Page 16 - Finding Faith Back Cover Doc 3

Examples of Active Faith

Naomi saw that she could not provide for her two

daughters-in-law and encouraged them to return to their
homelands and families. During Naomi’s time of sadness,
she realized that she was without a man to provide for her,

and she grieved that she had lost her husband and her sons.
Because of Naomi's grieving, she decided that it would be
wrong to hold on to her daughters-in-law and make them
accountable for staying with her when they did not have

husbands anymore.

Although Naomi was in grief, she did not enact selfishly.
Naomi decided to release her daughters-in-law from
accountability. It is interesting that during a period when

Naomi pitied herself, “Call me for I am.” Ruth was yet able
to recall the times she saw God in Naomi. Because of this,
Ruth choose to stick with Naomi by declaring she will not

leave: “Where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be
my people, and your God shall be my God” (Ruth 1:16).

Orpah, the daughter-in-law of Naomi as well returned to
her home. Naomi was such a righteous woman, and Ruth

greatly admired her. Ruth activated her faith knowing that if
she stuck by Naomi, she would have been able to develop a
pure and rich relationship with God.

One of the most important details to understanding why
Ruth’s story exemplifies the epitome of one having active
faith is that Ruth was a Moabite and Moabites were known
to be idolaters. If Ruth had returned to her home, she would

have been in a land where people served many gods. She
planned to follow Naomi to the land of Bethlehem in Judah;
there they will serve God. In further details, whenever our

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