“Let's look for loyal love” (10 mins.)
These chapters of Ruth that we begin to study this week teach us and await many lessons on loyal love. The same that Jehovah shows us to each one of his servants and that we must imitate towards our brothers. Just as Ruth acted with Naomi out of a sincere heart. It was his wish out of loyal love to stay with Naomi and not abandon her or leave her alone.
Even when Naomi herself insisted that her daughters-in-law return to their families and move on with their lives. Orpah finally listened to Naomi and returned to her family, devastated as well. While Ruth, what came from her heart was to continue by her mother-in-law's side. Both decisions, both Orpah's and Ruth's were correct, they both loved Naomi and helped her, Ruth went one step further.
LET'S READ: Ruth 1:8,13.
“Noemi said to her daughters-in-law: “Better go, return each one to her mother's house. And may Jehovah show you loyal love, just as you have shown me and my children. May Jehovah grant each of you a husband and the security of a home.” Then he kissed them and they began to cry uncontrollably. And they told him: “No, we will not return. We will go with you and live with your people.” But Naomi said to them: “Go back, my daughters. Why are they coming with me? Can I have children to marry you? Come back, my daughters, go away, I am already too old to get married. And supposing I could get married tonight and have children, would you wait for them to grow up before you could marry them? Would they stay unmarried all that time? No, my daughters. Jehovah has turned against me, and,when I think about how this is making you suffer, I feel enormous bitterness.”
Naomi had felt the loyal love of both Orpah and Ruth, and she wanted them to return to their families and for Jehovah to show her the same loyal love. That they get a husband again and continue with their lives, which were still young.
Noemi, apart from being upset by the deaths she had to suffer from her husband and her children, at her age, she thought that she could no longer contribute anything to her daughters-in-law and that she had no value. She was sunk and her life had no meaning, she thought that God had turned against her, but Ruth, thanks to her loyal love, showed her that she was wrong.
She showed her that she was still worth a lot and that Jehovah had not turned against her, nor had he ever abandoned her, and then to Boaz who helped them. Ruth could have done the same as Orpah, in the end, it was her home, her family, her land, her language, her people, her culture. Naomi could not offer him any of this, but a future with uncertainty.
But Ruth did not abandon her, however difficult things might be. In her heart she had the sincere intention of continuing with Naomi, helping her and being a support for her daughter-in-law, all because of the loyal love that moved her to be with her.
LET'S READ: Ruth 1:16,17.
“But Ruth told him: “Don't insist that I leave you, that I separate from you; because where you go I will go, and where you spend the night I will spend the night. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May Jehovah punish me severely if I part with you for any reason other than death.”
This love that Ruth had for Naomi is very moving. But so is the love he felt for Jehovah. Ruth already knew him, through her husband or through her mother-in-law. Until he said in these verses that "your God will be my God." Ruth made a decision driven by loyal love and it was the right one, to serve Jehovah. Even Boaz commended her for seeking refuge under Jehovah's “wings.”
Naomi had lost everything, but Ruth also lost her husband and supported Naomi. Ruth sheltered herself as a chick does under her parents, under their “wings”. Jehovah was a father to Ruth and she was rewarded for his tremendous faith and loyal love.
We have the opportunity to show and make decisions very similar to Ruth's to show our loyal love for our neighbor, for Jehovah. As we see in the image. The loyal love we feel for others leads us to show commitment, integrity, loyalty and deep attachment. The same thing that Jehovah demonstrates to his servants.
LET'S READ: Psalm 63:3.
“Your loyal love is better than life; therefore my own lips will give you glory.”
In the image, we see some brothers who possibly live far away or do not see this sister and her son frequently, they go to their home to bring them emotional support and help. Not only because of his presence, both physically and online by video call, towards a possibly single-parent family that is not having a good time.
On the right side, we see how the mother is moved to see how these brothers visit her and bring her food. Many brothers are going through and suffering circumstances that we are not even aware of. If we care about them, we can see that they need our help, and that we can help them in many ways, such as making a purchase as reflected in the image. This is because we too must show loyal love to others.
LET'S READ: Proverbs 21:21.
"Whoever diligently seeks justice and loyal love will find life, justice and glory."
As mentioned in this verse, we have to seek justice and loyal love for Jehovah, we have to strive to seek and find him, because thanks to that we can find life, justice and glory. Because only in Jehovah will we find that.
Despite the circumstances that we may face, we have to be strong and loyal to Jehovah. Only in him will we have justice. We have to diligently seek justice and loyal love, because Jehovah hates the way of the wicked, but he loves those who seek justice.
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