Ruth 1:16

New International Version (NIV)

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.

For Meditation

The Oxford Dictionary defines commitment as “the state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, etc.” That says a lot about relationships, and Ruth’s story always challenges my commitment to Christ. The questions I ask myself are these:

1. How committed am I to Jesus? Have I committed to go all the way with Him (Ruth 1:16-18)?
2. Will I go wherever He sends me? Am I willing to stay wherever He chooses to be? What are my challenges with these?
3. Have I really forsaken my past – culture and lifestyle, people, family, and friends for the sake of Christ? Have I embraced my new family, the Church, with all her imperfections? If so, how involved and functional am I in the life of my local assembly?
4. Do I get “realistic,” as Orpah did, when I see difficulties ahead on God’s chosen path for me (14)?
5. Do my convictions about Christ lead to an unwavering dedication to doing His will the way Ruth’s faith grounded her commitment to Naomi?

I pray these questions help you to personally assess “the state or quality of being dedicated” to Christ, and help strengthen your faith when the going gets tough.

As Ruth was blessed and nourished in her new country and became an ancestor of Christ Jesus, may you be blessed and completely nourished because you have completely committed your life to Jesus!

 Shalom