Ruth 1:16-18, "Don't urge me to leave you or to 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 even death separates you and me." When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her."
Imagine being offered two job opportunities with great pay and numerous benefits. One is in your hometown, and one is in Mumbai, India. Do you stick with the comfort of what you know, or do you take a risk and move to a foreign country?
Recently widowed, Ruth faced these two options. She could stay with her family and friends in Moab, or she could go with her mother-in-law, Naomi, to Judah - a place where she knew no one and where the culture, even the God they worshipped, was completely different. Naomi tried to dissuade Ruth from going with her, but something in Ruth's gut told her to go. She didn't know what to call that "gut" feeling, but we know that it was God directing her path.
As we see in today's reading, Ruth was immediately "all in." She made a passionate plea committing to Naomi that she would not only consider Naomi's people her people, but she would make Naomi's God her God. What a great show of faith! She trusted in Naomi's God to provide for her and she was willing to take steps of faith to back it up. And her faith opened the door to God's plan for her. She eventually married a well-respected man of God and her descendants included King David... and Jesus.
Are you faced with a difficult decision today, one where it seems like there's no right answer? Ask God to guide your decisions and give you wisdom. When you seek to follow Him, have faith that He'll guide you in the right direction!
Ruth had just lost her husband and suddenly faced a significant life decision. If you were her friend, what would you say to her, and what encouragement would you give? Take a few moments to consider your response, and then remember to apply it to yourself the next time you face a major decision.
Lord Jesus, Where You lead, I will follow. Guide my heart when making decisions so that I may bring You glory. Thank You for your constant provision and grace. Amen.