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.”
These words echo through the ages as some of the most beautiful words of devotion ever spoken. I think they should become part of every wedding ceremony. Look at the things that might separate family. Some families break up because they move away from other family. Some because of different economic considerations. Some because of in-law problems or differences in religious practices. Ruth will have none of that. She is committed to Naomi and to the Lord. She has seen something in Naomi, even in the deep depression that has followed the death of her husband and her two sons. Something was seen that showed the Lord’s faithfulness. Ruth is committing the rest of her life to the Lord. This is an oath taken with full knowledge of the Lord. She means it. Are there commitments that you have made in your life that you are backing out on? Maybe you should reconsider that choice. Ruth was making the choice to be a widow, without income or support, forced to be a beggar for the rest of her life. She was willing to give everything up in order to have the Lord. Are you selling yourself too cheap?
The Arnold Journey 