"Walang Iwanan," (Ruth, The Moabitess Story)

How many times have you cried because the people closest to your heart disappointed you and left you wounded? Your spouse, parents, family, or friends, the very ones who were meant to stand by you in your weakest moments, were nowhere to be found. Instead of offering comfort, they turned away, leaving you alone "just when you needed them most," just as the song goes.

One of my favorite Bible stories is that of Ruth. As Naomi’s devoted daughter-in-law, Ruth embodies unwavering faithfulness. After the death of her husband, Naomi’s son. Naomi urged Ruth to return to her homeland of Judah. Yet Ruth gently refused. Instead of leaving, she chose to remain with her mother-in-law, determined to abide by her no matter the cost.

I wish I had someone like Ruth in my life, someone deeply committed to stick with me, especially when times are hard. Yet, because we are human and imperfect, we cannot always expect others to stay unwaveringly through thick and thin. Despite our best intentions, we often fall short of one another’s expectations, and others fall short of ours. Negative emotions and character flaws such as anger, pride, envy, bitterness, and unforgiveness quietly create distance between us.

And what is the outcome of all this? The evidence is all around us. Marriages dissolve, families are torn apart, friendships are broken, conversations are left hanging, and once-deep connections become painful divides.

Imagine a marriage so strong that you and your spouse believe it will last forever, a bond so complete that parting ways feels unimaginable. Yet even this union must one day face an inevitable separation, when fate intervenes and death arrives without warning. In that moment, you may also discover that some of the people you expected and trusted to tarry until the very end have quietly drifted away.

Our human connections endure only for as long as we walk this earth; they do not extend into the heavens above. There is no absolute certainty even in our closest relationships, only fleeting moments, unanswered questions, and, ultimately, goodbyes.

We have all longed for a “Ruth,” someone who offers companionship against all odds. Yet in a world marked by imperfection, such firm loyalty is impossible to find in any human form. What we often overlook, however, is that each of us already has a true “Ruth” in our lives in the person of Christ.

Are we truly aware of Christ’s consoling presence when we are broken, when our lives are in disarray, when we feel rejected, abandoned, or utterly alone? For those who place their trust in people rather than in God, this truth can be difficult, if not impossible, to believe.

Like Ruth, who left her homeland and family to hold fast with a woman in need of companionship, Jesus left His throne as the King of Heaven. He chose to dwell among us with a sacred mission: to offer His life in love for our sake and well-being. In doing so, Christ surrendered everything: His heavenly glory, His divine power, and ultimately, His very life.

Just as Ruth refused to return to her homeland because she would not abandon her mother-in-law, Christ has never forsaken us. He did not falter in His sacrificial love; He gave Himself fully and faithfully until His final breath. Even as He hung upon the cross, His body broken and His blood poured out from head to toe, His heart and mind is set on us, on our redemption, and our salvation.

Ruth made a commitment never to forsake her mother-in-law. But does not Scripture also assure us that God will never desert us, even if our parents or everyone else does? God will not do that. He even underscores His faithfulness by using the powerful word "NEVER" in His promise to us.

When God declares something, He means it. We can expect Him to match His words with actions. His presence in every circumstance, without conditions, without limitations. He is with us, within us, and beside us, faithfully upholding and sustaining us. Even more comforting is this truth: God’s promises are not confined to this lifetime alone; they extend into eternity.

So, do you wish to have someone like Ruth?

Rejoice! You already have a “Ruth” in Your life, and JESUS is His name. You just need to know Him.

-AND- If you have Jesus in your life, you are far better off.

And if Jesus is all you have, then you have more than enough♥️