RUTH’S LOYALTY TO NAOMI

Reading from Ruth ch 1 vs 6-18

God is not deaf or forgetful, we just need to trust in him and his timing. He can make things change for the better and its okay to follow or go after the things he has changed or made better. It is okay to let people go, even if you’d want their company. In as much as community is good we are all individual people and we should all get a choice to choose how our lives go without feeling like our leave of someone is bad for us or them.

   It is important to do our best when we live with people, whether its being helpful, friendly, comforting, encouraging and loving among other things. We often don’t realise that our presence and participation in people’s lives does them good, at least when we do good and try to do our part. We should make that a point, that we reflect the characteristics of Christ, for some people will only ever know him through us and how we treat them.

  We should be in the habit of speaking good over people, whether they are close to us or strangers. I know that not everyone will treat us well and it seems valid to say that negative thing but train your tongue to say things that are uplifting. You never know how far a good word would go if only you said it. People are carrying way more than we realise and just some kindness will help.

There’s a time for us to be around particular people but even in those moments for some the interactions are coming to an end and for others its only the beginning or a continuation. For Orpah it was the end of a life with Naomi but for Ruth it was the start to a different section of their time/lives together. We get to decide these kinds of things, someone might insist and try to convince you otherwise but remember it is always your choice whether you continue with particular things/people or you stop and let go.

  My favourite part of this short passage is just how Ruth choses Naomi, like she actively says these beautiful reassuring things to her and Naomi really sees that she wants to stay with her. I think of those friends you find that just stick by you regardless of the things you think would push them away. I find it so humbling and it reminds me of how Jesus is the same, if anything better. He is constantly choosing you and wanting to walk with you through whatever is happening and is going to happen in your life. You can try and convince him that you’re not worth the effort or love but he sees your value and wants and chooses you always, I hope you can choose him too and know that he loves you always.