Pauline’s Notebook

An Example: The Love Story of Ruth and Naomi

I want to end off with a true and beautiful love story between a DIL and a MIL. The story of Ruth and Naomi is an inspiring story. Ruth’s husband had already died and she was not obligated to remain with her MIL. With no husband and no more sons, Naomi the MIL was left with nothing. So Naomi told her DILs to go back to their own mothers. One of the DIL did go back home to her family but Ruth clung to her MIL Naomi, saying, “Where you die, I will die and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.” (Ruth 1:16,17). Can you ever imagine saying that to your MIL?! And I don’t think Naomi (now a widow and without sons) was a very easy person to live with either. She even renamed herself as Mara (Ruth 1:20) meaning ‘bitter’. Yet, Ruth a foreigner, a Moabite, followed Naomi back to Bethlehem. Ruth worked diligently all day in the fields to provide food for her MIL, while her MIL stayed in town (Ruth 2:17,18). Ruth had already gained a reputation because of her love, faithfulness and kindness to her MIL and that was what caught Boaz’s attention (Ruth 2:11). Ruth always listened without question, to her MIL’s instructions (Ruth 2:22,23) even to what seemed like a crazy idea to lie at a man’s feet in the middle of the night (Ruth 3:1-6). And finally, Ruth’s obedience, love and faithfulness to her MIL, eventually allowed her MIL Naomi to restore her name among the people of Israel. See what is said of Naomi because of Ruth. 14 The women (in town) said to Naomi: “Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer… He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.“ Ruth 4:14-15.

Ruth was shown by Scripture to be a woman of God because of her love for her MIL, how beautiful is that? By her virtues alone, she was shown to be a child of God, chosen and dearly loved.

So, let us remember to love our in-laws just like Ruth did, with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Let bear with our in-laws and forgive them because we are God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved. Amen.