Today’s reading: Ruth 1:6-18
Today we meet Naomi, the widowed wife of Elimelech, and her two widowed daughters-in-laws, Orpah and Ruth. The bond between these three women is strong, but as this small group faces the possibility of starving because of the famine in Moab, Naomi decides it’s time to return to her homeland. Although all three women begin the journey, Naomi soon instructs her daughters to return to their blood relatives so that they can remarry and have a full life. It’s a tearful exchange, with Orpah deciding to follow Naomi’s request. Ruth, however, chooses to remain by Naomi’s side–in spite of the fact that she and Naomi have no idea what awaits them in Bethlehem, and knowing that the road would be a tough one without a man to protect and financially support them.
Although we’ve just met Ruth, it’s already clear that she is a good and exceptional woman. Some of the words that came to mind as I thought about Ruth were: caring, supportive, loyal, kind, responsible and courageous. But the one word that stood out to me more than all the others was–selfless. Instead of thinking about herself, Ruth willingly chose to put Naomi’s interests before her own and acted accordingly. (vs. 16-17). What an example for us to follow.
Think back over your actions in the past month or so. On a scale of 1-10 (1 being selfish and 10 being selfless) where would you rate yourself? Would you describe yourself as a “Ruth”? Why or why not? What’s one thing you can do this week to be more like Ruth? Tami
Source: Tami’s Blog