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The Faithful One
The family had come to Moab to escape famine, and they found a home there among strangers. After the men died, Naomi hit bottom. No husband. No sons. No grandson to carry on the name. Even God seemed to abandon her. With nothing left to give, Naomi sent her sons’ wives back to their families and renamed herself misery. But Ruth would not leave. She pledged to follow Naomi back to Bethlehem, where they would make a new life. Ruth scrounged in the barley fields for food. Naomi figured out the plan to secure Boaz’s protection. It was not easy. But together they found the courage to continue living. Despair says that nothing is left. I live as one already dead. The care of another can drive despair back into its corner. Being loved is the cure and the promise of God’s ongoing presence. The faithfulness of even one person can open up the world. By the measure of the marketplace, Ruth is puzzling. What will she get out of it? In handing over her life in love, the women are blessed. Here is an old story that remains new. |