Ruth arrives in Israel - having pledged her life to Naomi - not just as an

outsider, not just as a destitute woman, but as a Moabite, she is despised.

As a loyal, self-denying woman she may seem like a role model of immigrant

subservience we don’t really need right now, but looking a little deeper we

see her courageous leadership is what opens the door to everything else.

Ruth is called Woman of Valor (the OG OT highest praise) before any of her

circumstances actually change though. So this story teaches us about how

god loves to do that, and how he loves to use the ones everyone else rights

off, and how his loving-kindness is to be the fuel of everything we ever do

as christians.