Title: Ruth's Faith
“Mom, why are you crying? Are you afraid that God will not hear your mother raking the bottom of the barrel?” At this moment, her fading faith was restored. God's people do not despair under any circumstances. Christians are always hopeful people.
The Bible says
“To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).
“For by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).
“Anything not of faith is sin” (Romans 14:23).
Ruth in the text was a woman from Moab, a Gentile tribe. Therefore, he must not have been educated in the faith of Jehovah God from an early age. However, after he married Elimelech and became Naomi's son-in-law, his attitude began to change. Many times in our lives we experience turning points in our lives. And my attitude changed by that turning point directly affects my life. Sometimes in a positive way, sometimes in a negative way. Through the life-changing point of his marriage, Ruth develops faith in Jehovah God, whom she had not previously known and could not serve. Let's see what Ruth's faith was.
1) Determined Faith
Above all else, he had the decisive faith to make the right decisions in life. Even though his years of faith were not long, he had a firm faith in knowing how to give up things boldly for God's sake. We see many who hesitate in our religious life today. There are many people who hesitate to cut off from the sins of the world because of the world's greed, even though they must make a right and firm decision in the Lord's will. But Ruth did not take such an attitude. It must have never been easy to abandon one's race and one's homeland and go to another nation or country. Nevertheless, he had made the decision to give up these things boldly with his unwavering faith in God. What is holding us back today? Is it your own lust for success or material greed? We, too, should have the decisive faith that can cut off everything that prevents us from making the right decisions for God and procrastinates.
2) Faith to keep righteousness
He also had the faith to keep the right. Ruth says, "Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried" (v. 17). Ruth's words showed her commitment to serving her old and lonely mother-in-law until the end, when even her husband and children died. And if he goes away with his mother, except for the dead, the Lord will punish me and bring more of it” (verse 17). I know this is never easy. Ruth was young and still had a future left. To him, his mother-in-law, Naomi, is only a stumbling block and never helps. Nevertheless, Ruth did not abandon her fervent attitude toward her unhelpful mother-in-law. Not only did she have decisive faith in God, but she also had the loyalty to serve her old and lonely mother-in-law until the end. God highly exalted this habit and gave him the glory to not only become the forefather of the Davidic royal family, but also to ascend to the genealogy of Jesus Christ.
3) Belief in God first
The core of his faith was the belief of God first. Although he had a short experience of faith in God, he had the right eye for faith in God more than anyone else. He confesses, "Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God" (verse 16). This is truly a great confession. As such, Ruth had the right faith, knowing that only the Lord is the true God, and through this confession of faith, she was able to become God's people and enter the covenant community.
Today, when I see a person who does not have the right faith in God despite many years of faith, I can't help but feel sad. Brothers and sisters, let us become believers who experience the greater blessings of God by having decisive faith, righteous faith, and God-first-principle faith with the right view of faith, just like Ruth. If you think that you have never lived for God alone, make a decision now. Like Ruth, I will completely depend on God and go anywhere with God.
Faith has the power to draw the power of God. Through faith, the healing power of God flows, the power of remission of sins flows, the power of demons leaving, and the power to solve problems. When the Lord saw the faith of those who tore the roof down and lowered the paralytic, He healed them (Luke 5:20). Faith is power. It is the power to overcome all adversity and obstacles. It is the power that allows the power of God to flow through us. We must all win through the power of faith.
* Prayer: Loving Heavenly Father, help me not to doubt You because of the crisis or difficulties ahead of me. Even if my heart is disappointed and people ridicule my faith, do not lose faith in you. Help us to dream big and open our mouths of faith as we depend on God. Give us the strength to make a declaration of faith and help us not to doubt. Also, give me the grace to always forgive and give me a heart of reconciliation so that there are no barriers between me and God. May God provide for you in big and small things so that miracles will happen and you will live in your glory and with your power. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen