Judges 21, I Chronicles 6:4-15, Ruth 1&2

Ruth and Orpah loved their mother-in-law. Both young women had lost their husbands yet continued to stay with Naomi. When Naomi decided to go back to her people, Orpah left and went home to her own. Ruth begged to go with Naomi.

Orpah did nothing wrong. There were no legal or moral ties between the women any more. And it wasn’t that Orpah didn’t love Naomi. It sounds like it hadn’t been an easy decision for her to leave her mother-in-law.

I love how Ruth expressed her love for Naomi, though. Her beautiful words are often quoted at weddings. But beyond her words, Ruth expressed love in action. When they got to Bethlehem Ruth went to work to provide for herself and her mother-in-law. When she was given a good lunch, she thought of Naomi and took her the left-overs.

What I see in Ruth’s story is that love is something you do. It’s a verb. So many people think it’s just a feeling. But feelings change. 

I don’t believe in “love” at first sight. I believe in attraction, in interest at first sight. But those things are not love. I don’t believe in “falling” in love, either. Or the mistaken idea you can’t help who you love. As thinking humans who make choices, love is a choice. I see those other ideas as Satan’s attempts to corrupt God’s provision of marriage between a man and a woman.

Ruth loved Naomi. She demonstrated that by what she did. God loves us. And he demonstrated that by what he did, too. He died for us while we were yet sinners.

Ruth’s and Jesus’ examples of love speak loudly to me today. May I demonstrate the love I have for my family, for my friends, for my Lord, by what I do and say today.