Ruth 1:  (MSG)
15  Naomi said, “Look, your sister-in-law is going back home to live with her own people and gods; go with her.”
16  But Ruth said, “Don’t force me to leave you; don’t make me go home. Where you go, I go; and where you live, I’ll live. Your people are my people, your God is my god;
17  where you die, I’ll die, and that’s where I’ll be buried, so help me GOD-not even death itself is going to come between us!”
18  When Naomi saw that Ruth had her heart set on going with her, she gave in.

If you like love stories, then the Book of Ruth is a book you want to read.

It is not your typical love story like maybe Romeo and Juliet, but rather a love story between a mother, Naomi, and her daughter in law, Ruth

Naomi’s husband is dead and both of her sons are also dead leaving only the two daughter-in-laws are left. The in-laws were not bound to their mother-in-law and were free to go their own way, maybe even finding a new husband.

The one daughter-in-law does leave and heads back to her home town. The other, Ruth, decides she wants to stay with Naomi.  The mother-in-law tries to talk her out of it.  Ruth, though, has her heart made up and tells the mother-in-law that no matter what you say I am with you even unto death.

Now in today’s society this would probably looked at with some disbelief.  The relationship between in-laws are usually at best lukewarm.  Yes, there may be a few in-law stories like the one we read in the Book of Ruth, but, it would be scarce.

There is a correlation between this love story and what should be the story between Christ and His’ children.  We know that Christ will never leave us or forsake us, but he has wandering children.

A story found in the New Testament is that of the prodigal son.  He couldn’t get away from his’ father fast enough.  So he took his’ part of the inheritance and went to a far off country.  It took him all the way to finding himself in the pig pen trying to eat the pig’s slop to bring him to his’ correct thinking.

If only we could speak like Ruth did to her mother-in-law that she would stay with Naomi even until the end.

God’s children need that same type of love and devotion towards our heavenly father.

Is that the prayer found in your heart?