SAINT BERNARD, ABBOT AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH (MEMORIAL)

Wherever you go, I will go. 

So much loss! Naomi had lost her husband and two sons. And with the death of those sons, Orpah and Ruth had lost their husbands. Being practical women, Orpah and Naomi knew it was time to return to their ancestral homes to seek protection and provision. Ruth, however, chose a different path. Motivated by faithfulness, she pledged to stay with her mother-in-law. And by doing so, she chose to trust that the God of Israel would take care of the both of them.

Ruth knew, however, that trusting in God didn’t mean just waiting around for him to come through. It also involved some work. Day after day, she went out and gleaned in the fields. Then, when the time was right, she found the courage to present herself to Boaz, a relative of Naomi’s, in the hopes that he would help them. Boaz was so impressed that he married her and invited Naomi to live with them.

Ruth’s trust opened the door for her to experience God’s faithfulness—in an abundant way. At the end of the Book of Ruth, we learn that Ruth’s son became the grandfather of King David!

Maybe you are thinking that God rewards only special people like Ruth. But remember that she was a Gentile—an alien whom many Jews would have considered unclean. She was also a widow, which put her at the lowest rung on the ladder of Israelite society. But that’s the whole point of this story: God’s blessings are for everyone.

Is there an area of life in which you are struggling? Maybe, like Ruth, you have experienced the loss of home or family. Maybe it’s something a little less dire, but it still weighs on you. Whatever it is, surrender it to the Lord. Tell him that you trust in him to take care of you. Even when it’s a struggle, keep turning to him and seeking his grace.

And don’t forget that trusting in God means taking action as well—just as Ruth did! It means stepping out in faith and believing that, even if you make a wrong turn, God will guide you and help you along the way.

“Father, help me to believe in your goodness. Lord, I want to trust you and follow you in faith.”

Psalm 146:5-10
Matthew 22:34-40
Ruth 1:1, 3-6, 14-16, 22

WORD AMONG US