Good things DO come in small packages!

Ruth - 1 - 4

Whoever said that good things come in small packages was right!  The book of Ruth, only four brief chapters, was jammed full of love, loyalty, faithfulness, courage, and promise. 

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When I pulled my journal out to where I had written my thoughts on Ruth (back in Nov 2010) this is what I read:

"Ruth is a story about a lady that walked with God, shows kindness to others and is greatly rewarded."

I then quoted a verse:

"May the Lord, the God of Israel under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully."  (2:12)

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Wow.  I had really out done myself on that one!  I mean, did I even read the book?  I don't exactly remember that morning, it was 6 whole months ago, but it looks as though I read the book, wrote my thoughts, hit "snooze" and went back to sleep!

It happens.

Needless to say, I decided yesterday to go back and read the book of Ruth again and, this time, listen to what God wanted to teach me through her story.

It's truly is a beautiful book!  To make a long short story even shorter, I've summarized in point form:

• A man, along with his wife Naomi, and their two sons, move from Judah to Moab.
• The man dies and the two sons marry Moabite women, one named Orpah, the other, Ruth.
• The two sons also die.  
• Having lost both husband and her sons, Naomi decides to return to her homeland, Judah.
• Orpah decides to stay in Moab. Ruth goes to Judah with Naomi, knowing she'll be considered an outsider. 
• Poor and hungry, Ruth goes to pick up leftover grain in the fields of a man named Boaz.
• Boaz marries Ruth and they give birth to Obed, the grandfather of Kind David.

I can only imagine how difficult it was for Ruth to leave her family, her god, and the only home she knew to follow her mother in law to a foreign land.  

Ruth's decision to go with Naomi was literally a conversion.  Her "speech" was a strong statement to her faith in "Israel's God."

"Where you will go, I will go.  Where you stay, I will stay.  Your people will be my people and your God my God.  Where you die I will die and there I will be buried..."

It's very clear that Naomi put the needs of others before her own when she urges her daughters in law to stay behind for their own good.  She even asks God to bless them with another marriage. 

It's written that Naomi lived with her sons (and daughters in law) about 10 years before they died.  I truly believe that in that time Naomi's example of love and compassion drew Ruth into a yearning to serve the one true God.  Perhaps Ruth saw in Naomi, an overflow of God's love - a god that didn't "belong" to Ruth, but one that she was willing to abandon her own people for.

The book of Ruth holds many truths for us to hear. God often has more than one lesson for us to learn in a single verse, let alone a whole book!

I wasn't sure if I should focus in on the loyalty shown by Ruth to her mother in law or by Boaz in marring Ruth, as he was a kinsman-redeemer. (A close relative obligated to help when a family line or possessions were in danger)

I even thought of writing about courage - the courage it took for Ruth to step out in faith, not only to move away from her family but to go and lay at the feet of Boaz. (You REALLY must read this story to get all the details!)


But in the end, it was the less obvious choice - a lesson of testimony - that touched my heart. A message that could easily be lost in the book of Ruth.

To me, that is what it is all about - living your life so people see the lovingkindness of a God, under whose wings, they will come to take refuge.

A God they will very much want to call their own.