May 13
Ruth 3-4
Psalm 59:6-13
Proverbs 13:15-16
John 3
Character Matters
“Now don’t be afraid, my daughter, I will do for you whatever you say, since all the people in my town know that you are a woman of noble character.” Ruth 3:11 HCSB
I have always admired Ruth. The qualities we see in her life make her an excellent example to follow. As a young woman she suffered a devastating loss. She was a Moabite woman who fell in love and married a Jewish man. Before having children, her husband died leaving her a widow. Her sister-in-law and mother-in-law were also widowed. Ruth’s hopes were destroyed and the life she dreamed of was not going to happen. The natural response would be to return home to her family and start over. That is exactly what her sister-in-law chose to do. In really difficult circumstances, she could have thrown herself a pity party, whined about how hard her life was and given up. No one would have blamed her if she did that, but Ruth reacted differently. Naomi tried to persuade her to go home, but Ruth refused to leave her. She didn’t know what the future held so she just did the next right thing. Ruth exhibited unusual loyalty and dedication to Naomi. She went above and beyond what was expected of her. As a Moabitess, Ruth grew up worshipping the many gods of her people. When she married, she would have been introduced to the God of Israel. In chapter 1 we find Ruth’s famous declaration, “For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live, your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.” (NIV) In choosing to stay with Naomi, Ruth was also choosing to follow God. She was making a conscious choice to reject the gods of her people and choose Naomi’s God. She left everything familiar and disregarded her own personal interests to care for her mother-in-law.
Ruth honored and respected Naomi in a way that made Boaz say that all the people in Bethlehem knew she was a woman of noble character. She worked hard to provide food for them and did exactly what Naomi told her to do. Character is who you are when no one is watching. Ruth had no idea that millions of people would read about her story. She lived a simple life in obscurity. She showed her true character in everything she did and as a result God took care of her. When no one else is watching, God always sees what we do. He knows our character. He knows our hearts and knows what kind of person we really are. It is useful to examine our hearts periodically and ask God to show us anything that is not pleasing to Him so we can confess, repent, and turn away from those things and live a life of integrity. It is also important to note that as Christians, people are watching us even if we don’t realize it. If we bear the name Christian, we represent Christ to those around us and we want to be careful not to dishonor His name in any way.
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