16 “But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God my God.”
Ruth 1:16
Now, I’m not too proud to admit that I always believed this verse was referring to Ruth talking to Boaz, not her mother in law Naomi–the first part was always cut out. But now that I know the context, I like the verse even better.
My first (and wrong) interpretation of this verse led me to believe that Ruth had found Boaz, the man whom would become her second husband, before finding Jesus; that her husband <em>led</em> her to God, but after reading the book of Ruth I now see that Ruth found Boaz because she had found God first.
I’ve always been told that if I seek God above all that He will lead me to my husband, if it be in His will for my life, and I’m not above admitting that I struggle with this. To me, the world says go out and snatch your husband, be proactive and bold, but the bible pulls me to trust in God, that in His right time He will make my spouse known. It’s a bit like a tug of war game in my mind, but after finishing the book of Ruth and opening my heart to her story, I’m starting to see things in a different light.
Instead of returning to her own family and homeland Ruth chose to stay with Naomi and embrace her lifestyle as her own–seems scary, right? Abandoning your family, giving up your comfort and familiarity.
How many times have we not done something because it was scary or new? Too many times to count, but that’s how God works sometimes. Had Ruth not followed Naomi she wouldn’t have met Boaz. Her life would be entirely different, all because she feared the unknown, but she didn’t let fear control her life and God blessed her for it.
Comfort zones are good, but sometimes they can be our biggest inhibitors. Don’t let what you don’t know get away from you just because its new and scary–everything was new and scary at one point right? The times we are most scared to step out in faith are often the times when God uses us the most.
Through Ruth’s story we see that when we totally surrender to God and follow wherever He takes us incredible things happen. Sometimes, it can be so tempting to just jump the gun and take matters into our own hands, but God is God for a reason.
We make things so hard on ourselves, trying to figure everything out and take control when all we really need to do is be more like Ruth. She didn’t know what her future held but she took the leap anyways. Often the journey itself is more important than the path we take to get there. Besides, God will never run out of ways to get you where you’re supposed to be in life, even if it means taking a few unplanned detours.
It’s not always easy trusting God, I struggle with it every day, but Ruth’s story shows us the possibilities that can happen when we simply choose to follow and surrender to Jesus. The Lord’s plan is so much greater than anything we could possibly dream of. Don’t ignore the little whispers of your heart, God doesn’t always use flashing arrows to point out which way you should go. He’s here, waiting for us to stop fighting so hard.
Let Ruth’s story encourage us all to live a full life with childlike faith through every season!
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