This week’s devotional is the touching story of Naomi and Ruth, a tale that resonates with themes of perseverance and loyalty. Naomi, having lost her husband and sons in a foreign land, felt the cold shadow of abandonment, fearing that God had forgotten her. Her daughter-in-law, Ruth, refused to leave her side, choosing instead a path of loyalty by following Naomi back to Bethlehem. Their story, stark with loss and grief, unfolds into a beautiful testament of God’s subtle, yet steadfast hand in our lives.

Naomi’s journey of rediscovery began with Ruth’s decision to glean in the fields of Boaz, a relative of Naomi. It was here that the seeds of a new beginning were sown. In the unfolding of their story, we see a powerful example of how God mends a broken heart with threads of new opportunities and compassionate care. This is highlighted in the book of Ruth, chapter 2, verse 20, where Naomi recognizes the hand of God in their lives:

“Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, ‘Why, God bless that man! God hasn’t quite walked out on us after all! He still loves us, in bad times as well as good!” (Ruth 2:20, The Message)

Have you ever felt like Naomi? Those moments when it seems as if God may have walked out, leaving us to our struggles? It’s in these raw and vulnerable times that God’s presence can seem faint, almost non-existent. Yet, the story of Ruth and Naomi reminds us that He is always there, working in ways we might not see or understand at the moment.

God’s love is a constant through both our triumphs and our trials, reminding us that He is ever-present, shaping our paths and turning our pain into purpose. Just as He guided Ruth and Naomi through their darkest times to a place of blessing and renewal, He walks beside us, holding the light in the night until we can see the dawn.

This week, let us hold fast to the promise that God is with us in every season of life. In moments of doubt, may we remember Ruth and Naomi, and find comfort in knowing that our paths are also being woven with threads of divine grace and new beginnings. May this truth anchor our hearts, especially when the way forward is unclear.

ruth #biblestudy #devotional #godisfaithful

Note as I finish writing this devotional this morning- I find myself humming…

God will make a way
Where there seems to be no way
He works in ways we cannot see
He will make a way for me

He will be my guide
Hold me closely to His side
With love and strength for each new day
He will make a way, He will make a way