Ruth, A Story Of RedemptionSample

Far From Home Have you ever wondered if God is at work in your life? I have plenty of times, and then I am reminded of the book of Ruth. We don't see miracles or divine intervention from Heaven; we see God subtly at work as He guides the two women down a path of restoration and fruitfulness. The book of Ruth begins with the story of a family living in Bethlehem. They are living in a town known as the house of bread, yet there is a famine. The writer doesn't tell us much about the circumstances of the family; we begin almost immediately with them traveling to the land of Moab. From the beginning, the nation of Moab was one of immorality. Yet, Elimelech made the decision to uproot his family from the house of bread to travel to a foreign nation filled with sin. We don't travel too far into chapter one before we find a vital application for our own lives. When we face difficult times, we must not rely on human understanding or take the easy way out; we must seek God for His purposes. Elimelech did not ask God what His will was, nor did he trust God. Instead, he uprooted his family from the place God's people dwelt to live in a wicked country where there would be no place to worship God and no fellowship with other believers. Ironically, Elimelech left to escape death, and yet him and his sons would find just that within a decade. Not only did his poor decision negatively affect him, but it affected his whole family. We must come to the realization that the choices we make in life will impact others. Once Elimelech went outside of God's will, he no longer had the ability to distinguish between right or wrong. He allowed his sons to marry Moab women who did not know God and allowed unequally yoked marriages. With one bad decision, Elimelech led his family further away from the things of God. It’s important that you and I seek God's will instead of doing what we think is best. One poor decision can lead us into a string of poor decisions. The good news is, God restores and God is good. We don't just see a family destroyed with one decision. God isn't finished yet. As God's people we have the unique opportunity to know His will and live under His umbrella. There are times in our life when the storm hits. It is in those seasons we can either seek His will and trust Him, or we can rely on our own understanding and make the decision we think best. Ultimately, God's plan for us is better than our own.