Trapped in the past? Walk with faith into the future

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25: Bermuda, the challenge today is to be willing to leave the weak and beggarly elements of your present so that you may fully embrace the future that God has for you.

Ruth 1:3:
And Elimelech Naomi’s husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.
4 And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years.
5 And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.

Let’s face it, you can have two people who will experience the same challenges, but they will make totally contrary decisions about those circumstances.

That is what happened with Ruth and Orpah.

They married brothers of a similar nature. They had the same mother-in-law.

They experienced the same tragedies.

Yet, they made opposite decisions when confronted with a decision that would shape their destiny.

Ruth 1:14:
And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.

Ruth and Orpah represent the women in the world today.

That is, based on your belief and your experiences you will make your next choice either to return to what you have always known or to press into the new thing to which you have been introduced.

Let’s briefly look at how destiny unfolded for those women.

1. They married with hope.

I am pretty sure that when they got married they had great hopes of a good future, which included children. Both of those young women were on track for a beautiful future. They were happy.

2.  They married weak husbands.

Though things began well, their husbands’ names revealed that they were physically deficient, as Mahlon, means “sickness” and Chalon, means “consumed”.

The meanings of their names foretold an inevitable fate.

I believe those men loved their wives, but that did not prevent them from falling ill and then dying. 

Their deaths meant that the future that Ruth and Orpah dreamed of was no longer possible.

It meant that they would have to make a decision that would cause them to move into a new place.

3. They were hooked.

During the time that Ruth and Orpah stayed under Naomi’s influence, they either became hooked onto what Naomi taught or they remained hooked onto what they had known growing up.

Naomi challenged those two women. For not only had Naomi’s sons died, but now the land that they were in had also died; the land was barren.

That is when Naomi challenged her daughters-in-law and proved what those women were hooked onto.

Orpah was hooked onto her past. As much as Naomi demonstrated to Orpah what her relationship was with God, Orpah still chose to hang on to what was familiar to her.

Orpah’s choice required no faith and was based on the facts of her past. Orpah knew what she had come from and she was going back to it.

Oh, what a danger to be trapped to your past. What a travesty to be afraid to continue in the new God-way that you have been taught.

The interesting thing is that you do not hear of Orpah again.

She may have lived a good life, but it was not the God-life that Naomi had shown her.

On the other hand, Ruth was hooked onto her present and with faith she would use her new found way of living to have a new future.

In spite of the fact that Ruth had come from the same place as Orpah, they were two different people. Ruth knitted to Naomi in a deeper and more profound way than Orpah had.

Ruth not only joined to Naomi, but she joined to Naomi’s God.

That is the key. When you truly knit with God, the choices you make concerning your future may seem ridiculous for the present moment, but after a while they will yield unbelievable fruit.

Ruth decided to walk by faith and not by sight. Ruth held onto Naomi and Naomi’s God.

In spite of what might have seemed illogical to all, Ruth walked into her future alongside Naomi. 

In spite of death, famine, and seemingly hopelessness, Ruth followed her heart.

It is no wonder that God used the womb of Ruth to bless the world. Ruth stayed with Naomi, which led to blessings that abounded for her, for you, and for me.

Ruth married Boaz and they had a son named Obed. Obed was the father of Jesse, whose son was David. And Jesus came out of the lineage of David.

All of that happened because Ruth did the unusual thing of leaving her familiar place to make a move of faith and destiny.

Most times your destiny and purpose will unfold as you make the choice to do the unusual and illogical thing.

Be careful. Most of those around you will not think that going with Naomi is the best thing to do.

You must know you are a “Ruth” and then make the choice that will cause the world to be blessed. Walk by faith into your new future. Respeioce finem.

Dr. Maria A. Seaman is the pastor of Shekinah Worship Centre, located at 98 North Shore Road, Hamilton Parish CR 01.