- Hope For Today
April 7 – Ruth 1:14-18
...But Ruth clung tightly to Naomi. “Look,” Naomi said to her, “your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. You should do the same.” But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!” When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said nothing more.
Have you ever considered what a mighty testimony Naomi’s life must have had in Ruth’s in order for her to do something so bold? I think the huge impact of her decision to stay with Naomi is easily diminished in our culture, where women are not so utterly dependent on their husband’s provision in order to survive. For a young woman like Ruth to choose to stay with Naomi, she was basically saying, “I would rather live impoverished, alone, and a social outcast than go back to my people and gods.” What a mighty faith! But thanks to Naomi, Ruth had encountered the only true God. She had met the living Creator. She had seen the difference between her own people, who had no hope, and her mother-in-law who, even in the midst of great tragedy and sorrow had the peace of God that passes all understanding. It changed her. Can we say the same? Have we been so dramatically impacted by the living and true God that nothing in this life compares to following Him? Would we give up anything in order to stay with His people on a path of obedience? Would we rather live a life impoverished and alone than settle for lesser things? Are we willing to be social outcasts in order to follow Him? May Ruth’s words ring in our hearts and pour from our lips, not to people, but to our Lord. May we cry out to Him, “Where you go, I will go; where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and YOU WILL BE MY GOD from now until forever!”
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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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