“Entreat me not to leave you,
Or to turn back from following after you;
For wherever you go, I will go;
And wherever you lodge, I will lodge;
Your people shall be my people,
And your God, my God.
Where you die, I will die,
And there will I be buried.
The Lord do so to me, and more also,
If anything but death parts you and me.”

(Ruth 1:16-17 NKJV)

When you read the above verses, what do you think of? Are you reminded of the wedding you went to recently? Did you memorize these verses during childhood?

This passage from the book of Ruth comes at a crucial time during Ruth’s story. In the first chapter, she had just lost her husband, brother-in-law, and father-in-law. Her sister-in-law Orpah – now also a widow – had returned to her homeland and her gods. Her mother-in-law Naomi entreated her to go back to her homeland and do the same, but in the verses above, Ruth vehemently refuses to leave and promises to stay by Naomi’s side in Judah. For a woman alone in a foreign land, this was a huge commitment, not to be taken lightly by any means. However, because she took such a leap of faith, she was able to find fulfillment in her service to Naomi and eventually find a loving, supporting, and honorable husband in Boaz.

So what can we learn from these two verses beyond the account in which they reside? I think we as Christians can learn at least three devotions we should have: devotion to family, devotion to spouse, and devotion to God.

Devotion to Family

This passage is a direct quote from Ruth to Naomi, begging her to let her stay with her instead of returning home. In fact, the book of Ruth has our titular protagonist primarily serving Naomi throughout the narrative. She even left her faith in her gods to adopt a faith in the God Naomi served. Though she took a great risk, she was supported by not only Naomi (Ruth 3:1), but also Boaz (Ruth 2:8-11; 3:10-13; 4:13-22).

Regardless of whether or not you were raised in the church, your church family serves Naomi’s role, and when you become a member of the church, you are essentially following in Ruth’s footsteps. You’re all in this together, and even though it’s not always easy, you have the support of your family, both earthly and in the church – just like Ruth had Naomi.

Devotion to Spouse

These two verses are often heard during wedding ceremonies, along with passages from 1 Corinthians 13, especially 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a: “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.” Why is that?

The words in Ruth 1:16-17 signify a devotion that knows no end except death. 1 Corinthians 13 does something similar by emphasizing the importance of love itself. The commitment Ruth makes to Naomi is actually very similar to the trifold covenant created by a husband, wife, and God in marriage. Because of the significance of this commitment, we shouldn’t enter into such a covenant lightly, especially when we’re at the age of deciding who we want to marry. Regardless of if you’re married or not, it’s important to consider the fact that the person you choose to spend the rest of your life with will – and should – remain by your side all of your days, and that you will – and should – do the same.

Devotion to God

I have been absolutely loving Deuteronomy 7:9 lately. The passage tells us: “Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments.” I feel like this verse correlates to Ruth 1:16-17, because it shows that the devotion goes both ways.

Even though she was far away from her homeland and seemingly far away from those she knew and loved, Ruth took a risk and remained with Naomi. In doing so, she gained a faith in – and in so doing, devotion to – Christ. Because our God is faithful, He provided Ruth with strength, comfort, and support. Here’s the cool part: He does the exact same thing for us, if we let him.

In conclusion, we learn from Ruth’s promise to Naomi that we should practice the same devotion with our family (both earthly and in the church), our spouse, and the God we serve. Ruth kept her promise, and in return, she not only received the outpouring of love from her family, her community, and her husband, but she also got to be a part of the genealogy of Christ Himself (Ruth 4:18-22; Matthew 1:1-16). If we can learn to show and receive devotion the way Ruth did, we will go far in our relationships with others, and especially with God.

By Savannah Cottrell