Ruth

I was born to missionary parents and lived overseas till I was twenty. This way of life has caused me to value and support missions wholeheartedly. It is ingrained in my blood and its part of who I am. While missionary life is hard, it molded me in part, who I am today. That is why I find interest in a certain woman of the Bible. She was not a missionary but she cared for her mother in law and left her people to follow her. If you guessed her name to be Ruth you are right. Ruth was from Moab that is present day Jordan which is a three to four, day journey to Bethlehem. Moab was around the Dead Sea and they must have either gone north and around or south and around to get to Bethlehem.They might have had donkeys and the women most likely traveled with a caravan. From a historical timeline Ruth lived 1300 years B.C which means before Christ. The book of Ruth starts when she married Mahlon the Isrealite. We read how Mahlon dies and how Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi begin their journey back to Bethlehem. The Moabites' main god was named Chemosh. Wikipedia.com states that Chemosh mostly likely meant destroyer, subduer or fish god. I don't know if Ruth was taught in the ways of Chemosh would think that Ruth was raised in the ways of Chemosh, but nothing could keep her from declaring that Naomi’s God would be her God and her home would be her home. Whether Ruth was a young bride or older this declaration shows true dedication not only to Naomi but to God. Think about this about this a minute, she was leaving her family, her way of life, everything she knew and loved, to go to a foreign land to live maybe a little differently than what she was used to. She most likely never saw her own family again. Could you do this? One can compare her to a missionary of our present day.They are called to go forth and show to show God’s love to others stateside or overseas. Being from a missionary family myself I will say it is hard and not everyone may be called to be a missionary BUT we all have a calling to be Christ like and show love to those around us. Will you ask Him what His will is for you?