Today is July 6th

Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.

Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”

Today’s reading is from the book of Ruth, chapter 1.

11 But Naomi said, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? 16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” 18 When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.

This story is famous for Ruth's demonstration of friendship and fidelity to her mother-in-law Naomi. Can you imagine what it was like to be Naomi. First, she lost her husband. Later, all of her sons died. She had outlived all of her family, and was alone. Consider the degree of desolation she must have felt.

Jesus, in the New Testament, refers to his followers as ‘friends’. That’s a uniqueness to our Christian faith: that God himself drew near to humanity, made a covenant promise to humankind through Jesus, and says that we’re adopted as friends – sisters and brothers, even. Listen to the passage now, considering Ruth’s profound statement of friendship to Naomi... think about what it would actually feel like for Naomi to hear these words of covenant friendship from Ruth.

How are you coming into prayer today? Do you feel alone, or deeply connected to others? Or perhaps somewhere in between?

Music Credit:
More Than A Friend - Vineyard Worship (YouTube)