This Ruth and Naomi Sunday school lesson teaches children that God is faithful, and that loyal love can keep a family together even through sad times. It is best for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes.
Big Idea
God takes care of people even when life is hard, and he often does it through the kind love of other people. Ruth showed loyal love to Naomi, and God was faithful to them both.
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)
Put one hand on your heart and then reach it out, palm up, toward a friend as you say the words together. Pretend you are holding onto someone you love and not letting go. Practice it twice, then once more with your eyes closed.
The Story: Ruth 1 for Kids
A long time ago, there was a hungry time in the land of Israel, when the crops had failed and there was no bread. A man named Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and their two sons left their home in Bethlehem and moved to a country called Moab. They hoped to find food there and a fresh start.
Sadly, Elimelech died while they lived in Moab. Later, both of Naomi’s sons died too. Naomi was left alone, with no husband and no sons. Her two daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth, were still with her. They had married her sons, and they loved Naomi very much.
One day Naomi heard that God had blessed his people back in Bethlehem with food again. She decided to go home. She told her daughters-in-law, “Go back to your own mothers’ houses. I pray that God will be kind to you.” Then she kissed them goodbye, and they all cried together.
Orpah kissed Naomi and went back to her family. But Ruth held on tight and said, “Please don’t make me leave you. Wherever you go, I will go. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.” Ruth chose to stay with Naomi, even though it would be hard.
So Naomi and Ruth traveled together all the way to Bethlehem. When the people saw them, they were surprised and asked, “Is this Naomi?” Naomi said, “Don’t call me Naomi, which means happy. Call me Mara, which means bitter, because my life has been very sad.” She felt that God had taken away so much from her.
Naomi and Ruth arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest. They were back home, and God had not forgotten them, even in their sadness.
Read It Together
Ruth 1:8
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.
(WEB)
Point out that Naomi prayed for God’s kindness to fall on her daughters-in-law. Ask the children how a kind prayer can help someone who is sad. Notice that Naomi thought of others even while she was hurting.
Ruth 1:14-15
14 They lifted up their voices, and wept again; then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth joined with her. 15 She said, “Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people, and to her god. Follow your sister-in-law.”
(WEB)
Show the children that Orpah and Ruth both loved Naomi, but they made different choices. Point out that Orpah went home, while Ruth stayed. Talk about how each person can make a choice to love someone well.
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)
Explain that Naomi felt empty and sad, and she told people how she felt. Help the children see that it is okay to tell God and friends when we are hurting. God listens to our honest feelings.
Talk About It
- What did Ruth decide to do when Naomi told her to go home, and why do you think she made that choice?
- How do you think Naomi felt when all her family had died, and how could a friend help someone feel less alone?
- What can you do this week to show loyal love to someone in your family or class?
- Why do you think Ruth was willing to leave her own home and people to be with Naomi?
- How can you tell that God was taking care of Naomi and Ruth, even in their sad story?
Activity Ideas
Ruth and Naomi Heart Collage
You will need paper, crayons or markers, scissors, and glue. Have each child draw a large heart and write or draw a person they love inside it. Then ask them to add a small picture of something they can do to show loyal love to that person. Display the hearts on the wall as a reminder of the lesson.
Walk With Me Game
Clear some space in the room. Invite one child to be Naomi and another to be Ruth. Have them walk side by side across the room, holding hands and saying “Where you go, I will go.” Then have the rest of the class cheer them on. Switch roles so everyone gets a turn.
Take-Home Thank You Note
Give each child a folded piece of paper and crayons. Ask them to draw a picture of someone who has been loyal to them, such as a parent, grandparent, or friend. Encourage them to write a short message or a single word like “thank you” on the card. Children can give the note to that person at home this week.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that God works faithfully through ordinary people and through loyal relationships, even when life brings loss and bitterness. Ruth’s decision to stay with Naomi is a picture of covenant love, and it points forward to how God would later bring hope and redemption to this family. The story reminds us that God’s kindness is often shown through the ongoing care of his people.
Be careful not to overstate the lesson to children by suggesting that obedience or good behavior guarantees God will always make life easy. Ruth and Naomi still faced real grief and hardship. Help children understand that God is faithful and present, even when things are sad and we do not understand why.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank you that you are always faithful to us, even when we feel sad or alone. Help us show loyal love to our families and friends, just as Ruth did for Naomi. Teach us to be kind when things are hard, and remind us that you are with us always. Amen.
