Being a Naomi Woman

Famous words from Ruth

I just finished a Bible study on Ruth. I love her story. I have read it quite a few times. It’s got all of the elements of the ideal love story. There’s a marriage and then there’s tragedy. There’s some dark days, but in the end, the main character, Ruth, finds true love and the son she has gets to be in the bloodline of Jesus.

I love the story because I know how it ends. I imagine while Ruth was living it, it wasn’t so great. She married a foreigner. Her father-in-law died. Her husband died and her brother-in-law died. I’m sure this was not the happy ending that the young bride was dreaming about.

At least she has her little family with her sister-in-law, Orpah and mother-in-law, Naomi. Perhaps they brought comfort to one another. But, then Naomi decided she was going back to her people. She tried to send Ruth and Orpah back to their own families, but Ruth refused to go.

That’s the part of the story that has really intrigued me this time. I could easily write about how Ruth is a perfect example of how God doesn’t judge us on where we came from. Ruth was a Moabite and they were enemies of Israel. I could point out that God will use and bless anyone who willingly worships and follows Him and I would be right.

I could write about how even when our world is at the very darkest, our sovereign God is at work, even when we can’t see Him or feel Him. Ruth teaches us that even on days where getting out of the bed is more effort that we feel like we can handle, He has a plan.

Ruth lost her husband, father-in-law and her sister-in-law. Naomi lost her husband and both of her sons. Her days were surely dark too. But, we know that God was at work providing a new husband for Ruth, a Godly man and eventually a grand baby for Naomi to bounce on her lap. I would be right about those observations too.

But, this time, Naomi’s faith is what stayed with me, for days after I was done reading it. In the end, it was Naomi who led Ruth to her God, to her people, and eventually to a new husband. It was Ruth’s deep love and trust in Naomi that led her to Boaz on the threshing floor.

What was it about Naomi that made a young Ruth leave her birth family and travel into enemy territory where she would likely be judged and looked down upon?

Perhaps it was her deep abiding faith. Perhaps Ruth knew that she just had to get to know Naomi’s God and her people better because Naomi was so different from the women Ruth knew. Even in deep grief, Ruth clung to Naomi.

Ruth and Naomi’s stories are intertwined. We can’t read one without the other. Their story reminds me how important it is that we live our faith and not just talk about it. The only way to really bring others to God is through our actions.

Naomi’s actions must have seemed so insignificant at the time. She was returning home destitute, yet she took the young woman who God had put in her life, with her, because Ruth didn’t want to leave her and in agreeing to do so, those two women helped to change the course of human history and play a part in the greatest story ever told.

Ruth and Naomi remind me that no one is insignificant in God’s plan. We all play a part and we are all intertwined. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂