A Love Most Precious: A 10-Day Reading Plan Based on the Book of RuthНамуна

In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. RUTH 1:1 ESV

When we begin a brand-new chapter in our lives, we have no idea how it will read later. It might go very well for us, with a new career, or a new church, or a move far across the country. We all want to avoid any Shakespearean tragedies, and instead, we run merrily toward the happily-ever-afters. Right?

Naomi—Ruth’s future mother-in-law—was clueless as to how her life would turn out after she and her family moved to Moab. Even though they were fleeing a famine in their homeland, they surely had reservations. They knew Moab was not only a foreign land with a pagan people, but it was a forbidden place for Israelites like Naomi and her family. It appears that fear influenced them. Fear is such a universal and familiar emotion, and without God in the mix, it has the potential to drive us into ominous circumstances. And so, yes—Naomi’s story is about to become a real page-turner!

For all of us, the Lord has the power to straighten our paths, calm our fears, and give us courage for the trials of the day—if we ask Him. May we include God in all our decisions, so that in the end, our life story will be worth the read!

Lord Jesus, guide me every day in all that I do throughout my life! Amen.