"14 Then they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.
15 And she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” 16 But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.17 Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” 18 And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more.
19 So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them. And the women said, “Is this Naomi?” 20 She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi;[a] call me Mara,[b] for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?”
22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabite her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest."
Ruth 1:14-22
One could hardly find a clearer or more unequivocal statement of commitment than Ruth provides in 16, 17. She really cast in her lot with the people of God, identify- ing herself with them in every way: their fortunes were to be her fortunes, their sufferings her sufferings, their lot her lot. When a soul speaks in such language to the Saviour, something great and wonderful has happened - a new life has been born of the Spirit of God. It is very lovely to see this thing of beauty emerging out of the backsliding and sor- rows - and bitterness too - of this family situation. Surely it bears witness to the sover- eignty of God turning to good the sins of men, and from such a series of lapses and tragedies fulfilling His ageless purposes. It is not without significance for us that further- ance and fulfilment was accomplished through such a dedication and commitment as Ruth had. Whenever and wherever a full and absolute self-surrender to God is made the doors of heaven are opened for heavenly traffic to issue forth- God's purposes begin to come into their own. We may well ask ourselves whether as Christians we are as irrevo- cably committed to Christ as Ruth was to the God of Israel.