“But Naomi said, ‘Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? Return home, my daughters’… At this they wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her” (Ruth 1:11-12, 14)

Ruth and Orpah had lost their husbands and father-in-law. It was one loss after another. What a family one might say! What gains did they have? No children? Are they cursed? Everything ebbed away. Officially, they were free from the marriages, so they could leave. Yet, scripture says “but Ruth clung to her (Naomi)” despite Naomi’s several calls that they should return. Do we give up on people because of the things they have suffered or we suffered directly or indirectly from them? However, Ruth famously said: “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). Ruth didn’t give up on Naomi. Instead, she gave herself wholly to Naomi’s cause.

In John 6:66, in a crowd of thousands, Jesus saw that “many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him.” They gave up on Him. Then, He turns to the twelve and asks: “Do you also want to go away?” But Peter responded: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also, we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (John 6:68-69). Does someone need our encouragement today like Naomi? Our presence might be a means through which God brings His comfort and recovery affecting even generations unborn.

#goodmorning

BeEncouraged❤ Freely Received. Freely Give