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Love and Faithfulness

As some of you that know me really well know, I am desperately home sick.  I long to be closer to home, to my sisters and mom and dad and grandma.  I can’t wait to go to my nieces and nephew’s softball games, gymnastic and dance performances…  But alas…  I don’t live close to them at all.  Now don’t get me wrong, I love my in-laws and love living near them and I look forward to going to their kids games and meets and performances too.  I love having some family near by and going to lunch with them on Sundays and randomly taking their kids to my house for play dates.  Our kids are around the same age and in a perfect world, I would have them all live close together so that we could be near everyone. 

In the Bible – there was an amazingly special bond between Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi.  It was a beautiful relationship that was forged between a mother-in-law and her daughter-in-law.  After Ruth became a widow at a young age, Naomi urged her to go home to her own mother to be close to her family since Naomi couldn’t have any more sons.  Ruth refused to do so as she was now bonded to this woman.  Part of me wonders if she was more bonded to Naomi as they had both lost someone that they loved so desperately. 

Ruth then went to Boaz, a relative of Naomi and presented herself at his feet as he was a kinsman-redeemer.  A kinsman-redeemer meant that the closest relative in line to the deceased was able to purchase the land of the deceased and with so, redeem his family, wife, mother, servants etc…  Ruth followed Naomi to her homeland and did whatever Naomi wanted her to do. 

I had a friend post something rather humorous on Facebook the other day – it is a little inappropriate to put on a devotion blog.  But it was about how you shouldn’t settle for Boaz’s relatives using the last two letters of the name.  It was all about how Ruth had to wait for her Boaz.  Technically, Boaz was not the first in line to be the kinsman redeemer for Ruth, he was second in line.  He had to go to the first in line and present the offer to him, and see what the first relative would do. 

Ruth is a really cool woman and a really neat, short book to read.  Although God is not mentioned anywhere in the book of Ruth, she was able to bear Obed who was the father of Jesse who was the father of David and it ultimately became the genealogy of Jesus. 

Because of Ruth’s love for Naomi, she followed her.  Because of her respect for Naomi, she did what she said in going to Boaz.  Because of her heritage, the first kinsman-redeemer said no where Boaz said yes.  Because of that, they had a son.  Because of the Son, they were able to have a full generation of followers of Christ.  The entire Israelite nation came from Ruth because she got out of her comfort zone and committed herself to something and someone.  Jesus was born to that family line because of one woman’s faithfulness.

Ruth got out of her comfort zone and followed Naomi and we have all been saved because of it.  So, it lends to wonder, if we get out of our comfort zone, and follow Jesus, what can God do?  It might not be in our generation, it might be 3 generations down the road, but remember, our sons and daughters and decisions DO effect everything that happens in the world.  I highly suggest reading Ruth today, it is 4 chapters, found immediately after Judges in the Bible and takes about 5 minutes to read.  What a great and encouraging story. 

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