“Where’s Your Security” (Mother’s Day 2025)

Bible Passage

Ruth 1:1–18 CSB

1 During the time of the judges, there was a famine in the land. A man left Bethlehem in Judah with his wife and two sons to stay in the territory of Moab for a while. 2 The man’s name was Elimelech, and his wife’s name was Naomi. The names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They entered the fields of Moab and settled there. 3 Naomi’s husband, Elimelech, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 Her sons took Moabite women as their wives: one was named Orpah and the second was named Ruth. After they lived in Moab about ten years, 5 both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and the woman was left without her two children and without her husband. 6 She and her daughters-in-law set out to return from the territory of Moab, because she had heard in Moab that the Lord had paid attention to his people’s need by providing them food. 7 She left the place where she had been living, accompanied by her two daughters-in-law, and traveled along the road leading back to the land of Judah. 8 Naomi said to them, “Each of you go back to your mother’s home. May the Lord show kindness to you as you have shown to the dead and to me. 9 May the Lord grant each of you rest in the house of a new husband.” She kissed them, and they wept loudly. 10 They said to her, “We insist on returning with you to your people.” 11 But Naomi replied, “Return home, my daughters. Why do you want to go with me? Am I able to have any more sons who could become your husbands? 12 Return home, my daughters. Go on, for I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me to have a husband tonight and to bear sons, 13 would you be willing to wait for them to grow up? Would you restrain yourselves from remarrying? No, my daughters, my life is much too bitter for you to share, because the Lord’s hand has turned against me.” 14 Again they wept loudly, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. 15 Naomi said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. Follow your sister-in-law.” 16 But Ruth replied: Don’t plead with me to abandon you or to return and not follow you. For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. 17 Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me, and do so severely, if anything but death separates you and me. 18 When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped talking to her.

Hook (Grab Attention)

Illustration

Julia’s graduation Friday night

Illustration of the Titanic sinking.

The Millionaire chose oranges over his riches equal today to $9 million

What is the most essential thing to you in your life for survival?

What is it that you need most?

What do you find your SECURITY in??

Book

BACKGROUND:

“During the time of the judges”

The story of Ruth probably takes place during the time of Gideon and his 300

The Moabites were supposed to be destroyed already, but God in His providence, He brought Naomi’s sons to marry two Moabite women

Orpah & Ruth

The Moabites worshipped Baal and Ashteroth instead of YHWH

These particular Moabite women were brought into an encounter with the Covenant God, YHWH by marrying Bethlehemites who were from the portion Jesus would come from, Ephrathah.

1. “Times Will Get Hard.”

Ruth 1:3–5 CSB

3 Naomi’s husband, Elimelech, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 Her sons took Moabite women as their wives: one was named Orpah and the second was named Ruth. After they lived in Moab about ten years, 5 both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and the woman was left without her two children and without her husband.

Explanation

This is a hard thing that has happened.

Naomi’s husband died.

Imagine the pain of losing the dearest person in your life…

Then Naomi’s two sons die.

Ruth 1:5 CSB

5 both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and the woman was left without her two children and without her husband.

ILL: Grandma Edith

My Grandpa died.

Her son-in-law dies. (my dad)

Her 2nd Husband dies.

Her son dies. (my uncle)

Her daughter dies. (my mom)

Times WILL get hard!!

You can write that down!

“When it rains it pours”

Sometimes in life it feels like it’s one BOMB after another

Take it from someone who has had many bombs hit ONE after ONE after ONE:

IF your faith and trust is in The One True and Living God:

You will be ok.

You are going to be alright.

EVEN IF you suffer and die…you will see Jesus in all His Goodness and Glory!!

Times WILL get hard!!

2. “Tests Will Get Heavy”

Ruth 1:6–9 CSB

6 She and her daughters-in-law set out to return from the territory of Moab, because she had heard in Moab that the Lord had paid attention to his people’s need by providing them food. 7 She left the place where she had been living, accompanied by her two daughters-in-law, and traveled along the road leading back to the land of Judah. 8 Naomi said to them, “Each of you go back to your mother’s home. May the Lord show kindness to you as you have shown to the dead and to me. 9 May the Lord grant each of you rest in the house of a new husband.” She kissed them, and they wept loudly.

These two daughters-in-law are approaching a HUGE crossroad…

What will they choose to find their security in??

Ruth 1:10–14 CSB

10 They said to her, “We insist on returning with you to your people.” 11 But Naomi replied, “Return home, my daughters. Why do you want to go with me? Am I able to have any more sons who could become your husbands? 12 Return home, my daughters. Go on, for I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me to have a husband tonight and to bear sons, 13 would you be willing to wait for them to grow up? Would you restrain yourselves from remarrying? No, my daughters, my life is much too bitter for you to share, because the Lord’s hand has turned against me.” 14 Again they wept loudly, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

Ruth made one of the wisest decisions she could make in her life and we should take her advice…

Don’t take advice from a BITTER CHRISTIAN

When people are bitter, they are in a TERRIBLE state of mind

When people are bitter, they REACT, instead of RESPOND…

REACTING is done in EMOTION

RESPONDING is done in WISDOM, HUMILITY, and LOVE

When people are BITTER, they REACT out of their FRUSTRATION

they are FRUSTRATED because their viewpoint over what things ARE ESSENTIAL is DISTORTED and need to be REALIGNED with the HEART OF GOD…

Ruth 1:15 CSB

15 Naomi said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. Follow your sister-in-law.”

Naomi follow the advice of bitterness and what seems most “practical”

The only “practical thing” that made sense for Orpah was to go back to her homeland, to the place where she will be comfortable, where her gods are familiar, where she will FEEL SECURE…

Naomi could only see the PROBLEM

Orpah could only see the PATHWAY OUT

Ruth saw GOD’s PURPOSE, by FAITH

Don’t REACT when the pressure gets applied and you cannot see the way out…

Do the hard thing and TRUST GOD and HIS GOODNESS!!

3. “Trusting The Lord Will Bring a Harvest”

Ruth 1:14–17 CSB

14 Again they wept loudly, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. 15 Naomi said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. Follow your sister-in-law.” 16 But Ruth replied: Don’t plead with me to abandon you or to return and not follow you. For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. 17 Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me, and do so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.

Look

Application

In the same way Ruth clung to the Truth in Naomi, we should cling to Christ…

He is Truth.

He is Life.

He is OUR LIFE.

Our hearts should be postured in the same manner:

“Wherever you go, I will go.”

“Your people will be my people.”

YOU will be MY GOD!!

“Where you die, I will die and there will I be buried!!”

Jesus DIED TO SIN on His cross, and SO WILL WE!!

and since Jesus has RESURRECTED, SO WILL WE!!

How much to you trust Him in all His Good and Faithful Love??

Took

Challenge Application

How radical would our lives be, if we would be simple and childlike in our trust of Jesus?

Ruth was not going to let any circumstance or sense of running away to find “security” chase her away from where she knew true security is…with YHWH and His true people.

Ruth knew she needed YHWH for survival.

Ruth knew she needed God the most.

Ruth knew that ALL of her security wasn’t found in her plan, but in God’s purpose!!

PRAYER