the Third Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
Day by Day Devotional - Year 2 of 5
Ruth 1:1-14
Like a beam of light after the sombre pages of the book of Judges, God now gives us the story of Ruth. This beautiful account teaches us that personal faith can exist in every age and among every nation, and that God is always ready to do great things in response to this faith.
In the days when the judges ruled, we see a man, Elimelech, who does, as everyone else is doing, "that which is right in his own eyes". He leaves the inheritance of the LORD and goes off to settle with his family in the country of Moab, in other words, among the enemies of his people. Nothing is gained by going away from God. It results in death, tears, sadness and bitterness for this family. Then we see Naomi, a widow, with her two daughters-in-law, who are also widows, on the way back. Is it a sad return? Yes, but it is, however, a happy return for the person who is at the end of his own resources and turns his thoughts and his steps towards God. In the same way, the prodigal son, in the far country, remembers the place where he can find bread in abundance; he arises and returns to his father’s house (compare v. 6 with Luke 15:17). This is called conversion. We like to think that each of our readers knows the meaning of this word by personal experience.
