May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge. (Ruth 2:12).
The Book of Ruth contains a beautiful love story with many good lessons. In this verse, Boaz commends the young Moabite widow, Ruth, for her kindness shown toward her mother-in-law, Naomi. It couldn’t have been easy. Naomi’s husband had died. But Ruth, a widow herself, overcame her own pain and encouraged her mother-in-law.
Military life serves up tough times. Everyone needs encouragement. When you reach out in kindness, you can be sure that you will have a positive impact on the lives of others. They will be encouraged. Sometimes you may not be sure how to show kindness to someone who is hurting, especially those who may not have treated you very well. Trying to show kindness at times like this can be risky. Don’t let that stop you. And always remember this about showing kindness to others. God will richly reward you as well.
So look around — most likely there is someone near you who could profit from a little kindness.
