TRUE LOYALTY AND COMMITMENT

Proclamation:

" 'Look,' said Naomi, 'your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods.  Go back with her.'  But 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.  Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried.  May The Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.' " Ruth 1:14-17 (NIV)

Explanation:

The human author of The Bible Book of Ruth is generally agreed upon to be Samuel, although there are a number of Bible scholars who attribute authorship to a number of others.  Ruth, the Moabitess, is the principal character in The Book but she is not the author.  She provides an example of Christian character and behavior, and loyalty and commitment.  Ruth is one of the few women to be mentioned by name in the genealogy of Jesus, The Christ. (Matthew 1:5)  Orpah and Ruth had married Naomi's sons.  After the death of her husband and her two sons, Naomi urged her daughter-in-laws to return to their people and remarry.  Orpah did but Ruth refused to leave Naomi and went with her from Moab to Bethlehem.

Application:

Ruth was a virtuous woman whose loyalty and commitment to her mother-in-law are now legendary.  Her hallmark expression is often repeated in wedding vows even today. (Ruth 1:16)  This level of loyalty and commitment is rare these days but this is how Christians should feel towards Jesus Christ.  Once we come to Christ we should never leave Him, or turn our back on Him, or even look back longingly at our previous life. (Luke 9:62)  No one should ever be able to talk us into forsaking Him.  He will never leave us or forsake us and nothing should separate us from Him or come between us. (Romans 8:39)  We should go wherever He leads us and His people should be our family. (John 1:12 and Galatians 4:6)  If we truly feel that way about Jesus, then we can say that we love The Lord.  However, if we express our loyalty to The Lord, then we should expect that the devil will test our commitment.  Those of us who pass that will be blessed. (James 1:12)