In an age when it seems to be more and more fashionable to be fickle, faithless, and an infidel, there is a story in the Old Testament that is inspiring and refreshing.

During a time of famine in ancient Israel, a man named Elimelech moved his family from Bethlehem to the country of Moab. While there Elimelech died, leaving behind his wife, Naomi, and two sons. The two sons married Moabite women. It wasn’t long before they died also, leaving Naomi alone. Naomi heard that the famine had ended in Israel, and she set her mind to go home. Orpah and Ruth, her two daughters-in-law went with her.

Somewhere near the border between the two countries, Naomi begged the two girls to go back, to return to their families and make themselves a new life; she had nothing to offer them. Well, after many tears, Orpah kissed Naomi and went back, disappearing into history. Ruth, on the other hand, would not turn back.

“…Intreat me not,” she said, “to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: The Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.” (Ruth 1:16-17)

Powerful words, but they were not empty drama. In making such a declaration, Ruth would be leaving behind the family of her childhood to follow an impoverished old woman from whom she stood to gain nothing. Ruth would leave behind the country, the customs, and the traditions she had grown up with to enter a strange new land and society that did not always look with favor upon foreigners. And perhaps most significant of all, she would be denouncing the religion and the God of her upbringing for the strange new worship of Jehovah.

Ruth was a virtuous woman filled with faith and loyalty. She stayed with Naomi, and true to her word, labored to support her and never left her. Then and now, Ruth’s loyalty was noticed and honored.

Now I’ve thought about this and that quality we call loyalty. Loyalty is – well, it’s a quality stronger than iron in the human soul that binds us to causes, promises, country, spouse and family. It holds us firmly in that place where we committed ourselves to be, especially when there’s no other reason to stay other than ‘we ought to.’ History will always honor those loyal to the last measure for true causes. And in that spirit, Ruth was no exception. For her undying loyalty and devotion, Ruth would find much joy in Israel. By an intriguing chain of events, she would marry a righteous Israelite named Boaz, and to them would be born a son named Obed. Obed had a son named Jesse. Jesse had a son named David.

Ruth was to be honored for all time as the great-grandmother of David, King David, Israel’s mightiest king. And that’s not all. Matthew makes a special mention of Ruth as being an ancestress of the greatest man who ever lived, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now I don’t know how to say this – except this: Stick tight where you ought to be. Be loyal, whether it be to your cause, your country, your spouse, or your children. Don’t let the opposition pull you out of place.