LEARNING DAILY

 

Ruth 1:16, But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. I will go wherever you go and live wherever you live. Your people will be my people and your God will be my God.” (NLT)

 

Have you noticed how easy it has become to leave, leave anything you want, and for any reason. For the last year or so, I have read about college football players leaving the team they committed to and joined other teams. Sure, there are different reason behind the transfers; there is just no loyalty anymore. Divorce continues to be made easy; there is no commitment anymore. People leave jobs, churches, communities and just about anything without considering commitments made. Loyalty seems to be a rare choice today and I wonder if it is because people have become more self-centered, more committed to themselves than to anyone or anything else.

 

The verse from Ruth is quite a testimony to loyalty. Ruth’s mother-in-law had apparently shown her faith to Ruth by her example and teaching about her Lord God. Due to circumstances Ruth insisted on following Naomi back to Bethlehem. As hard as Naomi tried to make Ruth stay in Moab, Ruth remained loyal to Naomi and went with her into an unknown future. Notice that where Naomi went did not matter to Ruth. She was going to follow! It did not matter who Naomi’s friends were going to be. They would be friends of Ruth. I think of the marriage vows where the man and woman become one flesh – where one goes, the other goes as well. One’s family become the family of the other. Ruth placed her trust in the God of Naomi and He brought Ruth to Boaz as kinsman redeemer. God is to be the very center of marriage and all of our actions!

 

Loyalty is becoming more and more unpopular in our culture today. Leaving, quitting, giving up on others has become easy. Who cares if one’s leaving causes problems for those left behind as long as I get what I want? That seems to be the prevailing attitude. The other side of this is forcing people to leave who have been loyal to a person, a company, or a team for a period of time. I guess loyalty works both ways, doesn’t it!

 

Our loyalty will be tested from time to time. The urge to quit and go somewhere else will arise. Even our loyalty to our Lord will be tested. Our loyalty to Him will distinguish us from the rest of the world. Our loyalty (not blind loyalty) to our spouse, or job, our church, those above in the work force, and our friends will distinguish us from the rest of the world. Will we reap the rewards for our loyalty? I believe so. The loyalty Jesus Christ has for each of us is found in His promise to never leave or forsake us. He gave His life that whosoever might find life in Him. I am not sure of anyone more faithful, more loyal to us than Jesus!

 

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible.