Life Lessons from the Book of Ruth

Life lessons are those things which we learn from every day; for example, teaching your children not to run into the street or touch hot objects. The book of Ruth is full of life lessons for us to follow. Take time to study these four simple life lessons today. Do you remember the story of Naomi and Ruth? Naomi’s husband and sons died leaving her alone with her two daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah. Naomi decided to leave Moab and return to her people in Judah and advised the two girls to return to their own people. The life lessons actually began when Naomi and her husband left Bethlehem (House of Bread) to live in the cursed city of Moab (Genesis 19:30-38). I will begin as Naomi and Ruth are preparing to go back to Bethlehem. Let’s follow Ruth and Naomi on their journey to see what life lessons God is trying to teach us.

Life Lesson #1:  Go where God tells you to go.  Orpah left to return to her people; however, Ruth chose not to go.  Ruth begged Naomi to let her continue on the journey with her. Ruth made a conscious choice to follow Naomi, not only pledging allegiance to Naomi, but to Naomi’s God. Ruth recognized God’s leading and she followed her heart toward richer rewards (Ruth 1:16-17).

Life Lesson #2: Honor your mentors. We have been given many mentors to help us on this journey we call life. Sometimes we think we know more than our mentors; however, we need to learn to listen and obey. When God wants to bless you, He puts a person in your life. Naomi was Ruth’s mentor and Ruth allowed Naomi to guide her decisions (Ruth 3:3-5).  When they got back to Bethlehem, the master of the field, Boaz, became her mentor as well. Thinking of her safety, Boaz advised Ruth to stay close to his workers and not wander into another field (Ruth 2:8-10). Boaz also became her spiritual mentor by pronouncing a spiritual blessing upon her (Ruth 2:12). 

Life Lesson #3: Seasons change, be ready to change with them. Ruth started working the fields at the beginning of the barley harvest and also worked through the wheat harvest (Passover thru Pentecost). Ruth stayed and only worked in the fields of Boaz through a change in seasons; she could have gone to work in other fields; however, she would have missed out on the blessings God had prepared for her (Ruth 2:23). When we talk about barley we are talking about the grain which is harvested at Passover; it is a hardy grain which can withstand harsh conditions, unlike wheat. Ruth withstood many harsh conditions while in Moab and on the way to Bethlehem; however, she was willing to stay during the change in seasons, thus receiving the blessing of Pentecost (Exodus 23:24-33).

Life Lesson #4: Never let grief overwhelm you nor become bitter at the loss of something you loved. Naomi lost her husband and two sons within a ten year period (Ruth 1:1-5). Ruth also lost her husband, her brother-in-law, and her father-in-law (Ruth 1:5). Both of these women suffered great loss; however, they reacted differently to those losses. Naomi became bitter because of what she had lost (Ruth 1:20). Ruth was not bitter at her loss; she was determined to be a blessing  to her mother-in-law even though her loss was as great as Naomi’s(Ruth 1:16-17). Ruth, through her obedience, gained a husband and a place in the genealogy of Jesus.  Little did Ruth know that her son would be the grandfather of  King David (Ruth 4:16-22) and therefore, in the lineage of Jesus Christ. Sometimes from loss comes great rewards.

I have briefly reviewed these four life lessons from the book of Ruth; I hope you enjoyed it.  Take a look at your life to see if there are areas where these life lessons can be of use.  For an in-depth look at these and other life lessons from the book of Ruth, please look for my book, 10 Life Lessons from the Book of Ruth,  which will be released later this year. Noami and Ruth traveled together for 7 – 10 days to get the Bethlehem.  They were not traveling aimlessly through the wilderness; they were in pursuit of purpose.  On their journey, they learned from each other as they learned to love each other more. Learn to let love become part of your journey.