Loyal Friendship

One of the great stories of love and friendship of all time is contained in the tiny book of the Bible, entitled, Ruth. The main character of the book is Ruth, a young woman who although not Jewish becomes (through an amazing twist) one of the most fascinating characters in Jewish History.

Ruth, a Moabite, married a Jewish man who died at a young age. Ruth’s mother-in-law was a widow herself and her name was Naomi. The book of Ruth describes Ruth and Naomi’s journey of faith from Moab to Bethlehem during a difficult time of famine and personal poverty. At a time of great hardship, Ruth remains loyal to her mother-in-law and declares her loyalty through the following statement: “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 NLT).

Although Ruth’s statement of commitment is often used in a wedding ceremony to describe marital faithfulness, the truth is that it was an expression of selfless love between friends. This expression of loyal friendship raises a number of challenging questions for the reader of the Bible:
How has a loyal friend in your past made a positive difference in your life?
Are you presently being a loyal friend to others?
Are you going through a difficult time in life that you need to reach out to a trusted friend for help and support?
Is there someone in your life that needs you to stick by his or her side for an extended time during a difficult challenge or challenges that he or she is facing?

I am convinced that the LORD blesses and works powerfully through people who are willing to extend selfless acts of friendship. In Ruth’s case, the LORD provided an opportunity for her to meet a relative of her deceased husband named Boaz, who provided financial support for Ruth and Naomi the remainder of their lives. By the way, Ruth and Boaz married and had a son named Obed, a grandson named Jesse, and a great-grandson named David. And yes that is the same David that became the greatest king of Israel’s history.

History was changed through a loyal friendship and I am convinced that the future can be changed by loyal friendship as well!