The Old Testament reading set for today is the introduction to the life of Ruth.
Naomi and her husband are forced to live in Moab because of famine in the land of Judah. They have two sons who marry women native to the country of Moab.
Sadly Naomi’s husband dies and around 10 years after that both her son’s die, leaving her a childless widow. She learns that the famine in her homeland has ended and so decides to return to Judah. Both her daughters-in-law set out with her, despite the fact that they will be leaving their own homelands, and are young enough to find new husbands and have children.
Naomi pleads with them to return to their own families and let her return to Judah without them, but Ruth is determined that she is going to travel and stay with Naomi in Judah.
Once they had returned to Bethlehem, then Ruth has to search for food, and so follows the harvest, gleaning the leftover wheat from the edges of the fields.
She meets Boaz, who falls in love her, despite her being a Moabite, an immigrant of non-Jewish blood.
Ruth, a Moabite and Boaz, a descendent of Rahab the prostitute from Jericho, are the great-grandparents of David, and direct ancestors of the Messiah who came to save the world.
This is a story of encouragement – God was able to use Naomi and Ruth even in times of hardship and distress. They in turn were willing, and indeed in Ruth’s case determined to serve God even if it went against her traditional upbringing, even if it took her outside her “comfort zone,” even if she was an “outsider.”
“Your people will be my people, and your God my God.” (1:16)
PRAYER: Gracious and merciful God, thank you that even in hard times we can be encouraged. Help us to be strong enough in our faith to recognise when you can use us, even if it goes against what we have been used to. AMEN