Ruth’s Faithfulness

 Introduction

 Imagine leaving everything you know and having to start a new life to follow someone you love. Well, that's exactly what Ruth, the Moabite, did. Ruth is Noami’s daughter in law. She was married to Mahlon, one of Noami’s sons who died. Not only did Mahlon die, but also Noami’s husband and other son. Which caused Noami to depart from Moab and go back to her native land of Judah. Ruth is selfless and decides to go with Noami to Judah. In between Judges and 1 Samuel is where you can find the book of Ruth. From reading Ruth, you can learn her struggles, victories, and you can learn lessons.

 Struggles

 As you read the book of Ruth you can see the struggles she went through. One of the first struggles Ruth went through was losing her husband. Ruth’s husband was her security, and she felt lost. All three women were devastated. Another struggle she went through was providing food for her and Noami. Ruth decided to go glean in the fields to find food and so happened it was Boaz field. Then Boaz allowed her to work in his fields without any harm being done to her. Boaz saw the good heart Ruth had from following her mother-in-law and taking great care of her.

 Victories

 Even though Ruth went through some struggles, she also had her fair share of victories. One of her very known victories was getting married to Boaz. This led to many chains of events. First, Boaz provided for Ruth and Noami. Secondly, God allowed Ruth to become pregnant with Obed. Obed became the father of Jesse and Jesse is the father of King David. This is Ruth’s big victory because this means she is the great-grandmother of David. This shows that she contributed to the line of Jesus Christ. God worked through Ruth because she showed great faithfulness through all the pain and tragedy.

 Lesson

 After reading Ruth you can form many lessons. One lesson that shined the brightest is that through our struggles we can be blessed when we show faithfulness and love. Ruth 2:2 states, “Ruth the Moabite said to Noami, “Let me go to the field so that I may glean among the ears of grain behind someone in whose eyes I might find favor. Noami replied to her, "Go, my daughter.” This part of the scripture shows Ruth's love for Noami. She worked hard with only a little rest and that's when Boaz noticed her. Ruth 2:8-12 states, “Boaz said to Ruth, haven’t you understood, my daughter? Don't go glean in another field, don’t go anywhere else. Instead, stay here with my young women…I’ve ordered the young men not to assault you…Then she bowed down, face to the ground, and replied to him, “How is it you noticed me? I'm an immigrant.” Boaz responded to her, “Everything that you did for your mother-in-law after your husband’s death has been reported fully to me: how you left behind your father, your mother, and the land of your birth, and came to a people you hadn't known beforehand. May the Lord reward you for your deed. May you receive a rich reward from the Lord…under whose wings you’ve come to seek refuge”. This section of the scripture shows one of the many blessings that was granted to Ruth because of her love and dedication to her mother-in-law. From her husband dying to her staying with her mother-in-law, proving her faithfulness, and being blessed with security.

 Conclusion

To conclude, the story of Ruth brilliantly explores the interplay of God’s purpose and will. Even though God is hardly mentioned he worked through Ruth. Even though our struggles can be too much sometimes just trust in God. God might be working through you. If you are ever going through a struggle, just read the book of Ruth and you will see that God is always there through the hard times.