Loyal Love

“But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!”

Ruth 1:16-17


The story of Ruth is a beautiful portrait of what loyal love looks like. Ruth, along with her mother in law and sister in law Orpah were all widows living in Moab due to the famine in Israel. Naomi, Ruth’s mother in law was from Bethlehem and decided that after her husbands death she would return to her homeland as the famine was no more. Naomi instructed her daughter in-laws to remain in Moab because they could enjoy a better life there since they were not of jewish ancestry and life would be hard for two foreign widows. Naomi’s thinking was they were young enough and if they stayed in Moab they could remarry and have children and enjoy a decent life. Orpah decided to heed her mother in laws council but Ruth would have nothing to do with it. After all, Naomi was family and to Ruth family meant that was a permeant bond.

I am married to a “Ruth” and this last month I got to see once again her loyal love lived out when I found myself in the hospital. For a few days due to the infection in my body and my weakened immunity taking care of myself was difficult so my wife stayed by my side. There were nurses available to care for me and at times they were of great help but it was very clear to me and to the hospital staff that my better half was by my side. I got to watch Ruth’s words to her mother in law in real time when the hospital staff announced that visiting hours were over and my wife would need to return home.

Kind and polite my wife basically said, “where my husband is I am and may the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death separate us.” She didn’t use those exact words but she made it clear that she wasn’t leaving my side unless it was in handcuffs. By the grace of God the hospital allowed her to stay with me for the night and I was released the next morning. My wife’s loyal love towards me served to remind me of God’s loyal love to us. No matter what you are going through today you have a promise of God that He will never leave you or forsake you. Not even death itself can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus!

“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 8:38-39

I LOVE YOU!