26 - 02 - 2017, 07:20 PM
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 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 even death separates you and me.” Ruth 1:16-17
In a culture that has an attention span of less than 30 seconds, this kind of devotion, resolution, and loyalty are almost unheard of. I know that's why we church hop.. and don't stay married, job hop or stick with a roommate when things get too hard.. and even give up on the Lord.
I know some marriages or family conflicts can feel like the most painful and miserable torment there is. My heart aches for friends hurting in this area. And churches can hurt you too. In no way am I trying to minimize the situation you may be in right now.
Naomi had hit bottom and really I think at this point probably wondered if God had completely abandoned her. In 26 years, Tim and I have faced this sort of bleakness several times. Sometimes the hard things are situations like cancer and illness, severe family conflict lasting months, financial loss, depression, addiction, and many other things.
Sometimes.. it was me that had the awful problem.. sometimes my dear hubby.. sometimes it was something that happened to us as a couple.. finances etc.. so many storms that any married couple who loves the Lord will face at one time or another.
When we get married.. most of us are quite young.. both in age and in our journey with the Lord. So we both have to grow. It's that simple. We won't always grow perfectly.. and that's where the determination and resolve and commitment matter most.
If we look to each other as our 'source' of happiness.. then when things get bad, the only logical thing to say is "that person no longer meets my needs and I don't believe they'll ever change.. so good-bye'.
 To do that is to give up on the Lord and his ability to work in our lives and the lives of our spouses. Funny but 26 years seems like a long time to us 'human beings'.. but in the big scheme of things.. it's .. what .. a fourth of a person's life? If it took 20 years or so to grow up physically.. then why be surprised if it takes 26 years to finally and truly 'grow up' in the Lord? It shouldn't have to take that.. but it seems to me it did in my case.
What we need, especially in our families and our marriages, is more resolve, more patience, more faith, more determination to see God's hand working in our marriage and in ourselves and our spouses and our children. We need more prayer.. more soul searching of our own sin in our hearts..so we can see clearly to help those we love.
Giving up.. fixes nothing.
Getting serious with the Lord fixes everything.
We pray maybe one day, or one week for change..I've been praying for some things.. particularly in our marriage and for my children.... daily for six months.. and I'm beginning to see answers.. after six months..
How devoted are we? How persevering? How surrendered? Ruth suffered so much with Naomi.. but one thing she knew was that she was not about to abandon the God who was the only good thing to come out of her loss.
Do we really love the Lord and our spouses enough..to never give up?
The day I made that resolution.. and decide to quit wallowing in self-pity about my problems.. or 'our' problems.. and just give the Lord my whole-hearted devotion, prayer.. and a willingness to have him expose my personal sin was the first day that everything in my life began to turn around.. including my marriage.
I have to say.. I honestly never ever would consider doing anything but 'enduring' when situations called for that and nor would my husband. We are devoted to the core of our being.. for better or worse... but I realized the Lord wanted more from me and for Tim and for our kids. He wanted me to quit looking to Tim for my happiness.. and to look to Him.. and in the end I got both... in time.
Don't give up.. and don't consider going back to 'Egypt.. or Moab'.. for the Lord is the only one who has the words of life.. and the only one who can repair and restore broken hearts. He makes all things beautiful .. in his time.
Dear Lord, No matter what the trials, calamities my readers may be facing, I pray you would today.. spark a bit of hope and determination to cling to you and 'get serious' with you about their own personal journey with you. I pray you would heal and restore and make them whole.. so they can be a lifeline to those they love. Amen
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