Ruth

Ruth was a Moabite widow whose loyalty and faith gave her an honored place in Israel's history. After the deaths of her husband and other family members, Naomi urged her to remain in Moab and begin a new life. Ruth instead chose Naomi's people and God as her own, traveling with her grieving mother-in-law to Bethlehem. There she gathered fallen barley to keep them both from starving and earned the respect of Boaz, a kind relative of Naomi's family. Ruth later married Boaz and became the mother of Obed. Her steadfast love helped restore Naomi's hope, and her descendants included King David and, generations later, Jesus. Her life joined devotion, courage, humility, and trust in God.