The Right People Will Stay No Matter What

In the fast-paced world in which we live, friendships can be fickle. All too often friends fall by the wayside when things get messy, when we need them the most. But – good news – inevitably, the right people will stick around, no matter what. Naomi was a Jewish woman who, during a great famine, moved to Moab with her husband and two sons. As things turned out, the boys married local girls, giving her two Moabite daughters-in-law – Orpah and Ruth. But after both her husband and two sons died, since the Moabites and Jews were sworn enemies, she decided to move back to Bethlehem. You can imagine what a tough time she was having. And yet, rather than demanding their support and loyalty, she urged Orpah and Ruth to remain behind and start new lives in their own community.  Ruth 1:16-17 But Ruth said, "Don't force me to leave you! Don't force me to go back to my own people. Let me go with you. Wherever you go, I will go. Wherever you sleep, I will sleep. Your people will be my people. Your God will be my God. Where you die, I will die, and that is where I will be buried. I ask the LORD to punish me if I don't keep this promise. Orpah turned back, but Ruth clung to Naomi in her hour of need with staggering loyalty, given the sacrifice that she'd have to make, as a Moabite moving to Israel. If you read the rest of the story, God blessed Ruth mightily and, through her, the rest of the world for all time, since Jesus was one of her direct descendants. God honours loyalty. Be that friend who sticks around, no matter what! That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.