“‘Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age.’”

Ruth 4:14-15
Of the notable characters in the powerful story of Ruth, Naomi’s journey captures my attention. She travels various paths over a significant period of her life. Famine in Judah drove her husband to take his family to Moab. Leaving Bethlehem and all that was familiar must have been difficult for Naomi. Then death came, robbing her of her husband and sons. The path she would travel was marked with grief. 

Hearing the Lord had come to the aid of His people, she set out for home with her daughter-in-law, Ruth. Naomi was nearly unrecognizable due to aging with bitterness. Carrying deep burdens can do that to a person, especially when it is hard to comprehend why the Lord has brought the affliction. 

In time, the grief subsided and was replaced by the joy that often accompanies the arrival of a baby. When Ruth and Boaz were wed and a baby was born, Naomi was delighted. But her friends reminded her of the true delight: the LORD who had orchestrated it all. The God of Naomi is our God too and can be trusted to restore and sustain our joy. 



Scripture Focus

Ruth 4:13-22

Insight

“I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.” (Job 19:25)

Bible In A Year

  • Ecclesiastes 9-10
  • Psalm 67
  • John 7

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