Ruth is defined by loyalty and devotion. Her life certainly did not evolve how she likely dreamed. Perhaps Ruth dreamed of a happy marriage, a home, filled with children, large dinners, laughter, and happiness.
Let’s set the stage for the Book of Ruth.
What she experienced was the complete opposite for her life. As what appears to transpire when she was a young woman, her husband died before they had children. Her father-in-law and brother-in-law died, leaving her to live with her sister-in-law and her mother-in-law. Three widows living together. Hardly the dream life she had likely hoped for. On top of that, her mother-in-law, named Naomi, ordered Ruth and her sister-in-law, Orpah, to return to their families in Moab, as she decided to return to her homeland in Judah.
What Ruth did was defining. She refused to leave her mother-in-law. Even though that meant traveling to the land of Judah to start a new life, where she knew no one, she remained loyal and devoted to Naomi and in Ruth 1:16, Ruth said “Entreat me not to leave you, or turn back from following after you, For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will will lodge; Your people shall by my people.”
To emphasize and highlight Ruth’s devotion even further, Ruth 1:18 says, “When she (Naomi) saw that she (Ruth) was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her.” Can you imagine? Not a great way to start a 75 mile journey across the Jordan River, rugged and hilly terrain, which likely took them 7-10 days to walk.
The Book of Ruth shows us that God is still present in what seem like horrible times.
God remains faithful even in famine and loss. The Book of Ruth opens talking about famine, exile, and death (Ruth 1:1–5). At first glance, God seems absent. Yet in verse 6, Naomi hears that “the LORD had visited His people and given them food.” This echoes God’s covenant promise to Israel: He would not abandon His people, even when they experienced discipline or hardship (cf. Deut. 30:1–5). God restores provision at the right time.
God preserves the line of redemption. Though Naomi loses her husband and sons, God is quietly protecting the future through Ruth—a Moabite widow, an outsider. This fulfills God’s long-term promise that blessing would come through unexpected people and means (Gen. 12:3). Even before we see Boaz or David, God is already keeping His promise to bring redemption through a faithful line.
God shows covenant love through human faithfulness. Ruth’s loyalty to Naomi (1:16–17) reflects God’s own covenant love. While spoken by Ruth, it mirrors God’s promise: “I will not leave you.” God is keeping His promise to care for the vulnerable—widows, foreigners, the poor—by working through Ruth’s faithfulness.
What can we take away from Naomi and Ruth in this first chapter and apply to our lives?
God is at work even when my story feels empty. Naomi believes she has returned “empty” (1:21), but the reader knows she is not. Ruth is with her—and Ruth carries the future. God is still working, even when we cannot yet see how.
God does not abandon us in bitterness or grief. Naomi is honest about her pain, and God does not rebuke her. He meets her in it. We can bring our grief to God, and He will remain faithful even when our faith feels weak.
God’s redemption often begins with a simple step of obedience. Ruth’s promise to stay is not dramatic—just faithful. Yet it becomes the doorway to redemption. If we walk faithfully today, God can use small obedience for purposes far bigger than I imagine.
