WRITTEN BY: Wendy Cutchins

I can’t tell you how often I wonder about why God wants me. Some days are better than others, but it doesn’t matter if it is a good day or a bad one. I find myself wondering all the same. As I listen to a worship song on the radio or read a blog about how God loves us all, I can’t help but think, “Why in the world would He want me?” I have made many wrong choices, have many flaws, do many things wrong. I am broken, and yet He died for me, forgave me, loves me.

Recently, I have been studying about women in the Bible and the roles they played in God’s plan. The one recurring theme is how God uses the most unassuming and broken people to do amazing things.

Take Ruth, for example. Her husband died, she lost her home, and she was desolate with nowhere to go. She lost everything. Ruth was broken. However, her faith was so strong that everyone could see it. Her own mother-in-law was encouraged by her faith. Even people who didn’t know her personally knew of her because of her faith.

I can see that Ruth didn’t allow her circumstances to influence her trust that God was in control. You can’t get much more broken than losing everything. How would you feel if you lost everything? I would hope that I would have the faith that Ruth had, but I am not so sure I would. God used Ruth to teach others about faith so many years ago. And today, her example is still strong.

Four things stand out to me about Ruth.

1. Ruth was compassionate. She had every opportunity to leave her mother-in-law behind. She had no obligation to stay with Naomi and care for her. But she did because she loved her and had a compassionate heart.
2. Ruth was patient. If you know the story, you know it took a lot of time for her to meet her husband, Boaz. She had to patiently wait for opportunities to improve her circumstances.
3. Ruth was strong. As a woman without a husband, she found herself in a dangerous situation. She could have been taken advantage of, but she found resourceful ways to provide for herself and her family.
4. Ruth was determined. Despite everything she had going against her, her determination kept her moving forward despite numerous setbacks along the way.

Ruth wasn’t perfect. She was broken, but God chose to use her in mighty ways, and He can use you, too.