«Wealth makes many friends, but the poor is separated from his friend» (Proverbs 19:4).
FRIENDSHIP
Naomi was a woman who went through terrible tragedies in a short time. First, she lost her husband and then, her two sons. Her life changed from one minute to the next. To make matters worse, her financial situation became really bad. In those days, widows were at the lowest social stratus. Add to that the fact that there was always someone suggesting that so much misfortune in Naomi’s life could be due to God’s punishment. The truth is she was now alone, penniless, without friends and isolated from society. Who would be interested in approaching a person who had suffered such misfortunes?
When the time came, Naomi bid farewell to her daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah. They were both young and had the opportunity to rebuild their lives. What was the point of having them stay with her? So she kindly encouraged them to search for new horizons. Orpah accepted the offer and left. But Ruth didn’t. She preferred to stay with Naomi. In spite of Naomi’s insistence, the young Moabite decided to stay with her mother-in-law. We are still moved by her words today, «Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you; for wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me» (Ruth 1:16, 17).
Naomi’s life had impressed Ruth so much that the young lady was not willing to part with her. The way that woman lived her faith and referred to the God of Israel gave the Moabite’s heart a lot of peace. She had been raised in a religion where the gods had degrading human features and where all sorts of perversions that hurt her heart were practiced. Naomi’s God was the best thing she had heard of. That woman was like an angel in her life. They would face the future’s challenges together with greater strength. And that’s what happened. Ruth and Naomi returned to Hebrew territory, where Ruth married Boaz later on.
Our lives reflect our beliefs. The way we face life’s tragedies reveals our character. Even in those times, we can be a powerful influence to transform other people’s lives.