Absolute Trust

    The day dawned bright and sunny in the land of Moab. In a small little house on a hillside, an older woman yawned, and slowly climbed out of bed. She headed down the stairs, and into the kitchen, to find her two daughters-in-law preparing breakfast. The 3 women laughed and talked while they finished preparing breakfast, and then sat down to eat. The older woman, who’s name was Naomi, suddenly became solemn, looking quietly at her two daughters-in-law.

    “Mother Naomi, what’s the matter?” One of the women, Orpah, said.

    Naomi sighed, and looked kindly at the two women. “Ruth, Orpah, I have decided that it is time for me to go back to my home town in Judah. My husband and two sons are both dead, and I feel that it would be much better for me to be back in my home town, Bethlehem.”

    “We will go with you!” Ruth exclaimed quickly. Orpah nodded, “Yes, we will gladly go back with you!”

    Naomi shook her head. “No, my daughters, I believe it is best for you to go back to your families. You would be foreigners in Bethlehem.”

    “Well, at least let us walk part way with you, Mother Naomi! You’d like to have our company, I’m sure.” Ruth said quickly.

    Naomi smiled sadly. “Oh, my dear daughters. I will miss you so much. Yes, you may walk part way with me.”

    The day continued, and eventually Naomi, with Ruth and Orpah, were on their way to Bethlehem. They eventually came to the spot where it was time for them to part ways.

    Naomi looked kindly at the two women. “Go, my daughters, return to your families, and may God go with you.”

    She embraced them, and they all wept together. Orpah turned away, crying, and walked slowly down the road, back towards her home.

    Naomi looked sadly at Ruth. “Go, Ruth, and return to your family. Your sister-in-law has returned, go with her.”

    Ruth looked quietly at her mother-in-law. She took a deep breath, and said, “Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.”

    Naomi stood there quietly, and then smiled. “Come, my daughter, let us continue on to Bethlehem.

    Just as Ruth made the decision to go with her mother-in-law, although it would probably bring trials and hardship into her life, she trusted God.

   We can trust God too, even when it seems like everything is going wrong and we don’t know what to do. Just keep trusting God, and look to Him!

~Ashley Angeles