So Naomi and Ruth traveled until they came to Bethlehem. When they entered Bethlehem, the whole city was stirred because of them, and the women of the city exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?”(Ruth 1:19)

Yesterday we looked at Naomi and the risky choice she made  in taking Ruth along when she was returning to Israel, her homeland. So now I ask, “What if you were Ruth?”  A young widow without a child, married from the Israelite race, a people who consider your people  enemies.  Would you have followed your mother-in-law back to her homeland?  When it comes to the  relationship between a mother-in-law and a daughter-in-law, many of us are familiar  with the stories.  And they are not always beautiful stories. There are tribes and countries where daughters-in-law are treated as maids of the family, serving every member of the family,  including the younger siblings of her husband.  In some of these situations, mothers-in-law treat these daughters-in-law like their personal maids.  Especially if they have no children for their sons.  They become the objects of scorn in the home and among the other members of the community.  Ruth must have been aware of some of these stories and yet chose to follow her mother-in-law.  Why would she do that?  Three reasons come to mind:   

1)    Naomi was different

Naomi must have been a different mother-in law. The way she lived and treated Ruth, Orpah  and others must have been different than usual.  She must have been kind, thoughtful, loving, and caring.   The  manner in which she  asked her daughters-in-law to return to their mothers’ homes shows it : “Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the Lord show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me. May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.”(Ruth 1:8,9).  She released her daughters-in-law, acknowledging their kindness to her and blessing them.  Those are words from a good heart.  No wonder Ruth refused to leave her.  Naomi was a different mother-in-law.  How is your relationship with your daughter-in-law? Or your son-in-law? This is important because whatever seed you sow in that  relationship, you will  eventually reap.  If Naomi had been wicked to Ruth, I can assure you that Ruth would have been happy to return to her people and her gods.  Naomi would have made that long, unpredictable journey back home alone and would have found it more challenging to get back on her feet.

The choices you make, your decisions, 

and the way you live,

 are influencing 

someone else, knowingly or unknowingly; 

positively or negatively.  You will never

 know until a situation arises.

If you are unkind to others today, do not be surprised when the seasons of life change and you have need of them.  It will take the grace of God to make things right then. This is the right time to plant good seeds that will pay off in the upcoming years.

2)  Naomi was godly.

Ruth may have chosen to stay with Naomi because of Naomi’s godly lifestyle. Ruth may have watched the way she lived in comparison to the way the women in her land lived and worshipped their gods.  She saw the difference.  She had seen the way Ruth prayed and the principles she lived by. They were not at all like the ungodly values that she had grown up seeing around her. Naomi was a different mother-in-law; she was godly.  So even though Ruth may have heard stories of the Israelites and the enmity between her people and them, she saw through the life of Naomi that their way of life and worship was better than what her people had.  So she decided to embrace the life and God of her mother-in-law. The choices you make, your decisions, and the way you live influence others, knowingly or unknowingly, positively or negatively.  You will never know until a situation arises.  Live in such a way that someone else decides to make a change for the best.  All the things in this world that we esteem so highly will  be gone some day.  The Scriptures say, “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world. The world is passing away, along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God remains forever (1 John 2:15-17). No one deserves to be ill treated because of these earthly things that will one day be no more. All those things that make us feel bigger and better than others will pass away.  Only people who live for the Lord and do what He wants will remain.  

3) Ruth had a kind heart

 Ruth must have followed Naomi because she was just a kind hearted person.  She probably could not imagine allowing this old woman to go on that long journey all by herself.  She knew that her being around would be helpful.  There would be things that Naomi  would find difficult to do at her age.  It is easy to get  wrapped up with yourself, where the only person that matters is you.  All you think about is you and your needs and desires.  If Ruth had been that kind of person, she would never have followed this old, poor widow, who had nothing to offer her.  Physically speaking, there was no prospect for Ruth’s being with Naomi. But Ruth chose love over logic and desires because Naomi was a different mother-in-law. Your life ought not to be only  about you. Living meaningfully and purposefully is about being a blessing to others and giving that needy person a helping hand. You may not have cash to give, but you can pray with someone who is in need.  You can be a listening ear.  You can offer a word of encouragement.  Nothing is too little.  It is  the little things that create the atmosphere for the big things. Ruth accompanied Naomi and played a pivotal role in helping Naomi regain her dignity.  How is your life impacting others around you? How can you be an encouragement to someone  else today?  

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, by your Precious Spirit, let my life no longer be just about me; let it be  about being a blessing to others around me, in Jesus name.

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