The best life is one lived in the service of others. The story of Ruth demonstrates this perfectly. Recall that in our meditation yesterday, we saw that Elimelech’s move to Moab did not have a happy ending. He and his two sons died in that foreign land. Now, it was time for Naomi to return to Bethlehem-Judah. She urged her two daughters-in-law to stay back in their country to pick up their lives again. Orpah obliged, but Ruth chose to go with Naomi. It was an unpopular choice. She bound herself to Naomi and her God. Her father-in-law, brother-in-law, and husband had died in quick succession. An average person would probably think that their family was jinxed and run for dear life. Nevertheless, she made the choice to stick with Naomi. Not even the low prospect of getting a husband could dissuade her.

The best life is one lived in the service of others…God gave us brains to reason with…Those who know how to follow their hearts often encounter great breaks along the way.

We find a couple of lessons from Ruth’s attitude. First of all, her decision was from the heart not the head. Her heart served as the compass. God gave us brains to reason with. There are times when things won’t add up but the heart goads us on. Those who know how to follow their hearts often encounter great breaks along the way. The second lesson comes from the fact that Ruth’s decision was completely selfless. There was no personal gain in sight when she opted to leave her people and country and follow a stranger. She only saw a gap in an old woman’s life and filled it. No wonder God honoured her and she made it to the genealogy of Jesus Christ.