Ruth 1 1 In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. 2 The man’s name was Elimelech, his wife’s name Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there. 3 Now Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, 5 both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband. 6 When she heard in Moab that the LORD had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, Naomi and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there. 7 With her two daughters-in-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah. 8 Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the LORD show kindness to you, as you have shown to your dead and to me 9 May the LORD grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.” Then she kissed them and they wept aloud 10 and said to her, “We will go back with you to your people.” 11 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? 12 Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me-even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons 13 would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the LORD’S hand has gone out against me!” 14 At this they wept again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-by, but Ruth clung to her. 15 “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.” 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. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.” 18 When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her. Ladies, how many of you have ever complained about your mother-in-law? How many times have you perhaps wished your husband had been motherless when you met him? How many arguments have you had with her? How many times have you really wanted to tell her to just go away? Many jokes are made about mothers-in-law, books are written, movies and even television shows have whole plots that revolve around the mother-in-law and how difficult it is to live with her. Personally, my mother-in-law was great. I loved her dearly and when she passed away last year I felt the loss as deeply as my husband did. Not that we didn't have our disagreements and arguments. We certainly did, but she was the kindest most loving woman I ever knew and I was very proud that she let me call her mom. But as much as I loved her I'm not sure it could compare with Ruth’s great love for her mother-in-law Naomi. Ruths love for Naomi was so strong and so complete that it was unthinkable to her to return to her home. She had made her home with Naomi and wanted with all her heart to stay there. This is love without reservation and love that does not recognize boundaries or differences. These two women were from two different cultures and two different belief systems yet Ruth had come to love Naomi so much that none of that mattered. She was willing to follow Naomi anywhere, to die with her if necessary. How many of us can say we love anyone in that way? Ruth loved without conditions or restrictions. Naomi did not have to do anything to keep Ruths love. There were no requirements to be met and no promises to be kept. Ruth made no demands of Naomi because she simply loved her and could not conceive of ever leaving her. It is this kind of love that God is referring to when He tells us to "love one another". This is pure love that is given freely. Love that asks nothing of the one it is given to, not even that it be returned in kind. It is love that comes with compassion and understanding and patience. It is love that accepts the loved one with all their faults and quirks. It is love that lasts throughout eternity because it is rooted in Gods love for us and it comes not only from the heart but from the spirit as well. Gods love is eternal and unfailing. Ruths love for Naomi was the same. How is it that a woman who came from what could be described as a pagan belief, a Moabite, could manifest Gods own love toward her mother-in-law? Because during her life with her husband and his family she had come to know and understand that God loved her. Because of that knowing she was able to pass on and share that same love with her new family and particularly her mother-in-law. We would all do well to emulate Ruth in our giving of love to one another. Do not put limits on your love. Do not ask the one you love to jump through hoops to keep your love. Manifest the love of God in your life and pass it on through you to others. Just love one another as God loves you and when we all arrive in heaven let's sit down with Ruth and Naomi and see how things have been going. Ruth Ruth 1 1 In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. 2 The man’s name was Elimelech, his wife’s name Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there. 3 Now Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, 5 both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband. 6 When she heard in Moab that the LORD had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, Naomi and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there. 7 With her two daughters-in-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah. 8 Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the LORD show kindness to you, as you have shown to your dead and to me 9 May the LORD grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.” Then she kissed them and they wept aloud 10 and said to her, “We will go back with you to your people.” 11 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? 12 Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me-even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons 13 would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the LORD’S hand has gone out against me!” 14 At this they wept again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-by, but Ruth clung to her. 15 “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.” 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. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.” 18 When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her. Ladies, how many of you have ever complained about your mother-in-law? How many times have you perhaps wished your husband had been motherless when you met him? How many arguments have you had with her? How many times have you really wanted to tell her to just go away? Many jokes are made about mothers-in-law, books are written, movies and even television shows have whole plots that revolve around the mother-in-law and how difficult it is to live with her. Personally, my mother-in-law was great. I loved her dearly and when she passed away last year I felt the loss as deeply as my husband did. Not that we didn't have our disagreements and arguments. We certainly did, but she was the kindest most loving woman I ever knew and I was very proud that she let me call her mom. But as much as I loved her I'm not sure it could compare with Ruth’s great love for her mother-in-law Naomi. Ruths love for Naomi was so strong and so complete that it was unthinkable to her to return to her home. She had made her home with Naomi and wanted with all her heart to stay there. This is love without reservation and love that does not recognize boundaries or differences. These two women were from two different cultures and two different belief systems yet Ruth had come to love Naomi so much that none of that mattered. She was willing to follow Naomi anywhere, to die with her if necessary. How many of us can say we love anyone in that way? Ruth loved without conditions or restrictions. Naomi did not have to do anything to keep Ruths love. There were no requirements to be met and no promises to be kept. Ruth made no demands of Naomi because she simply loved her and could not conceive of ever leaving her. It is this kind of love that God is referring to when He tells us to "love one another". This is pure love that is given freely. Love that asks nothing of the one it is given to, not even that it be returned in kind. It is love that comes with compassion and understanding and patience. It is love that accepts the loved one with all their faults and quirks. It is love that lasts throughout eternity because it is rooted in Gods love for us and it comes not only from the heart but from the spirit as well. Gods love is eternal and unfailing. Ruths love for Naomi was the same. How is it that a woman who came from what could be described as a pagan belief, a Moabite, could manifest Gods own love toward her mother-in-law? Because during her life with her husband and his family she had come to know and understand that God loved her. Because of that knowing she was able to pass on and share that same love with her new family and particularly her mother-in-law. We would all do well to emulate Ruth in our giving of love to one another. Do not put limits on your love. Do not ask the one you love to jump through hoops to keep your love. Manifest the love of God in your life and pass it on through you to others. Just love one another as God loves you and when we all arrive in heaven let's sit down with Ruth and Naomi and see how things have been going.