So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son. And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel. And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him. And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it. And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David. Ruth 4:13-17 (KJV)
Sticky Details
The story ends with three redemptions: Ruth finds a husband, Naomi holds a grandchild on her empty lap, and a Moabite foreigner enters the lineage of King David — and ultimately, of Jesus Christ. The women of Bethlehem declare that Ruth is "better than seven sons" to Naomi. In a culture that valued sons above all, this is the highest praise imaginable for a foreign daughter-in-law.
Reflection
Ruth's faithfulness led to blessings she never could have imagined — including a place in the lineage of Christ. How might your small acts of faithfulness be part of something much bigger than you can see?
Think of one loss or disappointment. Write down three things that have come into your life since then that wouldn't have existed without that painful chapter.