Hard Times

In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years, 5 and both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.
Ruth 1:1-5 (ESV)

All people will go through hard times, and when things get rough, you discover what you truly believe.

It is tough enough that Naomi's husband died, but then, her two sons also died, leaving Naomi with two daughters-in-laws and no men in a culture that would make things quite difficult to be without men.

The stress of drought, moving, and the death of all of the men in your lives would be unnerving to many. Naomi wanted to release her daughter-in-laws from any obligation to her, Yet, Ruth refused.

It is during the tough times we find what we truly believe.

https://www.podbean.com/relate365

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What will you do with the facts?

Image
Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught. Luke 1:1-4 (ESV) Luke, the physician, does not claim to be an eyewitness account of what happened with Jesus, but he is one who personally evaluated the claims of those who had been with Jesus. As a doctor, he felt compelled to get the facts about Jesus’ miraculous birth recorded for Theophilus so he could have all his doubts erased. There is no reason to doubt Luke’s scholarship, methods, and conclusions. There is no reason to doubt unless your belief system has become the basis of your understanding, and you have slipped into thinking that whatever you belie...
Read more

Watch Him Work

But David said to Abishai, "Do not destroy him, for who can put out his hand against the Lord's anointed and be guiltless?" And David said, "As the Lord lives, the Lord will strike him, or his day will come to die, or he will go down into battle and perish. The Lord forbid that I should put out my hand against the Lord's anointed. 1 Samuel 26:9-11 (ESV Strong's) Waiting on God….Waiting on anyone or anything can be difficult. Waiting often means waiting for something to be transferred to our control. We do not like things we cannot control. David could have quickly taken matters into his own hands and get on with being king. He could easily have justified his actions before all his loyal subjects. Yet, those who live by faith do not spend time justifying their actions; instead, they give reasons for them. David understood that God was going to make him king. He needed to watch Him work. We do not need to help God accomplish His will; we just need to be obedien...
Read more

One Day…

"He will guard the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness, for not by might shall a man prevail. The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; against them he will thunder in heaven. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed." 1 Samuel 2:9-10 (ESV)   There is no way to fight God, and one would be foolish to attempt such folly. Yet, some seem to be in a continual battle with the Almighty. You would think they would learn quickly the error of their ways.   Strength never determines victory; proximity does. Those close to God and obedient to Him win, for there is no way to lose. The lies of Satan often blur absolutes in an attempt to make the will of God debatable.   One day, all who have ever lived will see and recognize Him as God. For some, it will be the most tragic day of their existence. For others, it is the culmination of lives well lived. Our choices today ...
Read more