Read:
The book of Ruth is one of only two books in the Bible where women are the main characters. The other is Esther. Ruth tells the story of two women. Naomi we met yesterday and today, the book's namesake, Ruth.
Ruth was born in Moab, southeast of Israel. Because she wasn’t an Israelite by birth, she wasn’t introduced to Yahweh, the God of Israel (and the God we worship today!) until marrying an Israelite man – Naomi’s son. When he died, Ruth vowed to go back to Israel with Naomi, saying “Your people will be my people and your God will be my God.”
This is a big statement for Ruth to make. Instead of finding her own way as a destitute widow, Ruth chose to follow God and the laws he gave to Israel. She takes refuge in God when her world is flipped upside-down.
You, too, can take refuge in God when your circumstances take an unexpected turn.
Prayer: Dear God, you provide for my every need. Help me to rely on you, not in my own strength or in the safety of someone else. You alone are my refuge. Amen.