Faithfulness and Grace

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 anything but death separates you and me."

                                                                 Ruth 1:16-17

^{In the Book of Ruth is told a story that many people overlook as simply a love story thrown into the midst of the Old Testament that showcases the male hero of the story Boaz.  But, if that is all you see, then I would say you are missing much of the importance and relevance of this short but event filled story.}

^{In the beginning we hear about famine, a family moving to a foreign land to avoid starvation, the death of the patriarch and then marriage and subsequent deaths of his sons.  This story is told from the point of view of two women who have to overcome their circumstances and make choices that will impact their lives and unbeknownst to them, the future of all mankind.}

^{In the scripture above, Ruth is making a monumental decision and showing uncommon strength and faith.  She is Moabitess, a gentile from a people who are known idol worshippers and pagans.  For a young woman who is now a widow to stand so firmly on faith in a God she was not raised to know or rely on, this statement is huge!  But how does that relate to us today?}

^{Most of us have heard the Gospel in our life time in some cases many times.  Some responded quickly others are still on the fence.  Those of us who did accept Christ as our Savior are rarely if ever asked to make such a life altering decision.  We may never have to choose so radically to step out on faith and go to a completely unknown place where we will be an outcast.  We may never have to choose to follow God in such a blatant act of blind faith.  But it begs the question, if we were faced with the choice, would we do it?  Would we have the courage and the strength to go against the norm and take that leap?  It’s a question worth praying over, worth pondering deep in our hearts and certainly worth preparing ourselves for because you never know when you may be asked to stand up be counted for God.  You may not have to move to another country but every day we have some opportunity divinely given by the Almighty God, to choose faithfulness over popularity or comfort and by his grace alone can we do just that.}