“Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.” Ruth 1:1
The books of Judges and I and II Samuel record the history of Israel when they were experiencing trouble and turmoil because they were not obeying the laws of God. Each time their enemies attacked them, they would cry out to the Lord for deliverance, God would hear them and send a judge to lead them to victory. In between these books, we find the Book of Ruth, It is one of the only two books in the Bible named after a woman. It is a beautiful love story and a great illustration of how God works to bring His plans to fruition.
When our two children were seven and eight years old, my husband was laid off from his job and he found one in another province. I had an excellent job, but after praying considerably about it, we decided to move. His job did not work out like he had hoped and so we only stayed a year and then moved back home. During that time, we welcomed our third child. Fortunately, we had only rented our house and I was able to get my job back. It was quite an experience for us all, and looking back I know that the Lord was leading us all the way.
Although this might look like a mistake for Elimelech and his family to leave their home in Bethlehem and go to Moab, as we read the rest of the story, we know that God had a plan and a purpose. There was someone in the land of Moab who was needed to fill a place in the perfect tapestry that God was weaving.
There was famine in the land of Judea and a discouraged father decided to take his family to Moab to find food. There are a lot of questions we would like to ask. Did he pray and ask God if this was His will? Why did he choose Moab? Did Naomi want to leave her home, or did she just go because she was obedient to her husband? How old were the boys? Were they unhappy to be leaving their friends behind?
Every decision we make has an impact on our future. It is so important that we do not make decisions rashly but take time to pray and seek the Lord’s will.
Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
Please take time this week to read the Book of Ruth, and each day we will see what lessons we can glean from it.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we thank you for your great plan of salvation, and how you have revealed it so clearly in the Scriptures. As we consider the Book of Ruth, open our eyes to see the treasures you have for us there.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
2 Comments
Oh dear sister…I was stressing out about a financial crisis and I was not getting the answer fast enough for my liking. So, at 71 years old, I got a job!! And I was so tired after the first week, I heard the Lord say “so how’s this going for you”!!! I have a 90 day commitment and the time is getting closer to my resignation. But, along the way, I’m able to pay for some necessary work on my small condo; I have been able to give extra to our Youth Ministry and save a few dollars. I am so thankful today to tell the Lord, “it’s going better than I thought Lord and thank you for giving me the opportunity to be a part of Your greater purpose!”
I am thankful that the Lord is blessing you. Just keep trusting, He will never fail.