Sunday, March 30 ~ Being Physically Present
~~Ruth 1:16-18
But Ruth said, “Do not press me to leave you or to turn back from following you! Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die –there will I be buried. May the LORD do thus and so to me, and more as well, if even death parts me from you!” When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her.
~~Here in this scripture is a true example of devotion and faith. Ruth was committed to Naomi and to carrying out the duty to Naomi. She felt responsible. Ruth gives up all she had to follow Naomi and to worship the Lord. This is a commitment to be present and stand alongside Naomi, not just send letters, or money to help Naomi.
Think of what this means, a commitment to stand by someone or something, not just support it. It is easy to say I support a person, or a belief. Many pull out their checkbooks and give over some money to show they support a cause, or person. That is easy, following the Lord is not the easy road, the Lord wants you to get dirty and stand by your commitments. The Lord wants us to fully commit, to be ready to get dirty and go out to the fields and work for a few handfuls of grains to support ourselves if necessary, that is commitment to person or belief. We are asked to make this kind of commitment in our marriages and to our children.
Think about what Ruth says here "Where you go, I will go" a commitment to stand with your spouse, that I will not leave you.
"Your people shall be my people", what a commitment, that we will be one and the same as a united couple, our families united as one.
"Your God my God" what a profession of trust to say that I trust in you enough to trust your faith.
Finally "Where you die I will die" that I will stand with you till the end, there is no stronger commitment that two individuals can make. I made this commitment to my wife, and I will stand with her till the end of time, her family is my family, and I found my faith through trusting in her faith. Her faith in the Lord led me to find my own faith. I have since made this same commitment to the Lord, I shall follow the Lord, place my faith with the Lord and stand as a Christian.
I will take the hard road and follow the Lord.
Jeff Miller