Devotional Reading Plan

Day 5: Relationship and Connection are Key to God’s Blessing

Naomi was a Jewish woman married to Elimelech, a Jewish man from the tribe of Judah and Bethlehem. During a time of severe famine, they moved their family to the land of Moab. Moab was a place God cursed (Deut. 23:3), and a people who were enemies of the children of Israel. Naomi and Elimelech had two sons, and both sons died, leaving two wives. Naomi's husband also died, and she became destitute. She realized the best thing for her to do was to go back to her homeland Bethlehem in the land of Israel.

Naomi broke the news to her two daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth. Orpah decided she's not going to Israel, preferring to stay in Moab with her people. However, Ruth decided that she couldn't break her connection and relationship with Naomi, as today's verse indicates. Ruth had a love and commitment to Naomi and Naomi's God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Ruth and Naomi had nothing. Ruth was willing to leave her family and everything she knew to go back to Naomi's homeland. Why? She didn't want to break the connection. She didn't want to leave the relationship. She wanted to cleave to the God of Israel, to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. She chose to cleave to her mother-in-law, Naomi, whom she had grown to love and with whom she had such a deep and intimate relationship. She was willing to leave it all for the sake of connection and relationship.

Later in the story, Ruth entered into a relationship with Boaz (Ruth 4:13). She cleaved to him and entered wholly into that relationship.

How does this story inspire us? It points out the importance of relationships and connection. The fullness of God's blessing always happens in the context of relationships. God's presence, power, and provision are always proportional to the unity and the depth of His people's relationships.

But there's more! Today, most people treat relationships like contracts. Meaning, "if you do for me and meet my needs, then we'll be friends." Then, as soon as you don't meet my needs, that's it, we're through. A contractual friendship is transactional. We see that in relationships in the church, we see that in marriages. Many people walk out on their marriages when the other person stops meeting their emotional or physical, or financial needs.

Friends, that's not the type of relationship Ruth and Naomi (and later Boaz) had. That's not the type of relationship Jonathan and David knew. That's not the kind of relationship God wants us to have. Instead, we need to develop covenantal relationships that are not based on transactions or selfishness. Covenantal relationships believe in "for better or for worse, in sickness and in health." Like Ruth, It's a friend that sticks with you to the very end. A biblical friend, a covenantal friend, runs in while everyone else is running out.

Abundant life (John 10:10) comes from abundant (covenantal) relationships. Let's be real friends of the Lord and loyal friends of those people who He places in our lives. "Love our neighbors as yourself (Mark 12:31)."