What follows is something the Lord started dealing with me about just the other night.  It’s rather unrefined but I wanted to share it anyway.

***

The book of Ruth opens with a story about a woman named Naomi.  Naomi moves to Moab with her husband because there is a famine in Israel.  Naomi and her husband have two sons, who marry Moabite women–Ruth and Orpah (Ruth 1:1-4).  Naomi’s husband dies.  Ten years later, both her sons die (Ruth 1:4-5).  Having nothing left in Moab, Naomi decides to return to Bethlehem. She urges her daughters-in-law to remarry and remain in Moab.  At first, they both refuse.  But Naomi insists: “No, my daughters, my life is much too bitter for you to share, because the LORD’s hand has turned against me” (Ruth 1:13).  Orpah tearfully agrees with Naomi and returns home.  But Ruth still refuses to leave Naomi and returns with her…