Faithful Friendship in Hard Times: How the Story of Ruth and Naomi Shows Us How to Love

Have you ever felt like you’re sitting at an empty table—alone, unloved, overlooked, drifting through life’s difficulties? This Sunday at Experience Church, we’re stepping into a familiar story of friendship and hope: the ancient narrative of Book of Ruth 1:1‑17. Here we find a widowed mother‑in‑law and a daughter‑in‑law‑turned‑friend clinging to one another when all else had been stripped away. In that ending, we glimpse the vastness of Jesus’ love in a simple, abiding friendship. If you’re wondering how to hear God or find connection during a lonely season, this story has something for you.

1. The Landscape of Loss: Returning Home at Life’s Rift

In Ruth 1:1‑5, we read that in the days when the judges ruled, a famine struck the land. The family of Naomi and her husband Elimelek leave Bethlehem for Moab—seeking survival—and yet tragedy follows: husband dies, sons die, Naomi is left bereft.
This is a familiar scene: the loss of income, the disappearance of hope, the roots uprooted. The world suddenly feels foreign. Naomi returns home but carries a heavy heart: “the Lord’s hand has turned against me” she says (Ruth 1:13).
In seasons of pain, we too may feel like Naomi—no longer at home, no longer safe, no longer sure of God’s hand.

2. Presence > Preference: When Friendship Outlasts Convenience

Then enters Ruth. When Naomi urges her daughters‑in‑law to go back to their families, Orpah leaves—but Ruth clings. Ruth says:

“Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people shall be my people and your God my God.” (Ruth 1:16)
This isn’t a casual commitment. It’s presence over preference—choosing to stay when the easy choice is to go. fixinghereyes+2Osprey Observer+2
Friendship in this sense means: entering into someone’s pain, staying when you’d rather run, listening when you’d rather flee. It’s messy, not always convenient—and it mirrors how Jesus stayed with us in our darkest places.

3. The Ministry of Presence: How to Show Up When It’s Hard

Our culture drifts toward distraction and busyness. But the story of Ruth and Naomi reminds us: sometimes the greatest influence we have is simply being there.

• It’s choosing to sit with someone instead of giving counsel.

• It’s showing up at the table when you’d rather watch Netflix.

• It’s listening more than speaking.
  In the midst of loneliness—where 1 in 4 adults say they feel lonely most of the time—the ministry of presence matters deeply.

“If the Devil cannot make us bad, he will make us busy.” – Corrie Ten Boom
It’s simple: presence says, “I see you and I’m not leaving.”
And that is the kind of faith‑filled friendship that echoes Jesus’ love.

4. Friendship with God: The Ground for All Other Relationships

We often try to fix our relationships before we fix our soul—but the story also teaches us that our deepest relationship is with God. From Ruth’s declaration (“your God my God”) to Jesus’ words:

“I no longer call you servants… I have called you friends.” (John 15:15, NIV)
We’re first loved by God, then sent into loving others.
If you haven’t yet received that friendship—Jesus says He is the one who stays when everyone else walks away. (Hebrews 13:5)
Before we can carry someone else’s burden well, we must let God carry ours.

5. What Does This Mean for Your Table?

• Is there someone sitting at an “empty table” in your life—lonely, hurting, overlooked?

• Could you choose presence over preference? A text instead of scrolling. A visit instead of avoidance.

• Are you allowing God’s love to be the ground for your friendships rather than your own efforts?
  Remember: true friendship is not just the loudest—it’s the lasting. It stands when the buffet is gone and the feast is done.

What This Means for You

• Invite someone: Perhaps a coworker, a neighbor, a person whose table you’ve noticed is empty. Show up.

• Receive help: Maybe you’re the Naomi today. Accept someone’s presence instead of saying “I’m fine.”

• Connect with God: Spend time being still, allowing yourself to be loved by Jesus first, so you can love others well.
  You don’t have to have it all together to be a mighty friend. You just have to show up. You just have to say, “I’m here—with you.”

Continue the Journey

At Experience Church we believe in the power of tables—gathering with friends, bringing food from all nations, breaking bread, telling stories. On Friendsgiving Sunday 11/30, we’ll celebrate just that: a feast of friends and faith!

If you’re new or a guest, you can RSVP here for Friendsgiving!

If you call Experience Church home, you can sign-up to contribute to the San Francisco Potluck or the North Bay Potluck.

Visit www.exp.church to find your Table.