Where will you go?

Ruth is a very influential person in the bible, hence the reason that she is one of the two women who got a whole book! I greatly admire her and her incredible Godly character. She has a beautiful quality that I want to focus on today, her devotion. In a world with a growing divorce, drop out, and un-employment rate, devoting ones self to something is hard to come by. However, Ruth shows us what true devotion means.

If you do not already know the story of Ruth, let me give you a little background. A recently widowed Ruth begs to go with her mother-in-law instead of staying back in her homeland where she could start over. Her mother-in-law, Naomi, insist that she stay back instead of traveling with her to Bethlehem. Ruth realizes that she must convey to Naomi that no matter what she may say she isn't leaving her side. In verses 16-17 of chapter 1, she says, "Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separate you from me."

What power and bravery those words have! You must understand that Ruth is giving up everything she has ever known to follow Naomi. She may never marry again or bare children, her future is completely unknown. This is true devotion. She is not giving an ultimatum or a "three strikes and I'm gone" policy, she is in it for the long haul. She has no clue what the future may hold, but she wants it to be by the side of Naomi, her mother-in-law!

What if we put some of this devotion into our lives? We live in a world that always seems to give us a way out, but what if we stuck for the long haul. We put some commitment in areas of our lives that challenge us from time to time. There are times when life just gets tough and it would be so much easier to just check out, but what if we stayed? I know that there have been times when I knew someone needed me, but it was easier if I just left the situation be. It seemed so messy and unknown to help them pick up the pieces. I don't want to live a life like that, I'd rather live one that has devotion and character. Don't you?

If you continue to read Ruth, which I hope you do, you will find that God blesses Ruth tremendously. Not that I am trying to coerce you into having more devotion in your life, but I think you will find that it is powerful. I so often am asking myself "Is this worth it?" to only receive a sweet little reply from Him saying "yes!" God does not ever expect us to do it alone. He knows that when things are hard it's easier to just hit the road, but I think He wants us to stick it out (Proverbs 18:24)

I hope that Ruth gave you some encouragement today! I hope you read the whole book, this won't be my only time to focus on her. If you have not already made a commitment to God, I pray that you do. If you have, then apply this to your relationship and walk with Him as well (Psalm 37:5)!

Hope you have a wonderful Thursday! Much Love!