Are You As Committed?

Ruth 1:6-18

6 Then Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had blessed his people in Judah by giving them good crops again. So Naomi and her daughters-in-law got ready to leave Moab to return to her homeland. 7 With her two daughters-in-law she set out from the place where she had been living, and they took the road that would lead them back to Judah.

8 But on the way, Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back to your mothers’ homes. And may the Lord reward you for your kindness to your husbands and to me. 9 May the Lord bless you with the security of another marriage.” Then she kissed them good-bye, and they all broke down and wept.

10 “No,” they said. “We want to go with you to your people.”

11 But Naomi replied, “Why should you go on with me? Can I still give birth to other sons who could grow up to be your husbands? 12 No, my daughters, return to your parents’ homes, for I am too old to marry again. And even if it were possible, and I were to get married tonight and bear sons, then what? 13 Would you wait for them to grow up and refuse to marry someone else? No, of course not, my daughters! Things are far more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord himself has raised his fist against me.”

14 And again they wept together, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye. But Ruth clung tightly to Naomi. 15 “Look,” Naomi said to her, “your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. You should do the same.”

16 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. 17 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!” 18 When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said nothing more.

Right before these verses it describes a family of four who moved to another land, the sons got married and then the dad died and the two sons died leaving Naomi and her two daugters-in-law. In the days of Ruth there was no eHarmony for the women to log onto and find other husbands. Naomi was older and wasn't about to get into the club scene to find another man either. She did not want her daughters-in-law to go without children so she told them to go back to their respective parents' homes and find new husbands.

Apparently Naomi must have been a very good mother-in-law because neither one wanted to leave willingly. They both wanted to stay with her and go where she went. I know I wouldn't be that dedicated to my father-in-law if I was in that situation. What I like most here is the reaction of Ruth.

Verses 16-17 really show me something about this woman, who is being introduced to us in this chapter.

16 "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. 17 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!”

What dedication and devotion to someone who is not your own mother. I wonder if Ruth had it better living with Naomi than she would have going back home? I wonder what her reason was for not wanting to head back to what was familiar? I will be inclined to believe that she saw God's love through the actions of Naomi and that was more attractive than what she had to go back to. That's the great thing about the love of God. This situation reminds me of the words of Jesus Himself in Matthew:

Matthew 12:46-50

46 As Jesus was speaking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. 47 Someone told Jesus, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, and they want to speak to you.”

48 Jesus asked, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” 49 Then he pointed to his disciples and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers. 50 Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!”

Ruth was living this scripture before it was uttered by Jesus. She was a role model of these verses. This type of committed relationship is more rare these days for most of the world. I have witnessed glimpses of this type of behavior at my church. One of the most attractive qualities of the leadership structure at my church is the high level of dedication and devotion to the senior pastors from the associate pastors all the way through the employee directory. Some have this level of dedication that Ruth had to her mother-in-law. I praise God for these examples. They make me want to be more dedicated to Jesus than I was the day before. I do that through my dedication to the message that is preached through the senior pastor and living out the sermons that are preached from the pulpit. It is often said that the best sermons are the ones that are never spoken because they are lived out. I know that what my pastor says he lives and that is my example to emulate and strive to accomplish. Not just talk the talk, but walk the walk.

Heavenly Father I praise You and thank You for these verses in Ruth that You lead me to today. I thank You that You how to proceed with Your plan for my daily bread to start of this year. I thank You for Pastors Mac and Lynne and the examples the show to us through their actions and that what is preached is lived before it preached. I thank You for the examples of committed believers that I can strive to emulate. I praise You for this new year and for Your will to be accomplished more this year than it was last year. I earnestly seek Your return to gather up You bride to be with You forever. Guide me, direct me, lead me, use me in any way You see fit Lord to further Your Kingdom here on earth so that Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus name, Amen.

Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved