Commemoration of Ruth

Today, July 16th, is a day set aside to commemorate Ruth of Moab, the subject the Biblical book that bears her name. By doing so, we praise God for His mercy and favor shown to Ruth, and through Ruth (as an ancestor of our Lord Jesus Christ) to us. SDG.

Ruth of Moab ... is an inspiring example of God's grace. Although she was a Gentile, God made her the great grandmother of King David (Ruth 4:17), and an ancestress of Jesus himself (Matthew 1:5). A famine in Israel led Elimelech and Naomi of Bethlehem to emigrate to the neighboring nation of Moab with their two sons. The sons marriend Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth, but after about ten years, Elimelech and his sons died (Ruth 1:1–5). Naomi then decided to return to Bethlehem and urged her daughters-in-law to return to their families. Orpah listened to Naomi's but Ruth refused, replying with the stirring words: “Where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16). After Ruth arrived in Bethlehem, Boaz, a close relative of Elimelech, agreed to be Ruth's “redeemer” (Ruth 3:7–13; 4:9–12). He took her as his wife, and Ruth gave birth to Obed, the grandfather of David (Ruth 4:13–17), thus preserving the Messianic seed. Ruth's kindness and selfless loyalty toward Naomi, and her faith in Naomi's God, have long endeared her to the faithful and redounded to God's praise for his merciful choice of one so unexpected.

  Source: LCMS biographies 

For a prayer today, I commend to you verses 1, 3, 7, and 4 of "For All the Faithful Women" (LSB 855). To God our heavenly Father, in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ we pray:

1 For all the faithful women
    Who served in days of old,
To You shall thanks be given;
    To all, their story told.
They served with strength and gladness
    In tasks Your wisdom gave.
To You their lives bore witness,
    Proclaimed Your pow'r to save.

7 For Ruth, who left her homeland
    And ventured forth in faith,
Who pledged to serve and worship
    Naomi's God till death,
We praise You, God of Israel,
    And pray for hearts set free
To bind ourselves to others
    In love and loyalty.

3 O God, for saints and servants,
    Those named and those unknown
In whom through all the ages
    Your light of glory shone,
We offer glad thanksgiving
    And fervent prayer we raise
That, faithful in Your service,
    Our lives may sing Your praise.

4 All praise to God the Father!
    All praise to Christ the Son!
All praise the Holy Spirit,
    Who binds the Church in one!
With saints who went before us,
    With saints who witness still,
We sing glad Alleluias
    And strive to do Your will. Amen.