The book of Judges records a brutal time in the history of God’s people. Murder, lawlessness, and immorality were common. That book closes with this line, “everyone did as he saw fit.” In the middle of it all, there is a beautiful story of human love. It unfolds in the 4 chapters of the book of Ruth. Elimelech, his wife, and his two sons, Mahlon and Kilion, left Bethlehem during a drought, moving to the region of Moab. They settled down. The boys grew up and married Moabite women, named Orpah and Ruth. Ah, life was good.
Then, tragedy struck. First, Elimelech died, and shortly after the two sons. Three widows tried to make life work but eventually Naomi realized she needed to go home to her kinsmen in Israel. When she told her two daughters-in-law to stay among their own people, Ruth’s response was one of great love. “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!” (Ruth 1:16-17, NLT)
When the two women settled in Bethlehem, Ruth took care of Naomi, working to provide for her. Eventually her sweet spirit caught the eye of a kinsman named Boaz, who took her in marriage and she became the great-grandmother of King David! Her love became known to all that region so that the man who would become her husband blessed her saying, “I’ve heard all about you—heard about the way you treated your mother-in-law after the death of her husband, and how you left your father and mother and the land of your birth and have come to live among a bunch of total strangers. God reward you well for what you’ve done—and with a generous bonus besides from God, to whom you’ve come seeking protection under his wings.” (Ruth 2:11-12, The Message)
This woman, who had been so bitterly disappointed by life, who was living in a strange land among people she did not know, could have become bitter, focused on herself, and full of complaint. Who could have criticized her? But, she chose to love and found healing and a new destiny in God’s plan.
Disciple, what will you chose to do when life batters you with disappointment or grief?
Will you shrivel into a little ball of misery or will you ask God to soften your heart and help you to be a gentle servant of those who are hurting around you?
Go ahead and cry! There’s no need to pretend that your pain is not real. Life hurts. Choices we make and the choices of others do not always bear the fruit we hoped for. So, will you become a cynic, a miserable person? Don’t! Take your sorrow to the Lord, not to accuse Him of unfaithfulness, but to find His comfort. Then, dry your eyes and go help somebody. You’re not the first to feel the loss that come with death, divorce, financial reverse, children who turn from you, or sickness. Life does not have to be defined only by our disappointment. Broken dreams are fertile soil in which the seeds of character and godliness can grow!
Take this word from the Word. Make it your mission statement for life.
"All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. … It was so bad we didn’t think we were going to make it. We felt like we’d been sent to death row, that it was all over for us. As it turned out, it was the best thing that could have happened. Instead of trusting in our own strength or wits to get out of it, we were forced to trust God totally—not a bad idea since he’s the God who raises the dead!" (2 Corinthians 1:3-4, 8-9, The Message)
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Ev'ryday they pass me by.
I can see it in their eyes.
Empty people filled with care.
Headed who knows where.
On they go through private pain
Living fear to fear.
Laughter hides the silent cries,
Only Jesus hears.
We are called to take His light
To a world where wrong seems right.
What could be too great a cost
For sharing life with one who's lost?
Through His love our hearts can feel
All the grief they bear.
They must hear the words of life
Only we can share.
People need the Lord.
People need the Lord.
At the end of broken dreams
He's the open door.
People need the Lord
People need the Lord.
When will we realize
People need the Lord.
People Need the Lord
Phil McHugh © 1983 Shepherd's Fold Music (a div. of EMI Christian Music Publishing) / River Oaks Music Company (a div. of EMI Christian Music Publishing)
CCLI License No. 810055
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