Devotion: We started this week with the verse from Ruth 1:16, “Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.” And we are going to close out the series with it as well. It is a bold statement made by Ruth that we can use as an encouragement in our own lives.
In this declaration by Ruth, we are reminded that following Jesus requires us to let go of certain things. In her case, it meant letting go of her native country, her friends and family, and her home. In pursuit of what is good and true, a life lived in devotion to the Lord, she was willing to the leave the rest behind.
It reminds me of the Hymn, I Have Decided to follow Jesus. It is a declaration of what it means to lay down your life for Jesus.
“I have decided to follow Jesus; no turning back.
Though none go with me, I still will follow; no turning back.
The world before me, the cross behind me; no turning back.”
Perhaps you are in the thick of it. You have decided to whole-heartedly pursue the Lord, but it has not been easy. You had to leave behind relationships, habits, attitudes. And some days, you may wonder if it is worth it. Or, perhaps, you are surrounded by believers, and you have been a Christian for most of your life. Things might seem easy right now. But there will come a day when things don’t make sense, a relationship is strained, or God is calling you to sanctification in an area of your life that will require sacrifice. Either way, I pray that the words of this hymn are the comfort and reminder that you need today- no turning back. I pray that the declaration made by Ruth, showcasing what it looks like to leave everything behind for her relationship with God, is an encouragement to you. I pray that we remember the pursuit of what is good and true, our Lord, is worth any sacrifice that we make.
Reflect:
- What have you had to sacrifice to pursue the Christian the life? What has filled its place?
