The book of Ruth is a fascinating short story from the Hebrew Scriptures. Where other biblical books tell of the dramatic history of the nation of Israel and even of humanity and creation itself, the story of Ruth zooms in on a day-in-the-life account of everyday people living in rural Israel in 1100 BC. But it’s not a merely sweet story of rural life. It’s bluntly honest about the hardships and challenges faced by women in that society, which may be familiar to women today.

As a non-Jewish person living more than 3,000 years later, I find it to be one of the most captivating and relatable of biblical stories. Like me, Ruth was a non-Jewish person who came to put her faith in the God of Israel and found blessing under the wing of His care. But Ruth’s story also resonates with and even closely mirrors some of my personal experiences.

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