• (Rth 1:14 ESV) Then they lifted up their voices and wept again. And __________ kissed her mother-in-law, but __________ clung to her.
    • Following the last urge of __________ to go, to leave her and return to their homes
      • She had nothing to __________ them
      • If she loved them she would send them away to a __________ life
    • __________ concedes: It is the best option to return
      • Orpah made a logical decision
        • Looking at the options
        • The logical choice was to go back home
    • But Ruth clung: She did everything completely the opposite.
      • Knowing all these __________
      • Ruth decides not on __________
      • But on faith: On what she trusts to be right
        • Regardless of how things look.
  • (Rth 1:15 ESV) And she said, “See, your sister-in-law has __________ back to her people and to her gods; __________ after your sister-in-law.”
    • When the logical argument fails to change Ruth’s mind
      • Naomi pleads to __________ pressure.
      • See!  She is doing it! Why don’t you as well?
      • It is easy for us to get sucked in
        • Everyone else is doing this, buying that, __________ there. I should too!
        • Everyone else is __________ that, having that.  I should too!
        • Everyone else is sticking pennies in power outlets on TikTok. I should too!
        • Everyone else is doing it
          • And even when we know it is __________, we get sucked in.
          • We get __________ and follow the crowd, but we don’t have to
        • In fact as __________ we are called to exactly the opposite of that.
        • We have a choice to make here: Do we leave or do we __________ when things get hard?
      • As Christians we are to be more and more like Christ
        • Day by day changed to be more like Christ
      • Can you honestly look at your life today
        • And say you are different?
      • John 17:10-20
        • We are here until __________ calls us home
          • And while we are here we are called to be __________
          • To be transformed.
          • To not follow the __________
        • That is a prime example of our girl Ruth
          • While she had all the same __________
          • All the same __________ 
          • And all the same __________ from Naomi
            • She chose __________
  • (Rth 1:16 ESV) But __________ said, “Do not __________ me to leave you or to __________ from following you. For where you __________ I will go, and where you __________ I will lodge. Your __________ shall be my people, and your __________ my God.
  • (Rth 1:17 ESV) Where you __________ I will die, and there will I be __________. May the __________ do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.”
    • Don’t encourage me! Stop it, Naomi.
      • I will not __________
        • Genesis 2:24, Joshua 1:5
      • For where you go, I will go
        • Genesis 3:8, Genesis 5:22-24. Genesis 6:9
      • And where you lodge, I will lodge
        • To abide, to remain, to pass the night
        • This is not so much the idea of setting roots and staying in one place – more __________
      • Your people shall be my people
        • Literally it means __________
          • Kinsman, Country-men
          • This is both a renouncement of her heritage in __________
          • And a shift to ingraining herself in the nation of __________
      • Your God my God
        • Ruth identifies that Naomi has a specific religious __________
        • What you believe, Naomi, about a higher power, I believe that same thing also.
      • Where you die, I will die. And there will I be buried.
        • In essence she is __________ to taking care of Naomi for the rest of her life
          • And seeing her through to the grave
        • Not even __________ will part us
          • We will be together in life
          • And when this life ends
          • We will be together in death
        • So don’t try to run me off, __________
      • My the LORD to so to me
        • LORD – Yᵊhōvâ – yeh-ho-vaw’
          • Note this time Ruth names the Lord
            • A proper noun
            • His name: __________
          • Not just the word for a god
  • (Rth 1:18 ESV) And when Naomi saw that she was __________ to go with her, she __________ no more.
    • This is the commitment:
      • We might think link __________
      • But as Christians we act like __________
        • On faith, not sight.
  • (Rth 1:19 ESV) So the two of them went on until they came to __________. And when they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was __________ because of them. And the women said, “Is this __________?”
  • (Rth 1:20 ESV) She said to them, “Do not call me __________; call me __________, for the __________ has dealt very __________ with me.
    • Naomi 
      • Once __________ and sweet
      • Now looking the same
        • Inside she is __________
        • Dry, Not refreshed.
        • Mara
          • Exodus 15:22-24
  • (Rth 1:21 ESV) I went away __________, and the LORD has brought me back __________. Why call me Naomi, when the LORD has testified against me and the __________ has brought __________ upon me?”
    • Theres the call: The LORD brought her back
      • She had the __________, The call was made
      • __________ drew her back to the place
        • The land
        • The people
        • The faith
          • She should have never __________
      • And she is not the same person today 
    • We have to recognize common trait here
      • She says the __________ brought calamity, but we know that she and __________ made the choice to go
        • To leave the promised land and the covenant people. __________ did not magically relocate them against their will.
          • He let them follow their desire
          • And suffer the __________
        • He does the same for us
          • We stray, and __________ allows it
  • (Rth 1:22 ESV) So __________ returned, and __________ the Moabite her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of __________. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of __________ __________.
    • We get this little glimpse of __________.
      • Two broken people looking to be restored with __________ and His people at the time of His abundance