FEAST: 30 Days of Real Truth for Real LifeSample

Day 9: Ruth—Loyalty

Snack

1. Ruth’s loyalty came from a place of complete selflessness.
2. Ruth made an unusual decision and stuck by it. She was aware of the consequences and didn’t feel the need to force her conviction on others.
3. God blessed Ruth’s loyalty in a way in which she didn’t expect at all!

Appetiser

How easy does being loyal come to you when it comes at personal cost?

Main Course

A large part of the narrative of Ruth is that of "love against the odds". Or sentiments to that effect. The Bible reference sections of for today are both the first and last chapters of the book of Ruth. However, Ruth is a small book of only four chapters and so reading it in one sitting might be manageable. If you’ve got the time, I’d really encourage you to read this beautiful story.

So, let’s paint a little picture here, taking place right at the beginning of the story. Ruth is first introduced to us as the daughter in law of a recently widowed Naomi (Ruth 1:3). Ruth, the wife of Naomi’s son Mahlon, had a sister in law named Orpah, who was married to Ruth’s other son, Chilion. We’re told that this family unit of five settle in the land of Moab for a solid ten years until both Mahlon and Chilion sadly pass away. Evidently grieved at losing not only her husband, but also her two sons, Naomi wants to return to the comfort of her homeland of Judah. This is where the loyalty narrative first begins to unfold.

"Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the Lord show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me." (Ruth 1:8 NIV)

As you might read, Ruth clung to her. Her decision was unwavering. Have you ever made an unusual, perhaps even unpopular decision with as much certainty as Ruth appeared to make this one? Ruth made the decision to forgo her own personal gain entirely for the benefit of her mother in law. I can’t see at this stage, any feasible reason that remaining with Naomi would have benefitted Ruth. But her love for her mother in law is what led her to do it. Her happiness was put in second place.What I also love is that we don’t read of her enforcing that decision on Orpah. How often might we make a good, perhaps even honourable decision and then try to make others feel bad for not making the same choice?

The selflessness and devotion Ruth had shown to her mother in law is what made her stand out to someone we meet later in the book—Boaz. To cut the story short, Boaz eventually becomes Ruth’s husband. There’s lots that can be said about the redeeming relationship between Boaz and Ruth but I wanted today’s message to focus on Ruth’s loyalty. In that fierce loyalty and devotion God saw her. God saw her actions and also heard her quiet heart’s desire for a husband—and God moved.

Like Ruth, don’t be worried about the consequences of your actions—God knows, God sees, God acts.