This lesson teaches children that God is faithful even when life is sad, and that loving someone means staying close to them. It works well for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach.
Big Idea
God stays with us when things are hard, and we can show His love by staying with the people we care about. Ruth chose to stick with Naomi even when it was difficult.
Memory Verse
Ruth 1:16
Ruth said, “Don’t urge me to leave you, and to return from following you, for where you go, I will go; and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God my God.
(WEB)
Have the children stand with their feet together and wrap their arms around themselves like a hug. Then say the verse together, swaying gently from side to side as if you are walking side by side with a friend.
The Story: Ruth 1 for Kids
Long ago, there was a famine in the land of Judah, so a man named Elimelech moved his family to the country of Moab. His wife Naomi went with him, along with their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion. Life in Moab was not easy, but the family stayed there for a while.
Sadly, Elimelech died. Later, both of Naomi’s sons died too. Naomi was left alone in a foreign land, with no husband and no sons. She felt very sad and very empty.
Naomi heard that God had blessed His people in Judah with food again, so she decided to go home. Her two daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth, began walking with her. Naomi kindly told them to go back to their own mothers’ homes, because she did not want them to leave their families for her sake.
Orpah cried and said goodbye, and she went back to her people. But Ruth would not leave Naomi. Ruth told her, “Wherever you go, I will go. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.”
So Ruth and Naomi walked all the way to Bethlehem together. When the people saw them, they were surprised and asked, “Is this Naomi?” Naomi felt so sad that she said, “Call me Mara, which means bitter, because God has brought me back home with nothing.”
Even though Naomi was hurting, God had not forgotten her, and Ruth was there to love her. The two women arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest, and a new season was starting.
Read It Together
Ruth 1:8-9
8 Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May the LORD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead, and with me. 9 May the LORD grant you that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband.” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices, and wept.
(WEB)
Point out how Naomi blessed her daughters-in-law and prayed that God would give them rest. Ask the children to notice that Naomi cared about their happiness even while she was sad herself.
Ruth 1:14
They lifted up their voices, and wept again; then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth joined with her.
(WEB)
Show the children that both Orpah and Ruth were sad and cried together. Explain that it is okay to cry when we say goodbye to people we love.
Ruth 1:20-21
20 She said to them, “Don’t call me Naomi. Call me Mara; for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went out full, and the LORD has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?”
(WEB)
Help the children see that Naomi felt that God had left her, but the story shows that God was still with her. Remind them that feelings can be strong, but God is always faithful.
Talk About It
- What did Ruth promise Naomi, and why do you think she made that promise?
- How do you think Naomi felt when she lost her husband and her sons?
- What is one way you can stay close to a friend or family member who is having a hard time?
- Why did Orpah decide to go back home, and what do you think about her choice?
- How can you tell that God was still with Naomi, even when she felt alone?
Activity Ideas
Draw a Picture of Ruth and Naomi
Give each child paper, crayons, and a pencil. Ask them to draw Ruth and Naomi walking together on the road to Bethlehem. Encourage them to add something that shows their friendship, such as holding hands or a heart above them. Talk together about what the picture shows about loving someone faithfully.
Walk Together Game
Pair the children up and have them walk side by side across the room while holding hands or linking arms. Call out “Turn back!” and see if their partner keeps walking with them. Remind them that Ruth kept walking with Naomi even when it was hard, and that is what faithful love looks like.
Take-Home Friendship Card
Give each child a folded piece of paper and crayons. Ask them to write or draw a message for someone at home, like “I will stay with you” or a small picture of a hug. Encourage them to give the card to that person during the week. This helps children practice showing loyal love just as Ruth did.
Teacher Notes
For adults, Ruth 1 shows a loyal kind of love that chooses to stay even when the future looks uncertain. Naomi’s grief is real, and the chapter does not hide her pain, yet God’s faithfulness is present through the people who stand by her. Ruth’s commitment reveals how God often works through human kindness.
Avoid overstating to children that God will always make their sad feelings go away quickly. Naomi was still bitter when she arrived in Bethlehem, and the story does not promise an immediate fix. Focus instead on the truth that God is with us in sad times and that we can be His hands and feet for others.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank You for staying with us when we feel sad or alone. Help us to be loyal friends and family, like Ruth was to Naomi. Show us how to love others faithfully every day. Amen.
