Two Biblical journeys, a young Moabite woman called Ruth and the ageing apostle, Paul.
Ruth and Orpah, two sisters-in-law who both lost their husbands, Naomi’s sons. Naomi had heard that ‘the Lord had come to the aid of His people by providing food for them’, Ruth 1:6 She decided to return to her people in Bethlehem. This brought about a change of direction in the lives of her daughters-in-law. Orpah was finally persuaded to return to her old home and way of life. (May have been the right decision for Orpah) Ruth would not be persuaded to leave Naomi, SHE REJECTED RETURNING TO THE OLD! God told Israel not to return to Egypt and those who did died there e.g. during the time of the exile to Babylon.
Ruth’s Destiny lay with the Jewish people, her mother-in-law’s people in the land of Israel. She gave up everything to walk out her Destiny with Naomi, she wouldn’t turn back.
11 Boaz replied, ‘I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband – how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. 12 May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.’ Ruth 2
Ruth soon met her future husband, Boaz, through their arrival at the harvest time and thus began her journey into history with God’s people.
RUTH HAD TO SHOW REAL DETERMINATION TO GO AWAY FROM ALL SHE KNEW TO BE ONE OF GOD’S CHOSEN. So may we in our day and our own walks!
The second journey is the ageing apostle Paul, near the end of his lifetime. Paul had refused to be tried by the religious Jews in Jerusalem (they were going to murder him before the trial) and appealed to stand before Caesar in Rome and so his final journey as a prisoner on a doomed sailing ship began. Paul’s future was cast for him, but in all the circumstances of the journey he continued to hear from heaven. He was a prisoner in chains, but actually through him many lives (276 total onboard, Acts 27:37) were spared.
So Paul warned them, 10 ‘Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.’ 11 But the centurion, INSTEAD OF LISTENING TO WHAT PAUL SAID, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship (THOSE WITH PERSONAL INTERESTS) 12 Since the harbour was unsuitable to winter in, ‘THE MAJORITY’ DECIDED THAT WE SHOULD SAIL ON, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbour in Crete, facing both south-west and north-west. Acts 27
Be warned, the Majority will often miss it in the things of God! Following those with personal interests and the majority may be dangerous (can lead to shipwreck) for believers.
Ruth (OT) and Paul (NT) both had the strength of character to seek God’s direction for their lives. In coming times believers will need to seek and find God’s way for our lives.
God bless and keep you today.