Ruth 1:14b Ruth clung to her.
“If you are persistent you will get it; If you are consistent you will keep it.”— Harvey MacKay.
Statistics prove that if we are persistent with our diet and exercise for 10 week we will lose 5 kgs but careless eating and inconsistency in exercising will gain back the 5 kgs in less than 7 weeks! The persistent get it but the consistent keep it.
Ruth, a Moabitess was raised to worship her god Molech. Ruth, under the shadow of Naomi and her husband (who probably lived with her for less than a year), she tasted the grace and goodness of Jehovah, the God of the Jews. The Lord God had warned Israelites against the detestable Moabite pagan practices of sacrificing their children in fire to appease their god. “You shall not let any of your descendants pass through the fire to Molech” (Leviticus 18:21). The compassion and graciousness of the Lord Almighty transformed Ruth into an ardent worshipper of the living God.
Naomi was embittered after the death of her husband and her two sons in the land of Moab. Hence she decided to return back to her homeland Bethlehem. She persuaded the young widows to go back to their people, remarry and start a new life. The first daughter-in-law kissed her goodbye but Ruth clung to her. If Ruth’s faith did not waiver even after the shocking death of her husband she must have had a personal encounter with the Lord. True love is constant and consistent on the highs and lows of life. The persistent taste God’s love but the consistent inherit the fullness of life. Ruth’s consistency, even in the midst of calamity, made her the great grandmother of King David.
Consistency is a virtue:
- Values: Ruth was attracted to the values of Naomi, not her networth. Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God (Ruth 1:16). The only thing that Naomi had was her God. She had no assets, no bank balance or gold. To the consistent, ethics are esteemed higher than riches.
- Veracity: Ruth weighed veracity(genuineness) higher than wealth. She followed Naomi as the faithfulness of the God of Israel attracted her. There was no hope for a Moabitess to have a verdant future in Israel, yet the Lord honoured her steadfast faith and endowed Ruth to appear in the genealogy of Jesus.
- Virtue: Ruth did not go looking for a husband, she went to Israel looking for the true God and worship. The vitreous woman was crowned for her consistency with a Godly husband, honour and heritage.
The persistent enjoy short term gains but the consistent are legendary.
Ruth 1:18 When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to trust your nature when I cannot feel you in the natural. May I be consistent and faithful during tough trials, stinging storms and dark dungeons. Amen.
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