Reflection: Ruth
The world in which Ruth lived was one of conflict, famine and division within God’s people. One Israelite, Naomi, was a widowed refugee in a foreign land. However, word — the word of God — came from Israel that the famine was at an end in Israel (Ruth 1 v6). So Naomi decided to return to Israel, even though the journey and the destination were fraught with unknowns. But Naomi’s foreign daughter-in-law (herself a widow) declared to Naomi “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go, I will go, and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.” (Ruth 1:16). When reading the remainder of the book of Ruth we continue to see Ruth’s humble and consistent service to Naomi. Her actions may have been simple, but they had profound outcomes. Her ‘simple’ actions were to have eternal consequences, for we see Ruth listed in the genealogy of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:5).
Our faithful actions, no matter how simple they are, can also have eternal consequences as we serve Christ and wait for his return. So let us seek out those we can serve today, even in the simplest of ways.
Prayer: Dear Father, I thank you that like Ruth, you have adopted me into your family. With thankful hearts we ask that you guide us to those you want us to walk alongside today, to serve them and speak of you, declaring that you are God.