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This episode was born out of a moment — a message I heard this past weekend at church in Hoboken, New Jersey, while attending with my daughter. The teaching was from the Book of Ruth, and it hit me differently this time.

Ruth isn’t just a love story.
It isn’t just a redemption story.
It’s a story about what faith looks like when we’re wounded.

In this episode, we walk through Naomi’s grief and bitterness, Ruth’s obedience, and the hard question so many of us wrestle with:
Do I wait on God… or do I take action?

Naomi renames herself “bitter,” yet she never abandons God’s ways. She returns to Bethlehem. She knows the law. She believes redemption is still possible — even while her heart is broken. And when the moment comes, she doesn’t scheme or manipulate. She activates what God already put in place.

This episode unpacks:

• Bitterness without abandoning faith
• Obedience without emotional clarity
• Waiting on God without becoming passive
• Taking action without forcing outcomes
• How God often works quietly through ordinary obedience

There are no recorded miracles in Ruth. No angels. No audible voice of God.
Yet Ruth becomes the great-grandmother of King David — and part of the lineage of Jesus.

God does the extraordinary through ordinary obedience.

If you’re in a season of grief, uncertainty, or tension — if you’re asking whether you’re waiting on God or avoiding obedience — this conversation is for you.

As always, I’m not a pastor or theologian. I’m just a guy in the Jesus gym, working it out in real time. Please verify everything in scripture for yourself.

And don’t take the bait!

Scriptures Referenced in the Episode

Primary Text

• Ruth 1–4
  (Overall context of the episode)

Key Passages in Ruth

• Ruth 1:1–5 – Naomi loses her husband and two sons
• Ruth 1:16–17 – Ruth refuses to leave Naomi (“Where you go, I will go…”)
• Ruth 1:20–21 – Naomi renames herself Mara (“Call me bitter…”)
• Ruth 2:1–23 – Gleaning laws in action; Ruth provides through obedience
• Ruth 3:1–13 – Ruth approaches Boaz at the threshing floor
• Ruth 4:9–17 – Boaz redeems Ruth; lineage established

Old Testament Law & Framework (Implied but Explained)

*Leviticus 19:9–10 – Gleaning laws (care for the poor with dignity)

• Leviticus 25:25 – Kinsman-redeemer principle
• Deuteronomy 25:5–10 – Family redemption and lineage protection

Lineage & Fulfillment

• Ruth 4:17 – Ruth becomes great-grandmother of King David
• Matthew 1:5–6 – Ruth included in the genealogy of Jesus Christ

Optional Supporting Scriptures (Aligned With Episode Themes)

(Not directly quoted, but consistent with your teaching points)

• Proverbs 3:5–6 – Trusting God’s way over control
• Psalm 37:5 – Commit your way to the Lord
• Isaiah 30:21 – Hearing God when to move or wait

This is the Buddy For Junior Show — where faith, truth, and courage come together. Join us as we explore life’s deeper purpose and carry the torch of conviction. The show begins now.

Follow Buddy @BuddyFoyJr