Everyday Valor
I remember one night, years ago, when my oldest daughter struggled with Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). It wasn’t life-threatening, just one of those long nights every mother faces. It was a night with half-sleep, breathing treatments, and whispered prayers in the dark. I sat with her hour after hour, holding her close while the rest of the world slept. There was no one to see it but God. Somehow, I sensed His presence most clearly in that quiet, exhausted moment. There was no spotlight, no applause, just love and the strength to keep going.
Not all heroes ride into battle with swords drawn. Some simply show up and keep showing up. Ruth was one of those women. Her four-chapter story, tucked into the Old Testament, is a powerful picture of valor as she walked in faith.
Ruth was a Moabite widow with every reason to return to her old life. Yet she chose to stay with her mother-in-law, Naomi, committing herself to a new people and a new God. “Wherever you go I will go, and wherever you live I will live. Your people will be my people and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16, HCSB). That decision, born out of love and faith, placed Ruth in the lineage of Jesus.
Her valor wasn’t loud or dramatic. It was loyal, persistent, and humble. You can see it in the way she worked tirelessly in the fields to provide for Naomi. Even Boaz took notice: “…all the people in my town know that you are a woman of noble character” (Ruth 3:11, HCSB). The Hebrew word used here is chayil, the same word used in Proverbs 31 to describe the woman whose “Strength and honor are her clothing…” (Proverbs 31:25, HCSB).
Many of us live lives that feel ordinary with school drop-offs, work deadlines, and dishes in the sink. However, Ruth’s story reminds us that valor often lives in these very places. Every time you stay faithful, serve with love, or choose integrity, you are reflecting the kind of strength God honors.
Be encouraged. Your quiet acts of devotion to the Lord are not forgotten. Heaven sees you, and in God’s eyes, you are walking in the footsteps of Ruth, who is a woman of everyday valor.
Questions for Reflection:
1. When have you experienced God’s presence in a quiet, ordinary moment?
Think of a time when no one else saw your faithfulness, but you knew God did.
- What area of your life feels “ordinary” but might actually be an act of quiet valor?
Consider your roles as a mother, wife, friend, caregiver, or coworker. Are you faithfully showing up?
