But Ruth said: ‘Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. Where you die, I will die…’ – Ruth 1:16-17
REFERENCE
Ruth: 1:6-18
What prompted Ruth to follow her mother in-law, despite the lack of prospects, to an unknown land, to strangers and to a foreign God, when she could easily have gone back to her family – the familiar, and a support system after the death of her husband?
By Ruth’s statement in our text, she severed all ties to her past i.e. her family, friends, home, gods etc, and decided to have faith in a God that she didn’t even know. She knew she didn’t have any security blankets by sticking with Naomi and her God, but she decided to follow all the same. This shows that her intentions were pure and not based on what she could get.
Orpah her sister in-law was also in the same position as Ruth, but decided not to follow through because of the seemingly lack of ‘prospects.’ Like Orpah, many today follow Jesus to a point and then turn back when the heat is on or when they see no immediate material benefits. They choose Ishmael instead of waiting for Isaac.
On this journey with God you must die to self, you should be able to make the commitment to love and follow God with NO STRINGS ATTACHED, ‘in the good and not so good times.’ When you reach that point of devotion to God, He can then entrust great things to your care and make sure your faith is rewarded just like He did for RUTH eventually.
TRUST God TOTALLY this TUESDAY, and you will not be put to shame!
ADDITIONAL STUDY
Luke 14:25-33, Genesis 16:1-4 & Ruth 4:13-22.
PRAYER POINT
Pray that your resolve to follow God will be strengthened by the help of the Holy Spirit, especially in the times that you can’t see any tangible profits to the union; that you won’t turn back like Orpah, but will follow through as a worthy disciple of Christ Jesus.
