But Ruth replied,
“Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God will be my God.”
—Ruth 1:16
February often brings love to mind, especially on Valentine’s Day. Today, let’s examine one of the most poignant stories of selfless love in the Bible. The story
of Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi is probably familiar, but it bears close examination.
Many Christians aren’t fully aware of what Ruth was asking to do in this verse. Ruth was a young widow and a Moabite woman. If she returned to Israel with Naomi, she would know no one and be totally alone except for her mother-in- law, who the chapter also tells us was already bitter because of her own widowhood and the deaths of her sons.
Worse, Ruth would be considered a foreigner and an outsider because the Moabites worshiped different gods. One of these gods was Chemosh, a destroyer god and “abomination to Israel,” who required child sacrifice. Ruth could be shunned just for association with this god, never mind whether she actively practiced his rites.
Despite all this, Ruth chose to go to Israel with Naomi. The story doesn’t spell it out, but we can infer she had a deep, sacrificial love for her mother-in-law. Ruth proved this love with her promise to make Israel her people and their God hers, embracing a whole new way of life and religion. Her strength, courage and good heart have been lauded for centuries.
Most of us will not be asked to travel to a new nation to show sacrificial love. Yet we can all show it in small ways on Valentine’s Day and every day. Ask God how He would have you show love today.
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