Ruth Devotional

“Taken as a whole, the story of Ruth is one of those signs. It was written to give us encouragement and hope that all the perplexing turns in our lives are going somewhere good. They do not lead off a cliff. In all the setbacks of our lives as believers, God is plotting for our joy.” (John Piper)

The account of Ruth begins in the days of the judges, a tumultuous 400-year period. The Israelites lacked kings and faced anarchy, relying on sporadic deliverers whom God sent during their times of need. Prominent figures among these Judges included Gideon, Samson, and Deborah.

Malawian theologian, Isabel Apawo Phiri, describes the book of Ruth as "encountering a God concerned about the everyday occurrences of ordinary people. It is a remarkable book about God’s sovereignty in his overarching plan for redemption, while being wholly engaged in people's daily trials and struggles."

The Book of Ruth is a beautiful depiction of the truth of Romans 8:28: “And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

“God made a simple, faithful, foreign woman, Ruth, part of the royal line of Israel that went through King David, and thus one of the human forebears of Jesus Christ.” (I.A. Phiri)

Ruth is a story of redeemers. According to US author Timothy Keller, Ruth teaches us that friendships can change the world (as with Boaz, the kinsman-redeemer) and that we can and must reach across spiritual and cultural barriers to do so (as with Ruth, the hidden redeemer). Both Boaz and Ruth point to Jesus, our true Redeemer. Once we realize that, we can reach across barriers to engage in spiritual friendships and be true disciples of Jesus.