1. Ruth 1:16-17 (NKJV) 16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.”

2. A MOTHER WORTH HER WEIGHT IN VELCRO Ruth 1:16-17

3. Worth Her Weight  Today is Mother’s Day in our country  Paul said we should render to all their due, giving honor to whom honor is due (Rom. 13:7)  It’s only fitting that we honor our mothers today, since they are the creation of God

8. Worth Her Weight  Most of us take the time on Mother’s Day to think about the qualities of our own mothers  We admire those qualities that made our mothers so special  We do our best to live as we were taught by our mothers

9. Worth Her Weight  God has given us some wonderful examples of mothers in His word  These examples are there for a reason (Rom. 15:4)  One example we want to look at this morning is a mother so wonderful that her daughter in law desired to cling to her

10. Worth Her Weight  1. Naomi was a faithful wife  When we say our wedding vows, they usually include a line like this: “…in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, for better or for worse…until death do us part”  Naomi’s marriage was not without difficulty  There was a famine that forced them to move

11. Worth Her Weight  1. Naomi was a faithful wife  Hardships often cause stress and arguments in a relationship  One of the leading causes of divorce is financial issues  Through it all, Naomi stayed faithful to her husband until he died

12. Worth Her Weight  2. Naomi was a good mother  Following the death of her husband, she still had 2 sons to raise and care for  It appears that her sons did not marry until after their fathers death  She was faithful to her sons and stayed with them

13. Worth Her Weight  2. Naomi was a good mother  They say you never stop being a mother, no matter how old your kids are  Naomi certainly did not stop being a mother  She was also a good mother-in-law  We know this by the way her daughters-in- law wanted to stay with her

14. Worth Her Weight  3. Naomi was selfless  Naomi was no doubt lonely following the death of her sons  Selfishly, she could have begged Orpah and Ruth to remain with her and help her  However, she told them to go back home to their families

15. Worth Her Weight  3. Naomi was selfless  She could have blamed Orpah and Ruth for what happened to her sons (they were Moabites – Deut. 23:3-6)  Instead she put this tragedy upon herself  The bitterness of life did not cause Naomi to become selfish

16. Worth Her Weight  4. Naomi saw the good in others  Naomi recognized that her daughters-in-law had dealt kindly with her  In all of the trials and tragedy, she did not fail to see the kindness that they bestowed upon her and her sons  Naomi saw this and praised them for it

17. Worth Her Weight  5. Naomi was an encourager  Naomi blessed and encouraged both Orpah and Ruth (vs. 8-9)  Naomi could have allowed her circumstances to cause her to speak in an ill manner towards these 2 young women  She encouraged them to be all they could

18. Worth Her Weight  6. Naomi was loving  It’s one thing for a mother to love her children and her husband  Naomi went above and beyond in her love for Orpah and Ruth  The very definition of love says that love does not seek its own (I Cor. 13)

19. Worth Her Weight  6. Naomi was loving  Naomi really fits the entire definition of love  Her love for Ruth was probably one of the main reasons why Ruth would not leave her  Naomi continued to be as faithful to Ruth as Ruth was to her  Love is the crux of the greatest commands