Your God Will Be My God~

Greetings:)

 

Yesterday we were left wondering what it was that Naomi did that caused Ruth's unwavering devotion to her.

 

As a widowed woman in a starving, foreign land you can bet that it wasn't because she had any money. And even though Naomi's name means pleasant, it wasn't necessarily because she was a joy to be around. Keep in mind that she lost her husband and her two sons, one of which was Ruth's husband. At one point Naomi even says that her name should be changed to "Mara," which means bitter.

 

So what was it? The answer is found in a portion of yesterday's passage:

 

Ruth 1:17..."You God will be my God."

 

Something about the way Naomi lived her life as a believer in the middle of a pagan nation really ministered to Ruth. Sure, some of us can fake it for a little while. But 10 years? That's how long Ruth was married to Naomi's son before his passing. If Naomi were a hypocrite Ruth would have seen it at some point. But nope. Naomi was a consistent follower of the God of Israel. And one of His greatest commandments is to love thy neighbor as thyself.

 

It may not have been easy considering that Naomi's children married outside the faith. It was actually strictly forbidden for Israelites to marry Moabites, but Naomi's son married Ruth anyway and Naomi, rather than criticize and condemn, consistently modeled what God wants us all to do--to love and accept.

 

She lived her faith day in/day out, and it was contagious. Through all the ups and downs her belief in God sustained her and made an impact on Ruth. There is no way Naomi could have ever known the magnitude of the consequences that her faith-filled life would ultimately have on history, but we will. (More on that as the DEVOs progress). But for today let us think about the impact we have on others--particularly those in our closest circles. Are we living out our faith? Do we model God's love? Are others drawn to God because we are pointing the way? Do others want to be around us because we are kind or do they avoid us because we are critical?

 

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, You are our God, and we want others to know it. Your Word teaches that when we love You it positively impacts us because others want to hang out with us. In Jesus' name, AMEN~