Verse of the day: Ruth 1:1, Now it came to pass, in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem, Judah, went to dwell in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons.
The Book of Ruth opens on a very sad note. We often read the Word of God and miss very important underlying applications because we fail to truly meditate on Scripture. How often do we read that there is “famine in the land” and pass it by without giving it much consideration? In this case, let us stop and examine what we can learn from this one little statement. Is not Israel in the land promised to them, the land flowing with milk and honey? What happened? How can a land that was so rich now be so barren? To understand why, let us go back to Deuteronomy 11:13-17, “‘And it shall be that if you earnestly obey My commandments which I command you today, to love the LORD your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, 14 then I will give you the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil. 15 And I will send grass in your fields for your livestock, that you may eat and be filled.’ 16 Take heed to yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them, 17 lest the LORD’s anger be aroused against you, and He shut up the heavens so that there be no rain, and the land yield no produce, and you perish quickly from the good land which the LORD is giving you.” This promise is repeated in Leviticus 26:19-20. Far too often we want to claim God’s promises of blessings, but we become absent-minded when it comes to the promises of the consequences we will suffer for being disobedient and sinning against Him. Israel had turned their backs on God and worshipped heathen gods. A land that was rich with God’s blessing and provision was not barren and cursed, as God promised. We read throughout God’s Word that He is faithful to His Word and promises, whether for blessings or curses. Yet, we somehow think that God winks at our sin and disobedience because He is patient, longsuffering, and full of grace. Today, we have a promise from God that we will reap what we sow. Galatians 6:7-8 clearly states, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.” When we stray from God and turn to sinful ways, loving the things of this world more than the things of God, we will suffer great loss. He may allow us, for a season, to reap the benefits of making lots money, having success and making material gain our god, but in the end we will have sorrow and great loss of heavenly rewards. 1 Timothy 6:10 tell us, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” This is not to say that being wealthy is a bad thing if God allows it and we keep it in its proper place. It is when wealth becomes our god that we walk that dangerous path to dire consequences. There have been many who sought after the things of this world, walked away from God, only to end up poor, broken, and some even ending their own lives. The bottom line is that we must hold on to God’s promises of blessings, but we must balance it with holding on to the promises of coming consequences for making someone or something, other than the Lord, our god(s). Living sinfully as God’s children will bring broken fellowship with the Lord and missed opportunities for heavenly blessings and rewards. The One who gave His life so that we could spend eternity with Him deserves that we become living sacrifices for Him, as we are told in Romans 12:1-2, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
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