Hard Times

In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years, 5 and both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.
Ruth 1:1-5 (ESV)

All people will go through hard times, and when things get rough, you discover what you truly believe.

It is tough enough that Naomi's husband died, but then, her two sons also died, leaving Naomi with two daughters-in-laws and no men in a culture that would make things quite difficult to be without men.

The stress of drought, moving, and the death of all of the men in your lives would be unnerving to many. Naomi wanted to release her daughter-in-laws from any obligation to her, Yet, Ruth refused.

It is during the tough times we find what we truly believe.

https://www.podbean.com/relate365

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