Ruth 1:16-17 (NKJV)

16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.”

A MOTHER WORTH HER WEIGHT IN VELCRO

Ruth 1:16-17

Worth Her Weight

Today is Mother’s Day in our country

Paul said we should render to all their due, giving honor to whom honor is due (Rom. 13:7)

It’s only fitting that we honor our mothers today, since they are the creation of God

Worth Her Weight

Most of us take the time on Mother’s Day to think about the qualities of our own mothers

We admire those qualities that made our mothers so special

We do our best to live as we were taught by our mothers

Worth Her Weight

God has given us some wonderful examples of mothers in His word

These examples are there for a reason (Rom. 15:4)

One example we want to look at this morning is a mother so wonderful that her daughter in law desired to cling to her

Worth Her Weight

1. Naomi was a faithful wife

When we say our wedding vows, they usually include a line like this: “…in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, for better or for worse…until death do us part”

Naomi’s marriage was not without difficulty

There was a famine that forced them to move

Worth Her Weight

1. Naomi was a faithful wife

Hardships often cause stress and arguments in a relationship

One of the leading causes of divorce is financial issues

Through it all, Naomi stayed faithful to her husband until he died

Worth Her Weight

2. Naomi was a good mother

Following the death of her husband, she still had 2 sons to raise and care for

It appears that her sons did not marry until after their fathers death

She was faithful to her sons and stayed with them

Worth Her Weight

2. Naomi was a good mother

They say you never stop being a mother, no matter how old your kids are

Naomi certainly did not stop being a mother

She was also a good mother-in-law

We know this by the way her daughters-in-law wanted to stay with her

Worth Her Weight

3. Naomi was selfless

Naomi was no doubt lonely following the death of her sons

Selfishly, she could have begged Orpah and Ruth to remain with her and help her

However, she told them to go back home to their families

Worth Her Weight

3. Naomi was selfless

She could have blamed Orpah and Ruth for what happened to her sons (they were Moabites – Deut. 23:3-6)

Instead she put this tragedy upon herself

The bitterness of life did not cause Naomi to become selfish

Worth Her Weight

4. Naomi saw the good in others

Naomi recognized that her daughters-in-law had dealt kindly with her

In all of the trials and tragedy, she did not fail to see the kindness that they bestowed upon her and her sons

Naomi saw this and praised them for it

Worth Her Weight

5. Naomi was an encourager

Naomi blessed and encouraged both Orpah and Ruth (vs. 8-9)

Naomi could have allowed her circumstances to cause her to speak in an ill manner towards these 2 young women

She encouraged them to be all they could

Worth Her Weight

6. Naomi was loving

It’s one thing for a mother to love her children and her husband

Naomi went above and beyond in her love for Orpah and Ruth

The very definition of love says that love does not seek its own (I Cor. 13)

Worth Her Weight

6. Naomi was loving

Naomi really fits the entire definition of love

Her love for Ruth was probably one of the main reasons why Ruth would not leave her

Naomi continued to be as faithful to Ruth as Ruth was to her

Love is the crux of the greatest commands