Ruth 1

Verses 16-17, “Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.”

What an incredible statement of devotion. A connection deeper than what most people experience in their life has occurred between Naomi and Ruth. It doesn’t say why or how this has happened, only this quote from Ruth proves it.

I wonder if this is about the character of Naomi or Ruth or maybe both. Whoever it is, this statement is powerful. Most marriages don’t have this deep spiritual connection, let alone friendships. It makes me think about my relationships and how I add value into other people’s lives. I’m not looking for people to say this about me as an endeavor of life. I doubt that Naomi did either. It happened out of a natural living out of her character. Ruth was drawn to her and was willing to do whatever it took to stay at her side and remain in her circle of influence. Do I have the character that draws people in like that?