Lessons From the Book of RuthSample

Welcome to the last day of our reading plan on the book of Ruth.

Ruth’s story is set in the time of Judges, a period in the history of the people of Israel known for its moral decline, oppression, idolatry, corruption, and evil (read Judges 2). This is similar to today’s world, where religious oppression is on the rise, immorality is at an all-time high, and true faith is a rare commodity.

Ruth’s story is a small ray of light in an otherwise pretty dark world. Her loyalty and self-sacrificial love for her mother-in-law make Ruth stand out as a woman of integrity. Boaz notices this about her and says:

“The Lord bless you, my daughter,” he replied. “This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor.” – Ruth 3:1

Ruth could have been running after younger men, but she didn’t. She chose to be obedient to God and to her mother-in-law, Naomi, and God rewarded her faithfulness with a great legacy.

The “younger men” represent the flashy, desirable things in life we’re sometimes tempted to pursue. Our world encourages us to pursue fame, wealth, careers, or relationships. Those are not necessarily bad things, but they can be if we desire them more than a life of obedience to God.

Sometimes, living with integrity and following God’s will can mean giving up our own desires to follow His will instead.

Then He said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Me will save it.” - Luke 9:23-24

Ask God today if there are any unhealthy desires in your life that He wants you to give up. Place them in His hands in prayer and ask Him to grant you the strength to live a life of obedience instead.

Hey! You are a Chamatkar

Cameron Mendes

P.S. This is the final day of this plan. The texts from this reading plan come from the daily email subscription Chamatkar Every Day. If you'd like to receive a daily encouraging email, I invite you to subscribe here.