Text: Ruth 1:1-5; Isaiah 40:31; Proverbs 16:9, 19:16
Key Verse: There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end
thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 14:12)
The times were tough. Famine dawned
on the land and the people had very little to survive on. They were perturbed
by their present circumstance and saw no rays of hope in sight, but hardly
could they forget that “they that know their God shall be strong and do
exploits” (Daniel 11:32).
The people of Bethlehemjudah
waited on the Lord for succor but among them was one so unfortunate who took
not counsel from the Lord and felt he didn’t need God to tell him what to do
with his life. He chose the path that pleased him only that it led to his death
and destruction.
The story of Elimelech often
reminds me of man’s weakness, naivety and folly to think we can live our lives
without God (Proverbs 19:3a). We feel we own our lives and can do whatever pleases
us forgetting that “many are the plans in a man’s heart but it is the will and
counsel of the Lord that shall prevail.”
Elimelech and his family chose
the way of pride by leaving the tabernacle of the Lord in Bethlehemjudah to
seek refuge in a foreign land of Moab where its people neither revered nor obeyed
the commandments of God. This teaches a lesson that no matter how awful our
predicaments in life may be, forsaking the Lord and choosing our own path will
always turn out to be a grave mistake.
Our resolve to stick with God should
be on the basis of “for better or worse”, “in good times and bad times”, till
thy kingdom come and His will done on earth as it is in heaven. We must put God
first in everything we do, trusting Him with all of our hearts and leaning not
on our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6).
If only had Elimelech sought the
face of the Lord before making the move to Moab, his death and that of his two
sons, Mahlon and Chilion, would have been averted. Naomi, his wife and mother
of his sons, wouldn’t have turned out a helpless widow.
I believe God wants us to learn
and understand that decisions made without His acknowledgement doesn’t end
well. He wants us to have at the back of our minds that without Him we can do
nothing on our own.
We shouldn’t be overwhelmed by
the gains of pride and get to the point we feel we do not need God in our lives
(Proverbs 16:18a). Elimelech thought he had escaped the burdens of famine and
delighted is soul with the fleeting abundance of an ungodly city as Moab.
Sadly, he never for once thought of going back to where he came from.
Folly is what makes a man think
he can find happiness and fulfillment on his own terms without God. But
hear the words of wisdom: “Man’s going are of the Lord; how can a man then
understand his own way? The fear of the Lord tendeth to life: and he that hath
it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil (Proverbs 19:23;
20:24).”
When Naomi realized her mistakes
with tears and sorrow in her heart (Ruth 1:19-22), she returned to the Lord and
look what happened to her in the succeeding chapters of the book of Ruth. She
found favour and grace from God. Even Ruth, her daughter in law wasn’t exempted
from this favour because she decided to worship and service the living God of
Israel (Ruth 1:14-18).
Haven’t you suffered enough to
still think you do not need God in your life? Now is the acceptable time to
return to the Lord. “Seek Him while He may be found, call upon Him while He is
near…return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon you; and to our God, for
He will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:6-7).
*** Written by Jacobs Adewale
(Admin) ***
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