The story of Ruth in the Bible is a beautiful one. It teaches us so many lessons if we’d only stop and think about the many facets and details of the story.
It’s a story of redemption, love, and commitment for sure. But, one underlying theme we can easily miss is the fact that each of us has so much impact on the lives of others through our day-to-day dealings with them. Those behaviors, words, and actions that seem so trivial at the time matter, and others notice. There is a beautiful reminder of this in the story of Ruth.
“But Ruth said:
“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.””
The Story of Ruth
I love reading the story of Ruth in the Bible. There is a lot to ponder in this sweet, short book. If you’ve read the story, Ruth 1:16 is likely a familiar passage to you.
At this point in the story, Naomi, Ruth’s mother-in-law, is leaving the land of Moab to return to her home in the land of Judah. While in Moab, Naomi’s husband died, along with her two sons– one of whom was Ruth’s husband. Ruth had no real need or obligation to go with Naomi to her homeland. After all, Ruth was a Moabite and she still had family ties in Moab.
So, what compelled her to leave with Naomi?
Certainly, Ruth’s love for Naomi was a piece of the motivation, but that wasn’t all. Naomi pleaded more than once with her daughters-in-law not to follow her. Orpah, the woman who had been married to Naomi’s other son, chose to stay in Moab. Yet, Ruth would not take no for an answer. Why?
Ruth wanted Naomi’s God to be her God.
Just an Ordinary Day
Naomi and her family probably had many ordinary days in Moab. They found a home, the men worked and provided for their wives; perhaps, they made new friends. Then, her husband died. Later, her two sons died. But, at some point during the 10 years that Naomi’s family lived in the land, Ruth began to gain an understanding of the God these Israelite foreigners served.
In the end, Ruth noticed that Naomi still trusted in the Lord to provide, despite all of the tragedy she’d faced— otherwise, she would not have been willing to return to her homeland. Naomi was going back because, although she was bitter (Ruth 1:20), she knew her only hope was in returning to the Lord. This compelled Ruth to want to know the God of Naomi.
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You may think that today is just another ordinary day. You have the same daily things to do at work, around the house, or with your kids. Maybe you have a few errands to run. Nothing out of the ordinary, you think.
Is it, though?
Intentional living
I remember the first time someone asked me if I was a Christian. It was an ordinary day. At the time, I was working at the front desk of a nonprofit organization, so I was the first point of contact for everyone coming into the office. I still can picture his face— the man was likely in his 60’s, he had shaggy gray hair, a square jaw, and a big smile. This happened over 10 years ago, and to this day, I still have no idea what I did to prompt him to ask me that question. When someone approached the front desk, my normal protocol was to greet them and ask, “How can I help you?” Likely, that’s all I did on that “ordinary” day.
The gentleman told me his name, what he needed, and then asked: “Are you a Christian?” But, what struck me was that he didn’t ask the question with a shred of doubt; he asked as if to confirm what he already knew. I remember returning a big smile and responding affirmatively. As a newer believer at the time, I was amazed that he could tell. Honestly, I was too stunned to ask him the same question in response, but I can guess that if I had, he would have said ‘yes.’ Undoubtedly, being a Christian helped him spot a fellow Christian; however, that wasn’t the important part of the story for me.
On that ordinary day, I learned just how easily people notice things about others, whether they realize it or not. If they can recognize where your heart lies in the short time it takes to exchange simple pleasantries, how much more so during longer interactions?
With the Lord, nothing is ever ordinary. There are no ordinary days that mean nothing. Unbeknownst to you, or perhaps you’re fully aware— there are always people watching you. They watch how you react, what you say, and how you interact with others.
They may not even realize that they’re watching you, but subconsciously they take notice, as Ruth did.
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Ordinary Days lead to extraordinary circumstances
So, let’s get back to the story of Ruth. Because Ruth took notice of Naomi’s faith and followed her home to Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, several monumental things happened. Ruth eventually married a man named Boaz, who was a close relative in Naomi’s family. Boaz was not only able to buy the land belonging to Naomi’s deceased husband, but also marry Ruth and continue the family name. Instead of being destitute widows for the remainder of their lives, both Naomi and Ruth had someone to care for and provide for them.
Then, one ordinary day, Boaz and Ruth had a son named Obed. Eventually, Obed had a son named Jesse, and Jesse had a son named David— better known as King David. Years later, the Savior of the world would be born from this same family line-- right there in Naomi’s hometown of Bethlehem.
Why?
Because, one ordinary day, Naomi decided to return to her God and her people in Bethlehem, and Ruth decided to follow her. Ruth and Boaz’s descendants were tied to the land in Bethlehem for generations to come– all the way down to Mary and Joseph, who had to return to Bethlehem for the census taking place at the time of Jesus’s birth.
Ruth's decision to follow God led to Jesus being born in a manger, in a little town called Bethlehem.
I’ll say it again: With the Lord, nothing is ever ordinary.
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Be Purposeful
So, what will others notice about you on your so-called “ordinary” days?
Will they see the Lord reflected in your actions, speech, and interactions? Or will they think you’re just like them?
Like in the story of Ruth, do your actions warrant others to say, I want her God to be my God? Or is there no indication that you even follow the Almighty God?
Do you live in a way that leads others to want to know the Lord, simply because they know you?
Be Encouraged
Sister, today I encourage you to stand boldly for the Lord. I’m not just talking about standing boldly during times when you need to give a defense for the hope that is in you (1 Peter 3:15).
I’m talking about standing for Him during the “daily” things you’ll likely encounter today.
Yes, you do stand for him when the bank teller has a bad attitude, when someone bumps into you and doesn’t apologize, or when your kids throw a tantrum in the grocery store. In all of these things, you can respond in ways that either encourage others to know your God or discourage them from wanting to know Him.
Be intentional in your actions. Through the grace of God, be the catalyst that helps those around you come to realize that they want to be one of His people.
Allow your actions to encourage others to follow you to the “land of your God.”
