Monday, August 22 – Ruth 1:9

“May the Lord grant that you may find a place of rest, each one in the house of her husband.” Then she kissed them, and they raised their voices and wept.

Where do you turn when you are sad? What is the haven you run to when you are downtrodden? In grief, we each react differently. Some of us isolate ourselves, some run to a loved one, and others turn to coping mechanisms. At this moment, Naomi and her daughter-in-laws were in grief. After losing their husbands, the women were embarking on the next season of their lives. Grief can feel like an endless marathon, an exercise in endurance to move forward with no moment to catch a breath. It is exhausting and isolating to know things will never be the same.

This moment of pause set the tone for the book of Ruth and the journey Naomi and Ruth embarked on. Instead of each going their own way, Ruth stayed with Naomi, finding rest in God with her. Through the steps of grief and stepping into the unknown, God provided for their every need. In our moments of grief, it is tempting to move forward in our own strength, but we see from the story of Ruth and so many others in Scripture that even in those moments of grief, we can find rest in God when we seek Him. This is a journey Christ-followers embark on together. Romans 12:15 says, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.” When we see a brother or sister struggling or grieving, we are called to love them as Jesus would, cry with them when they are hurting, and serve them as they are distressed. This is a messy, heart-aching business. When life is going well, it is easy to keep our distance from hurt because it is painful, but as we seek God together through joy and pain, we will not only find Him, but we will find the authentic community we have been searching for also.

• When have you taken a moment to rest with a friend? What was that like?
• Why is it valuable to rest in community?
• Pray and thank God for giving you the family of God to rest with in times of joy and sorrow.