After studying my Open Heavens devotional this morning with lil sis, I decided to read my ‘Bible in one year’ bit alone so I could have my personal time with God. Trust me, quiet time today was really fun and I’m so excited to share what I learnt with you. I read through Book of Ruth, learnt a few lessons from the main characters and also had my day dreaming moments, creating the perfect picture of my ideal mother-in-law (LOL! I pray she turns out to be as great as she looks in my dreams. Amen. LOL! )
Anyway,
here is the summary of my quiet time today. Hope it
encourages/blesses/inspires you.
Ruth
was a Moabite who was married to one of Naomi’s son. However the
marriage only lasted for about 10 years due to the death of her
husband. With nothing else to live for in a strange land after
losing both husband and sons, Naomi made up her mind to go back to Israel her
homeland but her daughter- in- laws wanted to go with her. On their way, she
pleaded with them to go back but Ruth insisted on continuing with the journey
while Orpah, the second daughter-in-law returned to her father’s house.
In
Ruth 1:16, bible records Ruth saying to her mother-in-law “…wherever you go, I
will go; and wherever you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people and
your God will be my God.” What on earth made Ruth make that kind of
decision? There was nothing exciting about going with Naomi to Israel, well
maybe a change of environment was needed but on a serious note the journey
seemed like a hopeless one. Ruth was a young widow, there was no man
waiting for her in Bethlehem , no hope for shelter, riches or a
better tomorrow but she insisted on relocating with Naomi. What exactly was she
thinking? Who follows someone to an unknown place and decides to serve their
God knowing fully well that this same God allowed the death of the woman’s
husband and sons for reasons best known to Him?
…
Hmmmm… While pondering on what her reasons were, it dawned on me that Naomi's
life must have really inspired her daughter- in-laws. I think there was
something sweet about her that made the ladies willing to leave their homeland
for hers. Ruth’s marriage to Naomi’s son only lasted 10 years but in
those years she probably had an encounter with the God of
Israel. She must have watched her mother-in-law closely and noticed
there was something great about her God. Hence the reason she said 'your God
will be my God'. Despite the terrible things that befell Naomi, Ruth (a
Moabite) was willing to serve the God she served. This was a
challenge to me… Does my lifestyle draw unbelievers to Christ or away from Him?
Without opening my mouth to preach the gospel, will an unbeliever around me be
able to say “Dear friend, your God will be my
God”? Naomi’s story is a practical and classic example
of “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and
glorify your Father in heaven.”-Matthew 5:16
Even though
things had gone totally wrong for Naomi, Ruth followed her nevertheless. Ruth’s
decision to serve Naomi’s God no matter the circumstance was the beginning of
her greatness. On getting to Bethlehem, what they never bargained for
happened! Ruth found favour in the sight of a wealthy man named
Boaz, he married her and together they had a son called Obed, who was the
grandfather to King David. That physically hopeless journey Ruth took in faith
despite all odds made her one of the greatest women who ever lived. From being
a ‘nobody’, she became the great-grandmother of King David and an ancestor to
Jesus.
At
times in life, things may look rough and totally hopeless. We may not
understand things happening around us and why God lets very terrible things
happen but from Ruth’s story, we see that if we just learn to trust God and
keep loving Him despite our challenges or past mistakes, we would realise that
of a truth, ALL THINGS MAY NOT BE GOOD BUT ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD TO
THEM THAT LOVE GOD.
3
lessons you must learn from the lives of Ruth and Naomi
1) Dedicating
your live to God is the best decision you will ever make in life. No
matter the challenges or trials you face, never let go of God! Trust, serve and
love Him wholeheartedly. The decision to serve God despite all odds was the
beginning of great things in the life of Ruth. Her life turned
around for good and she went from being a nobody to becoming the great-grand
mother of famous king David.
2) Building
a good and godly character will take you places. Abigail
Buren once said “The best index to a person's character is how he treats people
who can't do him any good, and how he treats people who can't fight back.” Even
though Ruth knew Naomi had nothing much to offer, she still treated her
nicely. Ruth’s kind, obedient, generous, committed and character
made room for her at the top and she found favour in the eyes of Boaz.
3) Let
your light shine wherever you go and let your life be a blessing to those
around you! Don’t just be a Christian by words of mouth only, be a
Christian in your works too. Let people see Jesus in you, like Naomi, show
love! Motivate others to good works, be nice to everyone you come
across and make an impact in your world!
There
are many more lessons from the Book of Ruth, do you mind sharing some? If yes,
kindly leave a comment on the blog.
Remain
Blessed,
LadyMay.
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