Remaining Faithful

Remaining In Faith!

A. Ruth's Need to Remain with Naomi (1:1-5)
B. Ruth's Opportunity to Leave Naomi (1:6-15)
C. Ruth's Choice to Remain with Naomi (1:16-18)


Throughout the story of Ruth you can see how God took the losses and sufferings of this family and turned it into good and reaped blessings forevermore. There was famine in this land and they had moved out of the land and territory that they were forbidden to be outside of; they were not to leave Israel. We have in our own lives spiritual famines of different types concerning job losses, family breakups, relationships that are broken, we live in a dry non-caring world that has lack of spiritual insight. It is a famine all its own. We all at some time have moved out of the area, position or place of dwelling that God has given us because we thought we have found something more suitable. We want to be in better houses, neighborhoods, better success and have a title that means something. We want to do it our way! WE have moved out of the land or spiritual umbrella that God has orchestrated for our lives. This is exactly what this family had done. Not only with the famine going on, but now Naomi’s husband and two sons had died so this brought more suffering. To be out of the will of God will always bring suffering. Spiritually speaking, it is easy to go into wrong directions; however, it is very hard to leave that wrong direction in order to come back to the right way. But this ends up becoming a story of Redemption!

Ruth-the daughter-in-law was of great Faith from the beginning! Naomi was bitter because of all the heartache but somehow she knew that the famine was over and that in the country of Moab the Lord had visited His people giving them bread. Many times we in our own natural strength try to make a way through these famines when our Lord is saying, “here is the bread of life” eat it and be satisfied”. But we neglect to take in this daily nourishment. Until finally after many dry years or weeks we decide to feast upon what God has already supplied us with. We just weren’t listening. Now Naomi heard clearly that the famine was over and she wanted to go and get some bread. But, now she displays the same faithlessness that she did when her family left Israel and discourages her daughters-in-law from returning with her. At this stage, she had poor faith. But when she returns to Israel, her faith will begin to come back. You see, Moab - was not the place of faith - the world system is never the place of faith. Israel was and still is the place of Faith~

Many times we leave our place of Faith - there is no rest when you are living in the place of idolatry. There is anxiousness and restlessness when you are not walking in Faith and the will of God. Our Moab is the place of distractions, of walking by sight and not by faith. This direction limits God to move. It is where doubt and unbelief rule instead of trust and Faith in our God to be with us. So Naomi continues to give them an opportunity to leave and discourages them from staying with her. I believe she knew what would transpire in Moab. Naomi knew she had been out of the will of God, but I believe she wanted better for Ruth and Orpah. But Ruth had a need to stay with her Mother-in-law. She knew the God of Israel! But Orpah didn’t because she kissed her and left, how sad! She wanted the gods of Moab and couldn’t part with them. We do this in our own lives, God is telling us to part with these idolatries, but we would rather have them than the true God of Israel. Ruth’s faith was great, because she must have seen something or known something before to cleave to her mother-in-law. She I believe had saw her God of Israel and was cleaving to that remembrance of Him. She would not let go!

Ruth chooses to cleave unto God, whereas Orpah leaves to settle in with the gods and idolatries of the past where it is comfortable and settled, where at least she knows what is in store for her. But that is not what God ask of us. We are to leave the past behind and press forward to greater things, moving out of our comfort zones. Those things that are unseen and yet still promised we are to head towards. Ruth expressed one of the greatest affirmations of Salvation found in the Word of God. It characterizes all those who come to Christ. Even though Naomi had low faith plus she discouraged her from staying and even asked her if she was going with her sister, Ruth never swayed from her love and faith that she held to, saying, “Where you go, I will go and where you lodge, I will lodge, your people shall be my people and your God my God, where you die, will I die, and there will I be buried, the LORD do so to me, and more also if ought but death part you and me. There is no looking back! She will forever turn her back on the world of idolatry and rebellion against God. Even when she died she did not want to be sent back to Moab. Ruth cut all ties to the past, even her family and everything else. This is the same consecration that is demanded by God of all who come to Him. Naomi knew she had done wrong but Ruth was about to change that line of heritage.

As they went steadfast in their mind and faith to Bethlehem the city moved about them, because they couldn’t believe it was Naomi. They saw the poverty of spirit within her for she was low in faith and the husband and two sons that were absent-meaning dead were gone, and then above all else, a Moabitess accompanies her! They thought of all the bad things this woman had been through, the turmoil, pain and shame and now look at her being accompanied by this woman Ruth! Little did they know that this WOMAN (Moabitess) would be the ancestress of the Messiah.! Were they in for a surprise! When people come and condemn you and look at you for where you’ve been and all your past experiences and begin to sum you up, tell them to wait! That there is another person showing up yet!

Naomi thought she was dead, bitter and empty and the Lord had dealt with her because of her wrongdoings, but God doesn’t work from what might have been, but rather from “what is”. Her thinking “empty” certainly described her situation, however, she was far more full than she could even begin to think because Ruth - that crazy Moabitess would prove to be the greatest blessing of all. When unbelief sees “empty”, faith sees “full”. Ruth’s choice and her need and her opportunity elevated her Faith to stay on with Naomi and bring them back into the goodness of the God of Israel. It doesn’t matter what Ruth was, the Holy Spirit wants us to know who she becomes and that He changed Ruth’s life and He can change ours as well, for Ruth goes on to meet her kinsman redeemer and finds favor and blessing and a new husband! Not to shabby for a Moabitess full of Faith! Remember, there is no sin that the blood cannot cover, there is no life that the cleansing of the blood cannot change.

~We also have a NEED to remain with God~

~We also have FREE WILL and opportunity to LEAVE God~

~We have a CHOICE to REMAIN with God~

Do not leave the umbrella of God’s protection and do not give up in your time of spiritual famine!