Week 16 · Old Testament · about 3 minutes · 178 words
🌾 Ruth Stays and Gleans
Ruth chooses loyalty to Naomi and meets kindness in a barley field.
Naomi was far from home, and her husband and sons had died. She decided to go back to Bethlehem. Her daughter-in-law Ruth could have stayed with her own people. Instead Ruth held on. “Where you go I will go. Your people will be my people, and your God my God.”
They arrived poor. It was barley harvest. The law of God said farmers should leave grain at the edges for people in need. Ruth went out to glean, picking up leftover stalks under the sun. It was humble work.
A landowner named Boaz noticed her. He told her to stay in his fields, to drink from the water jars, and not to be afraid. He had heard how she cared for Naomi. He prayed that God, under whose wings she had come to take refuge, would repay her.
Loyalty sometimes looks like leftover barley and a long walk. God saw Ruth’s ordinary faithfulness and wove her into Jesus’ family line. Kindness in a field can be holy. Look for someone who needs a “you belong here” this week.
“Ruth said, “Don’t urge me to leave you, and to return from following you, for where you go, I will go; and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God my God.”
Ruth 1:16 · Ruth 1–2
Say it
Practice Ruth 1:16
Tap the words in order. The blanks follow the verse from left to right.
Ruthsaid,“Don’turgemetoleaveyou,andtoreturnfromfollowingyou,forwhereyougo,Iwillgo;andwhereyoustay,Iwillstay.peoplebemyandyourGodmyGod.
Talk about it
- What did Ruth promise Naomi?
- How did Boaz show kindness?
- Who is someone our family can make room for?
Prayer
God, give me Ruth’s loyal love. Help me notice people who need a safe place and a kind word. Amen.
Parent tip
Mention that Ruth becomes part of the family line of King David and Jesus if your child enjoys connections.
Week 16 · the whole night
🌾 Ruth Stays and Gleans
Story, coloring page, word search, and the verse to trace.