“Her mother-in-law then said to her, ‘Where did you glean today and where did you work? May he who took notice of you be blessed.’ So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked, and said, ‘The name of the man with whom I worked today is Boaz.’ Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, ‘May he be blessed of the Lord who has not withdrawn His kindness from the living and from the dead.’ Again Naomi said to her, ‘The man is our relative; he is one of our redeemers.’ Then Ruth the Moabitess said, ‘Furthermore, he said to me, ‘You are to stay close to my servants until they have finished all my harvest.’ And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law Ruth, ‘It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, so that others do not assault you in another field.’ So she stayed close by the young women of Boaz in order to glean until the end of the barley harvest and the wheat harvest. And she lived with her mother-in-law.” Ruth 2:19-23

From the moment we enter the world, God designed us to be part of a family. A baby comes from a mother and father and is born into a family that they depend on to provide for and protect them when they are most vulnerable. God designed the family to be a safe space in a world full of hurt and heartbreak. When Naomi found out Ruth was harvesting in the fields of a relative, it was a blessing because it meant that she could be cared for instead of having the risk of being taken advantage of in another field.

While many of us know family is important, the people in our family often see our bad sides more than anyone else. It is easy to get short with one another or give up on one another when we see the worst in each other. Even when our family of origin is far from the safe space it was meant to be, we have a spiritual family in Christ. What impact could it make to watch out for our brothers and sisters in Christ, like Naomi watched out for Ruth, by loving her and introducing her to the family that was now a safe space for her too? Not only are we able to support one another as family in Christ, we also have the opportunity to invite others to join His family as well.

• What has been your experience with family? Has it been that safe space for you? Why or why not? How are you seeking to create a new family story if your family was challenging?
• What are some ways you can be intentional about pouring into your spiritual family? How can you cultivate a safe space with them?
• Pray and thank God for His design for family. Ask Him to show you how to pour into others in the family of Christ.