Reset Your Life: Wisdom From the Book of RuthSample

Why Should You Care About the Story of Ruth?

On the surface, Ruth is a simple story about loss, despair, kindness, and love. But it runs so much deeper than that. Ruth’s life is a turning point for the entire story of the Bible. Without her, we would lose out on some of the most iconic and influential moments in the story of God’s people. That might sound like an exaggeration, but it’s true.

And yet, laying her massive impact on God’s people aside, Ruth’s story is kind of ordinary. She doesn’t part a sea or multiply food, and we don’t see her pray long, beautiful prayers. Instead, she makes small, faithful choices that God uses to change the world.

Ruth’s story is powerful for all of us because it’s so relatable. It’s not the story of royalty, prophets, or priests. It’s the story of an ordinary person making everyday decisions and hoping for a better future. And in the midst of the ordinary, God works to make a massive difference in Ruth’s life, in the lives of people around her, and for all of God’s people, including you.

A Tragic Start

This story is incredibly hopeful, but it’s also incredibly honest. What does that mean? It means the story can help us find genuine hope because it engages with the real-life pain of people like us.

The Book of Ruth begins in the time of the judges—a particularly violent, tragic, and chaotic time for God’s people. They were stuck in a cycle of failure that saw them continually oppressed by hostile nations.

Few books of the Bible are as dark as the Book of Judges. The people keep making harmful choices and facing terrible consequences. It ends with the Israelites turning on each other, committing terrible crimes, and fighting a violent civil war.

Now, you might be thinking it couldn’t get much worse—but wait, there’s more. In today’s reading, you’ll meet Naomi and Ruth. They face a series of setbacks that leave them in a desperate situation.

If anyone needs to reset their life, it’s Naomi: far from home with few resources and processing the enormous grief of losing a husband and two children. But, despite having other options, Ruth chooses to stay with Naomi. At this moment, the story starts to show a glimmer of hope.

During the time of the judges, God gave His people all they needed, but they still consistently lost faith and gave up on God. But Ruth, a woman from outside God’s people, chose to be faithful to Naomi, a woman with no resources and seemingly no future.

Ruth’s loyalty to Naomi changes the trajectory of the entire biblical story. How? Well, you’ll have to continue reading to find out.

In this Plan, we’ll explore how God uses ordinary people to change the world in extraordinary ways. And along the way, we’ll find out how to find a fresh start in our lives when we choose to make consistent, faithful choices.

Challenge: Reflect on your life. What’s an area of your life where you need a reset or a fresh start? Consider how Ruth’s story can help you make a lasting positive change for the rest of this week.

Pray: God, thank You for sharing the story of Ruth with me. Please help me to be open to how You’re speaking to me through her life. In Jesus’ name, amen.