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Scripture:
"Look," said Naomi, "your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her."
But Ruth replied, "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 anything but death separates you and me." When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her. - Ruth 1:15-18
Devotional:
The beautiful words of Ruth 1:16 are famous and oft repeated. The commitment they convey gives us one of the most inspiring examples of loyalty in all of the Bible. Because of this, many of us have heard them read at weddings more often than we can count. I, in fact, read this verse at a wedding of a friend over twenty years ago.
Here's a secret: At the time I stood up in front of that congregation, I had no idea the story behind the words I was reading.
To truly understand how impressive the commitment of Ruth is we must read the whole story. When we read these verses at weddings we are reciting them in the context of romantic love and jubilant celebration - a time of hope and light. And yet, if we actually read the entire text, we find that these words are not exchanged between an engaged couple looking toward newly wedded bliss and the hope of a prosperous, happy family. Instead, they are exchanged between two impoverished widows in a time of fear, desperation, and the prospect of a bleak future.
If you had Ruth 1:16 read at your wedding, I certainly don't mean to rain on your parade. The powerful sentiment of joining together in commitment still holds. The words are a timeless example of selfless dedication to another, no matter the context.
But a further look into the story shows us the great contrast between making a choice to be obedient in the midst of a joyous occasion vs. making that same choice in a situation rife with obstacles. In addition, we also must recognize that Ruth not only makes this choice once, but again and again, even as her mother-in-law's protests becoming increasingly persuasive.
Naomi offers Ruth and her sister-in-law, Orpah, numerous very compelling arguments to push them to turn back. As the daughters-in-law are Moabites, they will not be welcome in Bethlehem. All three women are widows with no power, no money, and no reasonable hope that they will be able to marry when they arrive. Orpah doesn't take much persuading and soon turns to leave. I can't say I blame her. Ruth, however, defiantly ignores each argument making the difficult choice to continue the journey with Naomi.
Making a decision to follow God's will for our lives is rarely a one time choice and is even more rarely an easy road. Often times I like to tell myself that I'll know that I've made a decision in line with what God wants for me if doors open easily and the path seems crystal clear.
On the contrary, quite often continuing to make a decision to be committed to someone or something that God wants for us can be anything but easy. We need only to ask an addict how many times she has to decide to refuse the lure of alcohol. How many protests will her mind give her that just one drink is no big deal? For many, that choice has to be made daily, if not hourly. Or how about the husband and father who has to climb out of his warm bed every morning to tie his running shoes tight to exercise so that he can be the healthiest version of himself for his family even when it is cold and rainy outside? Or what of the employee who could easily skim a few dollars here or there without anyone being the wiser for it, but instead makes the more honest albeit less financially profitable choice day after day?
As I contemplate all of the many choices we make each day, it occurs to me that perhaps there is no better place to read this 1st chapter of Ruth than at a wedding. Last week, my husband and I marked 25 years of marriage. In 1995, I was 25 years old with nary a wrinkle on my face nor a kid's college tuition bill in sight. I was dressed in white lace and tulle and was looking forward to champagne, dancing, and that overpriced ice sculpture full of shrimp cocktail at our reception. It frankly wouldn't have been all that difficult to say, "where you go, I will go" to my young husband in that moment.
But 25 years later, when parenting bigger kids means dealing with bigger, more consequential issues and when every single day another part of my body hurts, and when someone still doesn't seem to understand dishwasher loading etiquette, that commitment becomes a different matter all together. This choice to stay, to journey together, to meet whatever obstacles come our way is not just one decision but, one after another, after another, after another.
As we enter a new year, many of us will be making resolutions and committing ourselves to fostering new habits, while many of us will simply need to continue what Eugene Peterson refers to as "a long obedience in the same direction". No matter what choices we have to make, we ought to take a lesson from Ruth today and call upon God to help us practice a sustained, enduring obedience to follow His lead each and every day that He sees fit to give us.
Prayer:
Holy, gracious God. Help us in this new year. Our short-sightedness, our fears, and our doubts will fail us when we try to use our will power to make decisions for our future journeys. Fill us with your Holy Spirit, so that we might be filled with conviction and wisdom to follow You wherever you might lead us. Amen.
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