DCLM Sincere Milk 16 February 2024 — Ruth’s Decision

DCLM Sincere Milk  16 February 2024 Devotional by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi — Ruth’s Decision

Topic: Ruth’s Decision

Text: Ruth 1:11-18

11And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?

12Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have an husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have an husband also to night, and should also bear sons;

13Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye stay for them from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD is gone out against me.

14And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.

15And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.

16And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:

17Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.

18When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her.

Key Verse: “And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:” Ruth 1:16

Message

In the days when the judges ruled Israel, there was famine (extreme scarcity of food) in the land. Elimelech from Bethlehem in Judah moved with his wife Naomi and their two sons Mahlon and Chilion to Moab in order to avoid the famine. After sometimes in Moab Elimelech died. One son married Ruth and the other married Orpah.

After sometime Mahlon and Chilion also died. Naomi decided to go back to Bethlehem – Judah. His sons’ wives, Ruth and Orpah said that they would follow her, but she convinced them to go back to their people in Moab. Orpah went back, but Ruth refused to go back. Ruth made up her mind not to go back to Moab despite Noami’s persuasion for her to go back. She decided not to go back to Moab to serve idols. She was firm in her decision to follow Naomi to serve the living God.

As a friend of Jesus, you should be firm in your decision to follow Jesus. No matter what your friends do or anybody does or say to stop you from following Jesus, do not stop to follow Jesus. You need to have a firm decision to follow Jesus and continue to serve Him. Let your life daily be dedicated to following Jesus.

Further Reading: Daniel 1:8

Prayer for today: Lord, help me to follow You every day of my life.

GOSPEL REALM: STEPS TO SALVATION
1. Admit that you are a sinner. "For all [humans] have sinned, and comes short of the glory of God....[and] the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 3:23)
2. Repent now. "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out ...[for] if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness " (Acts 3:19, 1 John 1:9)
3. Believe that God loves you and Jesus died for you. "God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet Sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)
4. Invite Jesus into your life through prayer of faith. Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:20)