Where You Go I Will Go

Hearing that things are now better back home, Naomi decides to return to her native Bethlehem.

She urges the two young girls to remain in their homeland

and begin new lives, but Ruth refuses and insists on

accompanying Naomi.

If you want the rest of the story, please do read the synopsis ………………. later!!!

Because I would like to look at just one verse for Ruth, as Naomi urges Ruth to leave her and go back to Moab:

16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you.

Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. (Ruth 1:16).

It is a truly remarkable statement.

It was a great step of faith because it was taking Ruth into the unknown

• to a people who would see her as a foreigner

• to poverty and

• no chance of finding a husband.

So what was it about Naomi that inspired such loyalty in Ruth?

Reading between the lines, I see three things about Naomi

1. Naomi taught Ruth about Jehovah, the God of Israel

As men and women tended to mix mainly among their own sex, more than likely it would have fallen to Naomi to teach Ruth about the faith.

When we share our faith with others, we may never know the effect it may have on their lives later on.

I am sure Naomi shared her faith with both daughters in law – yet only Ruth made it to Bethlehem.

Orphah fell by the way.

2. Naomi keeps her faith despite the odds

We read in Ruth 1:21 that Naomi: “The Lord has brought me back”

Despite the hardships and the loss of her husband and two sons, she keeps her faith.

Admittedly she sees the loss of her husband and two sons

as God’s punishment – when really it is a result of the family’s choices.

But despite the hurt, she keeps her faith.

She moaned her loss but God can handle that.

3. She cared for her daughters -in-law

She cared for her two daughters in law despite the difficulties it might cause her to lose them.

She had their interests ahead of hers.

She wasn’t selfish, even though it would leave her with no one to help her.

Conclusion

What can we learn from the Book of Ruth

God had a plan for Ruth’s life – a woman who most Jews would have considered beyond the pale.

And he has a plan for our lives too.

Despite being a nobody in this world, to God Ruth was a somebody.

The key to Ruth’s blessing was that she stepped out in faith and said to Naomi

“Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.

Ruth stepped out in faith – much like Abraham.

Like Abraham she trust God and left her country to go to where God was worshiped – to Israel.

Though Ruth could not see it, God was working in her life – and we see the blessing God has for her right at the end of the story.

And so it is with us

So often we can’t see the end of the story in our lives, but God has a plan for each one of us

It is as we trust him with our lives, and step out in faith despite all the odds, God will accomplish his plans,if we allow him.

And then we will be blessed.