阅读经文 

人们回到故乡并非易事。旧时的记忆、过去的错误和当下的期望都会让事情变得复杂。

从摩押回来的拿俄米充满了失望和痛苦。对她来说，搬到摩押得到的是死亡、损失和心痛。她的反应与我们中的许多人一样：她把困难归咎于神。有时，当我们面临困境时，很难看到神慈爱的手。

然而，当拿俄米回来时，她并不孤单。她的一个儿媳路得选择加入她的行列，她说：“你的国就是我的国，你的神就是我的神。”路得，一个外地人，去伯利恒寻找一个新家——一个她只是从远处了解的地方，这地方的人所认识的神她知道。（参得 1:16）

正如我们在后面的故事中看到的那样，神能够救赎我们走出空无，正如祂可以接受我们带着信心向祂迈出的第一步。虽然此时拿俄米的前景黯淡，但神的话语给了她一线希望：丰收即将来临。神会让伯利恒成为祝福之地。神在那里创造的奇迹将祝福拿俄米和路得——最终祝福整个世界。许多年后，他们家族的一个后代，将成为世界的救主，就是耶稣基督。（参太 1）神应许要祝福所有在耶稣里找到家的人。今天，我们要向祂迈出这一步吗？

It is not always easy for people to return to their hometown. Old memories, past mistakes, and expectations can make things complicated.

Naomi returned from Moab full of disappointment and bitterness. For her, moving to Moab had brought death, loss, and heartache. And she reacted as many of us do: she blamed God for her troubles. Sometimes it's hard to see God's loving hand when we are faced with hardship.

As Naomi returned, however, she was not alone. Ruth, one of her daughters-in-law, had chosen to join her, saying, "Your people will be my people and your God my God." Ruth, an outsider, went to find a new home in Bethlehem—a place among people whose God she had known only from a distance (see v. 15).

As we see later in this story, God can redeem our emptiness just as he can accept our first steps toward him in faith. Though Naomi's outlook is bleak at this point, God's Word offers a glimpse of hope: the harvest is coming. God will make Bethlehem a place of blessing. And the wonders God works there will bless Naomi and Ruth—and eventually the whole world. Many years later, a descendant of their family would become the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ (see Matthew 1). God promises to bring blessing to all who find their home in Jesus. Shall we take that step toward him today?