Ruth 1: Generous Loving
Written by Author and Speaker, Dave Hopwood http://www.davehopwood.com/
The story of Ruth and Naomi begins with lack and loss. The women go to Moab because of famine. They return when they hear a whisper that the famine in Israel is over. When they hear a rumour that God has provided for his people.
Generous Living
The two widows hope they can find food in Bethlehem, though they are returning poor and vulnerable and with no real prospects. In dark times hope is a bright light. Little by little Ruth’s generous promise to stand by Naomi (Ruth 1:16-17) coaxes fresh hope from Naomi.
Ruth’s attitude affects her mother-in-law. For good. We can only guess how Naomi felt about Ruth coming with her. Naomi may have feared for Ruth’s safety: a young, widowed foreigner in a strange land with a different God.
What we do know is this. Despite her overwhelming grief Naomi is generous in her hopes and prayers for a better future for Ruth (1:8-9). Little by little, by the grace of God, together they begin to find help and encouragement.
Attitudes
Our attitudes and outlook on life are contagious. Eric Liddell, the Scots athlete featured in the film Chariots of Fire, once said, ‘Everything we do can draw people closer to God or push them a little further away.’ Generosity begins with our outlook on life.
Guard your heart, Proverbs 4:23 tells us, because it is the beginning of who we are and all we do. We might add, guard your mind too. How we think affects how we act and react.
Surely that’s why Jesus tells us, “Watch out! Be on your guard against greed” (Lk12:15). Because greed gets in the way of a generous attitude. Greed prevents contagious generosity.
Alongside
Naomi is so broken and hurt by her loss that she feels God has taken everything from her. She talks about the way she has lost everything good. And yet she has Ruth. Standing right next to her is a relative who has promised to stick with her whatever happens. Ruth has decided to look out for Naomi, rather than merely looking out for herself.
It’s often other people, friends and strangers, coming alongside us that can help us start again. When we choose to help others like this, we are living generously. We’re caring about others as much as ourselves.
This makes us think of Jesus’s saying, “Do for others what you’d like them to do for you.” I heard it said recently that looking inward can make us feel down, but looking outward can make us feel better.
When we are generous and caring it can actually help us.
Ruth 1:15-18
“Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.”
But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.”
When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.
Reflect
Would you say that we as a church are known for our generous attitude?
Do you know folks who have impacted you with their positive outlook on life?
How are you with getting alongside others, walking with them in tough times?