After reading Ruth 1, how do we adjust our lives? What do we do?
Just think,
Who are you loving?
How are you loving them? In word, or in deed?
Are you loving them in positive affirmations, or positive actions? When the going gets tough for them, what do you do?
Is that where we end with Ruth then? Is it just a good old moral motivation, or are you the true hero of this text when you love someone in action?
Where is Jesus in this? He Himself said that Scripture points to the Saviour.
You study the scriptures thoroughly because you think in them you possess eternal life, and it is these same scriptures that testify about me, but you are not willing to come to me so that you may have life.
John 5.39-40
Studying Scripture is good, taking moral lessons is good, taking do’s and don’ts is good, but, on their own, they don’t bring eternal life. Lessons like that make YOU, ME, US, the centre of the story, but, Scripture shows the Saviour, we read of the Redeemer, so, in Ruth 1, where is that?
We can all say the right words, can’t we…
Some are content with feeling Christian feelings – with feeling a love for God, with feeling a love for His Word, with feeling a love for His people. But is that good enough for you?
What if God did that?
What if He saw you, loved you, felt like He wanted to be in right relationship with you, knew where you were heading, and left it there? Just think – where would you be?
Aren’t we glad that God didn’t just feel His love for us.
Just think, what did He do to show it?
John 3.16 is a verse many know, but only really know the second half, ‘believe in Him and you won’t perish but have eternal life‘ but, the first two clauses, the first few words, are AMAZING!
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
‘For God So loved the world‘ is often skipped over to get to the second half, isn’t it, but you can translate this as
This is how God showed that He loved the world…
If God had felt love for you but not actually done anything about it we would have perished.
But, because He acted on what He felt, as Ruth did here, we have the opportunity to have sins covered, have souls saved, to be forgiven, restored, born again, adopted into His family, raised to newness of life, and to inherit eternal life.
So, yes, work hard to love in deed and not only word, take the resolve of Ruth and come good on what you are promising, claiming, and saying. Work hard to love people in what you DO not only what you SAY, but, friends, never take your eyes off the truth that God has already DONE that for you.
He loved you and He gave His only son for you, so that if you believe in Him, you will never perish, but have eternal life.
You don’t need to become a better Ruth, the ultimate true Ruth already came and showed us the ultimate example of love in action.
That was, and always will be, the ultimate example of love in action.
James Travis 