Verse from Ruth

“路得说：“请不要逼我离开你回去，不跟从你。你到哪里去，我也要到哪里去；你在哪里过夜，我也要在哪里过夜；你的同胞就是我的同胞，你的神就是我的神；”

路得记 1:16

“But Ruth said, "Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for 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

This beautiful statement of loyalty makes its way into thousands of weddings each year. Incredibly, this wasn't originally a pledge of a bride or groom. Instead, it was the pledge of Ruth to her mother-in-law — some would call her an ex-mother-in-law since Ruth's husband, Naomi's son, had died, but Ruth never treats Naomi as an "ex" of any kind. 

God loves loyalty and bestows His blessing and favor when we are loyal to others. In an era where people are thrown away as readily as paper plates and napkins, let's remember that loyalty/faithfulness is a quality that God not only loves, but it is also a quality that He defines for us in Jesus. 

So let's see loyalty to friends, to family, and to other followers of Jesus as a crucial commitment.