Your God Will Be My God Series

Your God Will Be My God

Text: Ruth 1:6-18

Introduction

1. Illustration: “Always remember the essence of Christian holiness is simplicity and purity: One design, one desire: entire devotion to God” (John Wesley).

2. The story of Ruth shows us the blessings of devotion. Ruth’s devotion to Naomi, and as a result, her devotion to Naomi’s God.

3. Read Ruth 1:6-18

Transition: Ruth’s willingness to cling to Naomi is…

I. The Ultimate Sign of Devotion

A. Like I said earlier, God always has a plan! In vv. 6-7 we find out what that plan is, as we read, “Then Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had blessed his people in Judah by giving them good crops again. So Naomi and her daughters-in-law got ready to leave Moab to return to her homeland. 7 With her two daughters-in-law she set out from the place where she had been living, and they took the road that would lead them back to Judah.”

1. Four things paint for us a picture of divine grace. First, it was a gift from God, that in the middle of all of her pain and grief, Naomi is able to hear good news from home.

2. Second, she finds out that God had intervened and blessed his people. She finds out God had given the people good crops again and the famine that chased her from her home is over.

3. Third, the object of God’s favor was his people. Even though they had turned against him, he had not forgotten his people. Even when we sin against God, he is always willing to take us back when we repent.

4. The fourth thing that shows the grace of God, is that God’s people have bread again. The name Bethlehem means “house of bread,” so the cupboards have been restocked.

5. After hearing this good news from home Naomi decides to return to her own country

B. Now we see that Naomi is someone who looks out for the best interest of others. In vv. 8-9 we read, “But on the way, Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back to your mothers’ homes. And may the LORD reward you for your kindness to your husbands and to me. 9 May the LORD bless you with the security of another marriage.” Then she kissed them good-bye, and they all broke down and wept.”

1. As they were on their way, Naomi realizes that life for her daughter’s-in-law would be difficult.

2. They would be seen as outsiders, and even outcasts as they were not worshipers of Yahweh at this time.

3. They were widows with little chance of finding new husbands in Israel, and they would have little opportunity to make a living.

4. So, Naomi encourages them to go back to their own country, and she even prays for God to bless them with new marriages among their own people.

5. She wants what’s best for them and sees that coming with her is not going to be easy for them.

C. But the two young women show their devotion to Naomi. “No,” they said. “We want to go with you to your people.” 11 But Naomi replied, “Why should you go on with me? Can I still give birth to other sons who could grow up to be your husbands? 12 No, my daughters, return to your parents’ homes, for I am too old to marry again. And even if it were possible, and I were to get married tonight and bear sons, then what? 13 Would you wait for them to grow up and refuse to marry someone else? No, of course not, my daughters! Things are far more bitter for me than for you, because the LORD himself has raised his fist against me.”

1. Even though they are only daughters-in-law, Naomi has become like a mother to them, and they do not want to leave her.

2. This is an incredible statement of devotion by the two younger women. They would rather stay with Naomi rather than go back to their own people.

3. They did not want to return to their people but would rather be with her and her people.

4. But again, Naomi shows she wants what’s best for them. She tells them she’s too old to get married again and have more sons for them to marry, and even if she did remarry and have sons for them as husbands, they would be too old for them to marry by the time they grew up.

5. Then she says that the Lord has raised his fist against her. She thought that God was punishing her and the pain she had been through was God’s judgement against her.

6. But even if we sin, God is not against us, he is always for us.