And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me (Ruth 1:16–17, KJV).
What We’re Following
Direction is a powerful thing in our life. We make goals and follow directions to help us attain them. Even the most aimless among us will still follow after a direction. We live according to direction because God made us this way—He created us to follow, to worship Him. God also created every man and woman with a measure of faith. Our faith and our ability to follow work together in life. And, this is what we see in the life of Ruth. In our journey through this series, we must all ask ourselves what is it we’re following, and is it worth following?
Changing Direction
When Ruth considered her mother-in-law, she expressed heartfelt words. This is what she spoke after Naomi when she begged her not to leave. She wanted to take part in Naomi’s life: her travels, her people, her home, and her God. Not much is said about Naomi, but Ruth was drawn to her. This is a strong indication of the life she lived as a reflection of her God.
Because of Naomi, Ruth wanted become a worshipper of Jehovah. She desired to leave everything she knew because she had faith there was something greater in worshipping the Lord. After comparing her experience with Naomi’s, she changed direction—from a life of idol-worship to a life of worshipping the one, true God. She was full of enough faith to recognize what was missing from her life and make a change.
Serving the Lord
Ruth’s native people were Moabites, and they served the idol Chemosh. Idol were everywhere in her life—idols that couldn’t speak or do anything real. We might think we’re much different than Ruth, and we don’t serve idols, but there just may be idols in our life. What disappoints us? What do we complain about the most? Where’s our sanctuary?
We will find what we long for could be something that’s taking us away from God’s presence. Our greatest disappointment or loss could be something that’s our wrong focus. The focus of our complaint could be an unknown idol. Where we run when we’re upset and frustrated, when it’s not God, can be our idol. Most of all, we don’t even know it. We need to have enough faith to serve a living God and not anything else in this world.
Times of Hardship
Ruth was met with much hardship in life. She was living during a famine, didn’t have a lot of provision, lost her husband, and truly didn’t have anyone to care for her. In the midst of her hardship, she had enough faith to turn to a God she didn’t even know, but realized He was better than her current circumstances and could bring her out. She decided to follow something that was worth following.
Jesus tells the church not to lay up treasures in earth which can be easily corrupted and pass away, but to seek for treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19–20). Do we have enough faith to follow after the things that won’t pass away, things that are eternal in the Lord just like Naomi? Do we want to be filled with things that last?
Follow Until the End
Ruth wasn’t willing to extend her faith for just a short time. She was willing to die following in her faith (Ruth 1:17). We must make up our minds today to exercise enough faith in our life to last us our lifetime here on earth. No matter what happens, no matter what people say, we must serve the Lord no matter what. Let’s be full of faith.