There are so many great stories in the Bible. So many great lessons to be learned. If you haven’t had the opportunity to read the book of Ruth, and to study the importance of her story, I challenge you to do so. She shows so much faith, bravery, and obedience. Following her story should challenge you to be a better follower of Christ. The lessons that we can learn from Ruth are lessons we can use in our daily walk. Her story is so great, its part of why I chose to title this blog: https://raisingmyruth.com/why-a-blog/
-Ruth is ordinary
Ruth isn’t a princess. She isn’t a warrior. She is plain, poor, and ordinary. Nothing she does is remarkable. But the way that God uses her IS remarkable. He takes her average life, with her average struggles, and uses them to create a beautiful story. She is a widow; childless and poor. She lives in the land of the enemy. Yet, she chose to follow God when she could have turned away. God used the tiny and ordinary moments to create a life of legacy for Ruth. You don’t have to be famous. You don’t have to do world-changing things. God can use you in your every day walk. Your ordinary life- going to work, raising children, being a wife, loving your parents- those are all things God can and will use to build your story.
-Your hard work will be rewarded
Ruth wasn’t afraid of hard work. She would go out to the fields every single day picking up scraps just so her and Naomi would have something to eat. I’m sure she worked from sun up to sun down, and she did it with grace and love. Throughout this hard work, she was noticed by Boaz. He later chose to marry her and she had a child with him. This child would be part of the lineage of Jesus Christ.
It would have been easy for Ruth to give up or wait for handouts, but she chose to work. She chose to do whatever she could to provide for her family. By working those fields, she placed herself in the direct site of Boaz.
God sees you. He sees your dedication and hard work. You may not know it, but people are watching. Your hard work and faithfulness to Christ will be noticed and rewarded.
-Pain is not a destination
The pain that Ruth felt in the beginning of her story must have been great. She had experienced great loss. It’s important to remember that her season of suffering wasn’t her destination, but simply her path to a better life. Without her losses and pain, she would have been on a different path completely.
It’s easy to think that our hard times are going to last forever. Sometimes our pain is so overwhelming, it can be difficult to imagine it passing. But, as we learn from the story of Ruth, if we stay faithful and trust in our God, things will change. Things will get better, and He will provide. God will use our pain as a piece of our story. Your story matters to God.
-Your character matters
Ruth had no idea that thousands of years after she lived, people would be reading her story. She chose to live a life of faithfulness, bravery, consistency, and obedience. As a reward, she became part of the lineage of Christ. Today, we study her choices and how the decisions that she made impacted her course.
You never know who is watching you. Your story matters. Your character may be the only chance you get to share the love of Christ with someone. We know, as Christians, that our works do not save us, and that is not what I am saying. I am simply reminding you that, like Ruth, you do not know how your story will be used. Let it be a good one, and let people see Christ in you.
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35