And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God. Ruth 1:16 KJV
As believers in Christ, we are called to share our lives with one another.
To be a support, when needed.
We should have the desire to do this freely and generously.
To help whenever and wherever the Lord places in our hearts to do so.
In the book of Ruth, we read about a young woman who did just that.
She was faced with many challenges, but despite her difficulties she exhibited qualities that causes her to be a prime example to us all.
Ruth was a woman that showed loyalty.
When her husband died, she could have packed up her belongings and went back to her homeland.
Her mother-in-law, Naomi, tried to get her to go back to her homeland, but Ruth refused to do so.
Instead, she chose to stay with her.
She knew her mother-in-law was a woman that was without the necessities of life.
That she really didn’t have anything to offer Ruth.
They really didn’t have anything to offer each other, except companionship.
She told her, “Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God” (v.16).
Ruth decreed that she was going to stay connected to her mother-in-law, vowing that they would work things out together.
That it was only by death would they be separated.
She was showing love and compassion.
Freely and generously willing to give all that she had to offer to Naomi.
Ruth was loyal, hardworking, and humble.
She had not grown up that way, but when she married and came to know God, things changed.
She knew what the power of prayer could do.
She knew what it meant to be obedient to God’s leading.
What it meant to be there for one another.
Sharing our lives, even in the most difficult of times.
We are even more empowered, just like with Ruth, when we put our trust in God.
God rewards our faithfulness.
Especially when we don’t understand His plan.
He has a way of allowing us to be there for one another.
He has always told us He would supply all our needs (Philippians 4:19).
That never changes.
His supplies bring us out of our most difficult of situations.
Our outcomes will make a positive change in our lives.
Then we can go forth and help make positives changes in the lives of others.
It is so good that we can humbly and faithfully share with one another.
That we can rest assured that we will experience an even greater life.
A WORD OF PRAYER
Father, many of us have a desire to do Your will yet come short because we don’t want to give up other things. We lose out on the many blessings we could have received. All because we love other things more than we love You. We may not be in the same situation as Ruth, but there is a call on our lives. Let us learn to walk in Your way, share our lives with others and reflect the heartfelt love You have for us all.
In Jesus Name We Pray, Amen