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.” This definition holds a mirror to our relationships, and Ruth’s story serves as a constant reminder to reflect on our commitment to Christ.

Ruth was a young woman with her life before her in her country. This young man and his family came from Judah, a country hostile to Moab, her country. However, there was something about this Hebrew family that caught her attention. The family head died, and Ruth found herself married to one of their two boys, while another native girl married the other boy. Life was good, but they had no children. After ten years, the two brothers suddenly died, too, and the two Moabite women must decide to walk away or remain in their marital home with their mother-in-law, Naomi. Her life challenges them, so Ruth and Orpah decide to stay with her. Israel’s God visits His people, and Bethlehem is fruitful once again.

Naomi prepares to return to her country and the two decide to travel with her. On the road back to Bethlehem, Orpah reasons with Naomi and returns home. Ruth, however, displays remarkable courage as she commits her future to Naomi, her people, and God (Ruth 1:16-17). What informed her decision and commitment but the excellent testimony of Naomi? After considering everything, Ruth concludes that life in Moab was garbage compared to the excellencies of Israel’s God and the testimony of his dealings with His people, so she went with Naomi. God blesses her decision and puts her in the ancestral line of King David and, ultimately, Jesus Christ, our Guardian-Redeemer. What a story of commitment and dedication!

The story of Ruth serves as a catalyst for self-reflection, prompting us to ask ourselves some hard questions this morning.

How deeply am I committed to Jesus? Have I pledged to follow Him wherever He leads (Ruth 1:16-18)? Will I go wherever He sends me? Am I willing to stay wherever He wants me? What are my challenges here?

Have I 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 its imperfections? If so, how involved and functional am I in the life of my local assembly? Remember, the Church is not just a building but a community of believers; your active participation is crucial. Do I get, “realistic,” as Orpah did, when some problematic possibilities are open to me (14)?

Do my convictions about Christ support my commitment to Him in the way Ruth grounded her commitment to Naomi?

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

Just as God blessed and nourished Ruth in her foreign land and she became an ancestor of Christ Jesus, may He also bless and nourish you because you have devoted your life to Jesus!

Prayer

Lord, please help me to lovingly commit to you and others, that I will be like Jesus for your glory. Amen!