June 2010-Ruth 1:14-15

And they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.  Then she said, “Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” Ruth 1:14-15

Two very short verses characterize Naomi’s daughter-in-law, Orpah.  Sadly, this story of Orpah carries with it the all too familiar and gut-wrenching picture of turning away from God’s providential hand and turning instead to the world for solutions.

Had Naomi’s faith been stronger perhaps both Orpah and Ruth would have returned with Naomi to Bethlehem – to Naomi’s credit and to God’s glory.  While Orpah’s desire was to go with Naomi – ultimately to her own redemption – her decision to turn back separated her from her beloved Naomi. Certainly remaining in Moab she was more assured of being married and taken care of.  Perhaps she worried about being a foreigner in the land of Israel; or forever remaining unmarried and an outcast.  Yet returning to Moab also separated her from God which, as today, carries a far greater impact given its aspect of eternity.

In reality Orpah was ‘not far from the kingdom’ (Mark 12:34).  Indeed she was very close to a full, wonderful and providential care of the LORD, far above anything she could give herself.  Instead she turns away from the drawing power of God – and is never heard from again.

How easily we can do the same, circumventing God’s plan for us by giving up too early perhaps, or skirting His good plan because the way seems too hard to our eyes, or doesn’t make sense.  Perhaps we can’t see the way before us or we can’t bring ourselves to entrust our circumstances to God.  Perhaps we see Him as the cause of our strife thus far.  Perhaps our circumstances are horrible. Perhaps others have forsaken us through sin of their own.  Or perhaps we believe Him – but we just can’t place ourselves in His care.

God is very clear in His Word to us – that He will never leave us to struggle alone.  He never will forsake us.  We may not care for His methods – most of the time we don’t because they aren’t of our choosing or because they aren’t logical to our puny minds.  Nonetheless God promises to take care of His children.

Just reading to the end of Ruth one sees God’s gentle hand of provision and the nurturing and guiding care of a very loving Father and Husband.

“I will lead the blind by a way they do not know.  In paths they do not know I will guide them. I will make darkness into light before them, and rugged places into plains. These are the things I will do.  And I will not leave them undone.”  Isaiah 42:16

The picture of Orpah turning away from Naomi to return to Moab can be a picture of any one of us turning our hearts and minds away from God’s grace and loving care and faithfulness.  It’s easier for us instead to engage a fallen world that we know and are comfortable with, but which will ultimately prove unfaithful to us.

Are you tempted to turn back, to give up?  Has life dealt you a cruel blow – or perhaps a series of cruel blows that have brought you to your knees in despair and pain and heartache?

Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble. For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you.  He will not fail you or forsake you. The LORD is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.  Deuteronomy 31:6,8

Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.  Genesis 28:15

The LORD has promised that He is with you.  He has not promised to remove you from your trials, but He has promised to remain with you until you have come through them.  He will provide opportunities along the way to help you – perhaps through an unexpected nurturing from a friend or a word from a stranger that gets you through the next few hours.

You, in Your great compassion, did not forsake them in the wilderness; The pillar of cloud did not leave them by day to guide them on their way, nor the pillar of fire by night to light for them the way in which they were to go. Nevertheless, in Your great compassion You did not make an end of them or forsake them, for You are a gracious and compassionate God.  Nehemiah 9:19, 31

Perhaps the LORD will open a door to give you a solution, or a revelation.  He does not overlook the practical provision – such as financial needs or the need for food or medicine.  But God’s economy is quite different from ours and His ways of provision can be very creative.

If we endure through all of the hardship and the grief, the daily struggle and the worry for the future by drawing closer to the LORD instead of turning away, we will glean the greater gift of knowing that God is our Provider and that He WILL provide for us.

The only way of having this knowledge on the other end

is to begin the process with Him on this end.

When you have a situation today that seems hopeless; when you are tempted to return to Moab for answers, stop and listen for His word to your heart.  Look for His provision in ways outside of what you expect.  Do not turn away from Him.  He loves you very much and desires you to have the full reward for your labors – not just here, but also with Him in eternity.

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

(Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing)

Dear LORD – Thank you for Your immeasurable love for me.  Thank you for your promises to remain with me.  I give my life and my circumstances to You, trusting You to lead me to wholeness and safety and security.  Please help me to follow in the way You lead.  In Jesus name I pray.  Amen

If you do not have access to a Bible, you can access the Bible online at the following link:  http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ruth%201&version=NASB

This link will take you directly to Ruth Chapter 1.  If you want to go to the next chapter, just type in Ruth 2 in the passage lookup link towards the top of the page and you can go to the next chapter, and so on.  You can also change the translation – by scrolling through the translations at the drop-down box to the right of the passage lookup link.  This translation is New American Standard.