6Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that the Lord had visited his people and given them food. 7So she set out from the place where she was with her two daughters-in-law, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. 8But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 9The Lord grant that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband!” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. 10And they said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.” 11But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? 12Turn back, my daughters; go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband this night and should bear sons, 13would you, therefore, wait till they were grown? Would you, therefore, refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me.” 14Then they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.
15And she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” 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. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. 17Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so 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. ~ Ruth 1:6-18
Ruth gave up her way of life, her way of thinking, her gods, just to follow Naomi. She wasn’t just loyal to her; she trusted her and had faith in her, that no matter where she would go or take her that it would be the place that they needed to be. They left with no money, no husbands or sons, but yet she still went and took on the culture of Naomi without reassurance that she would be okay. This is the type of faith and loyalty we need because it’s hard to trust God when we can’t see what He sees.
We hesitate even when God tells us to go. If Ruth could have so much faith in a regular woman that could not guarantee her prosperity, why can’t we as Christians let go and follow God wholeheartedly, without doubt? This is something we should strive towards this year; by stepping off on to a branch that doesn’t look safe, but God has promised that it will uphold us. That no matter how sketchy the path looks that we will still go walk the path in faith that this is where and what we should be doing.
We should desire to love like Ruth, that no matter the outcome of the situation, whether she would be poor or rich, it didn’t matter she just wanted to be with Naomi. We should want to love God in that same way, even if we poor, we should desire Him. Even if we are wealthy and well off we should desire Him. Our situation shouldn’t matter, we should still desire to cling to God as if He is the only way we can breathe because He’s the only way we can live.
Peace. Love. Go Forth and Be Clingy.
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