married Ruth. They had a son named Obed who had a son named Jesse who had a son named David who became King!

What if Ruth hadn't gone with Naomi--hadn't obeyed what her heart was telling her was right--and had instead stayed in her homeland? King David would have never been born!

God had plans for Ruth that she could have never dreamed possible. He saw her there in Moab and chose her, not a Hebrew woman, to be the great grandmother of King David. She is listed in Matthew 1 in the lineage of Jesus! We remember her today and tell her story because of her obedience, her faith even when she didn't know what was ahead of her.

Ruth's story tells us to never give up and always trust God's plan even when it seems too big, too scary, too unknown. He sees the whole picture in a way we can't and probably never will. We don't know if Ruth lived to see David on the throne, but her obedience made it possible.

Is God asking you to trust him today about something?

Ruth's advice would be simple: Do it! You won't ever regret it! Always remember that He is El Roi, the God who sees you, knows you, and knows the plans He has for you!

Have a fabulous day! And be sure to enter the drawing for FREE books! I'm giving away a whole bunch of books at the end of January. Some of mine, some by favorite authors, and some Chicken Soup for the Soul books that have my stories included in them. All you have to do is type your email address in the "sign up for my blog" box at the top right of this blog page. Easy peasy! Winners will be notified by email. (US residents only, please!)

Blessings,

~Michelle

Ruth and Naomi

I've spent the past couple days in the Book of Ruth. It's a short little thing. Only four chapters long. But, oh, the many, many lessons one can take away from this tale!

First, for those not too familiar with it, let me briefly recap.

Naomi had a husband and two sons. Because of famine, they moved away from home to Moab. There the two sons found wives. But tragedy soon struck. First the husband died, then the two sons. After some time Naomi decides to return to her homeland. Both daughters-in-law want to go with her, but she wants them to stay with their father's and find new husbands. Orpah does, but Ruth refuses. She insists on going with Naomi. Back in Bethlehem, one of Naomi's relatives named Boaz eventually becomes Ruth's new husband. They have a son named Obed who has a son named Jesse who has a son named David who became a King!

Here are some of the nuggets I find in this story:

1. God has a plan. While we don't always understand why bad things happen, I do firmly believe God is fully aware and fully in control. Death is a part of life. If Naomi's husband hadn't died...if Ruth's husband hadn't died...King David was born because those men died.

2. Naomi must have been an amazing mother-in-law! Think about it. Both of her daughters-in-law were willing to leave their homeland, leave their families, leave their friends, to go with Naomi. They loved her. They honored her. And Ruth refused to be parted from her. May I be that kind of mother-in-law someday!

3. Naomi shared the truth of God with her daughters-in-law. In Ruth 1:16, Ruth tells Naomi, "Your God will be my God." Ruth didn't grow up knowing the One True God. Her people had idols and man-made gods. But obviously Naomi not only taught her new daughters about God, but she lived it to the point that Ruth wanted what Naomi had. That is what every true believer is called to do. Live it!

4. Boaz was quite a man! First, he allowed a stranger to freely walk his fields picking up grain. Later he learned who she was and gave instructions for his field workers to leave a little extra for her. His words to Ruth in Ruth 2:12 are truly beautiful! "May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge." I'm thinking the man was a romantic, too. When he found Ruth sleeping at his feet, he set out to make her his wife. Ahhh!

5. Finally, the "kinsman redeemer" is a real reminder of what Jesus--a descendant of Ruth and Boaz!--would do for us. Jesus is our kinsman redeemer! He paid our debt. Our sin debt. You have sinned. I have sinned. We all have sinned. God hates sin. He punishes sinners. But when Jesus died on the cross, He basically said, "I will be your kinsman redeemer. You are my beloved and I want to spare you this punishment."

If you haven't read the Book of Ruth in a while, do! It's a really wonderful story with a lot of great truths packed into it. I'd love to hear your take on it.