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Ruth 1:6-7, Naomi and Her Daughters-in-Law

Tuesday, July 24

Home Again

Narrative Lectionary Daily Devotions written by Kace Leetch from Clergy Stuff.

The Lord had made a famine in the land of Judah (the southern land that included Jerusalem -- the country was divided during that time), so Naomi and her family had moved to Moab on the east side of the Dead Sea to escape the famine. 

After Naomi's husband and sons died, she heard the Lord had "considered the people and given them food." The story doesn't say whether Naomi endured a time of soul-searching (I imagine she did) or if she just decided on the fly, but either way she decided she needed to return to her homeland.

It makes sense. There's something about going home that seems to put everything in a new perspective. For some, going home is a restful reprieve from the harsh world. For others, returning home is a painful reminder of a childhood in turmoil. Regardless, going home certainly shifts our viewpoint, giving us an opportunity to reflect on where our life is now, where it's been, and where we want it to go. At this point in the story, Naomi has decided it's time to go home. Maybe going home will turn her fortune around.

Narrative Lectionary Text: Ruth 1:6-7

Then she started to return with her daughters-in-law from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had considered his people and given them food. So she set out from the place where she had been living, she and her two daughters-in-law, and they went on their way to go back to the land of Judah.

Earlier Event: July 23
Ruth 1:1-5, Elimelech’s Family Goes to Moab
Later Event: July 25
Ruth 1:8-14, Naomi and Ruth