Naomi had lost so much in Moab (see yesterday’s introduction to the book of Ruth). She heard the Lord was blessing His children in the Promised Land again and decides to return home.

She encourages her Moabite daughter-in-laws to return to their people in hopes they could find “rest” (likely remarry as they were both still young). (Ruth 1:9)

The three women are weeping and Orpah departs, but Ruth clings to Naomi, her mother-in-law.

This unlikely bond between these two women (mother-in-law and daughter-in-law) was uniquely deep, and special, and crossed strong cultural barriers.

As Naomi pleaded for Ruth to leave her and go back to her family, Ruth utters these famous words of faithfulness,

“Entreat me not to leave you,
Or to turn back from following after you;
For wherever you go, I will go;
And wherever you lodge, I will lodge;
Your people shall be my people,
And your God, my God.
Where you die, I will die,
And there will I be buried.
The Lord do so to me, and more also,
If anything but death parts you and me.” (Ruth 1:16-17)

Did you see it? What truly bound these two from different cultures and different generations was that they worshipped the same God.

Ruth says, “Your God shall be my God.”

Ruth was drawn to Naomi, but, more importantly, she was drawn to Naomi’s God.

I wonder how many times Naomi had prayed over her daughters-in-law as she did in Ruth 1:8-9?

God is the glue that overcame the typical, in-law and cultural issues! He does amazing things as we see each other as His children.

This unlikely bond of these two women is a foreshadowing of the bond of those who are in Christ.

For those who are in Christ are sisters and brothers and heirs to the promise! There is no more Jew, or Greek, or slave or free! (Gal 3:28-29).

Oh friend, the evil one wants to separate us, and divide us, and pit us against each other on all kinds of issues. How we see it right now!

But the truth is, things like skin color don’t truly divide us. The only true divider is sin color! We are either stained by sin that we ourselves cannot remove, or we’ve been washed white as snow by the blood of the Lamb!

May God give us eyes to see each other this way! May those who do not know God be drawn to Him in us! May we love others with the love of Christ so they will want what we have. THIS is the only way to real unity. He is our only hope for peace in this life and the life to come!

What a Savior!

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