Great Faithfulness - July 10

Read Ruth 1:15-18 (ESV)

And [Naomi] said, “See, your sister-in-law, has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go, I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the LORD do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more.

Reflect

Do you have a Ruth in your life? Someone who has remained loyal to you no matter what?

Loyalty, commitment, and faithfulness often seem like lost virtues these days. When a marriage gets tough, most people split rather than work it out. If someone has a misunderstanding with a friend, they just ghost them. Rather than commit to a local church body, many Christians these days church hop.

I’ve heard leaders of clubs and organizations lament that many of the volunteers they depend on say they’ll help out but they fail to show up. I’ve even heard employers complain that they’ve had employees they just hired stop showing up for work right after the company had invested time and money into training them!

That’s why, when I read Ruth’s declaration of loyalty to Naomi, I am astounded! Now, I don’t necessarily blame Orpah for returning home to her family. She had married Naomi’s son, not Naomi. She had fulfilled that vow until death parted them. Now, she was facing a lifetime of loneliness and hardship. Her best chance for survival and happiness was in Moab. I can’t hold her decision to obey her mother-in-law and return to her own family against her.

But Ruth took loyalty to the next level. She didn’t just remain faithful to her husband until death. She remained committed to the family that she had married into even after her husband was gone. She even pledged her loyalty to her mother-in-law until death parted them! And it wasn’t just an empty promise. She swore an oath that God could punish her anyway He saw fit if she were to break her vow to Naomi.

Even more amazing to me is that Ruth’s fidelity to Naomi came at great personal cost. No one can accuse her of only sticking with Naomi for what she stood to gain. All Ruth knew was that she was leaving her family and her people to live among strangers who considered her kind to be enemies. She knew that she was giving up her best chance for remarriage and motherhood. Plus, she knew that in order to live among the Israelites, she’d have to commit to following their religion and their God. She had no way of knowing at that point what Naomi’s God was going to do in her life as a result of her faithfulness.

When I consider Ruth’s selfless devotion to Naomi, I can’t help but consider how her faithfulness reflects God’s faithfulness to us. One of my favorite verses says “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:21-23).

Ruth is a beautiful example of faithfulness and there is much we can learn from her. But the Lord is the perfect example of faithfulness! As believers, it is our job to reflect that faithfulness in our marriages, families, friendships, churches, and workplaces. Loyalty shouldn’t be a pleasantly surprising characteristic of Christians but an expected one.

Respond

Lord, I know that You are a God “abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Exodus 34:6). Like Ruth, help me reflect Your faithfulness to others. I want to selflessly consider others as more important than myself (Philippians 2:3). All for Your glory! Amen.

Reveal: Keeping our commitments at work, remaining loyal to friends and family, staying faithful to our spouses, and being willing to sacrifice for the good of others is a great testimony. Reveal God’s faithfulness to others by being faithful to others.

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