Hey SWAGG fam!
We just finished up February's devotional series, where we learned how to combat judging others through weeding out root causes and replacing the reaction with love. If you missed it feel free to check out the last four weeks here.
First off, happy Women's History Month to you! I love this month for it reminding us of all the women throughout history that have made an impact or a difference on our lives today. This includes all the women from the Bible. There are so many amazing ladies and even, equally, not so amazing women that we can learn from - whether good or bad, whether they were following God or were kind of evil. I've chosen one woman's story in particular to cover in this month's devotional series.
The woman I've chosen is Ruth and I'm naming this series The Ruth Project! Ruth is a very inspirational lady. I remember reading the book of Ruth last year at this time, and I had always, through things I heard from others, coined it as a love story. For context, I'm not much of a romantic. To add to this, I would always get Ruth as the woman from the Bible I was most like whenever I did those fun personality quizzes, where I wanted to think I was strong and wise like Deborah or brave and royal like Esther. So, I kind of had my problems with Ruth.
However, as I read it, I realized that Ruth's characteristics lined up closely to the type of women God calls us to be in life. So, for the next five weeks, we'll be going over five characteristics that we can observe from Ruth's story and apply to our lives.
We'll learn, through Ruth's example, how to be loyal, how to be brave, how to be hardworking, how to be humbly grateful, and how to be respectful. God has graciously provided Ruth's story to help us to live lives committed to our missions.
Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash
Who and what we’re loyal to can direct the course of our lives, toward safety and goodness or danger and destruction. Likewise, part of being loyal is being responsible with the loyalty others have given us.
When Israel was experiencing a famine, a man and his family moved to Moab. While there, his sons each married. Sadly, the man and his sons died, leaving behind his wife, Naomi, and his sons’ wives, Orpah and Ruth. Naomi decided to return back home and encouraged Ruth and Orpah to go back to their families. They both refused at first, but after a little more coaxing, Orpah left. Ruth though, continued to refuse, making a declaration of her loyalty to Naomi and all that she valued – knowing that it would all mean leaving everything she knew and embracing the unknown.
Three ways to be more loyal are: One, journey with others through their dark times. Ruth loyally stayed with Naomi, even though the woman was so miserable she changed her name to one that means bitterness. These are often the times we need friends, but they’re also when people tend to lose the desire to be loyal. Two, stay, even when others leave. When the weight of loyalty gets piled mainly on us, it’s hard not to just leave with the others. However, Ruth shows that it’s possible to stay loyal to someone, though everyone else is abandoning them. Three, be willing to sacrifice. Ruth’s loyalty wasn’t easy, it cost her comfort and seemly the possibility of a family, yet, she was willing to give that up for Naomi. Being loyal means that sacrifice will be involved somehow, and we must learn to be willing.
Here’s how to not to apply loyalty to your life: Set boundaries to loyalty out of fear – Boundaries are important when it comes to being loyal to fallible humans, but fearful boundaries express a lack of true loyalty. Let loyalty be only words – You must act on your declaration of loyalty, don’t be like the disciples who didn’t follow through on their words of loyalty to Jesus. Choose to be loyal to everything and everyone – You can’t be loyal and serve multiple things, especially if they oppose each other. You must be fully loyal to God, who then calls us to represent His loyalty accurately.
God’s Guidance:
Ruth 1:1 (NIV) – “In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab.”
Ruth 1:3-5 (NIV) – “Now Elimelek, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.”
Ruth 1:14 (NIV) – “At this they wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her.”
Ruth 1:16-17 (NIV) – “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 even death separates you and me.””
Ruth 1:19-20 (NIV) – “So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?” “Don’t call me Naomi,” she told them. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter.”
John 15:13 (NIV) – “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
Matthew 26:34-35 (NIV) – ““Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same.”
Matthew 26:55-56 (NIV) – “In that hour Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.”
Luke 16:13 (NIV) – ““No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.””
Application:
1. Make a declaration to God about your loyalty to Him, like Ruth declared it to Naomi
2. Read Ruth chapter 1, which is about four verses a day
3. Take time to reflect on your level of loyalty toward different people, values, and things; then observe whether your loyalty represents who God is, adjust accordingly
Strength Point:
Truly being loyal to God, what He values, and the people we trust can bring us joy and safety.
Song of the Week:
Prayer Prompt:
Hi Jesus! Thank You for creating me as a woman. I know that You have amazing plans for my life, and You designed me as a woman specifically for them. I’m sorry for sometimes wanting to reject my role as a woman, because of __. I pray that You would give me the strength to embrace exactly who You made me to be and what You call me to do. Lord, You have given me so many examples of women who did this in the Bible. Remind me to turn to Your Word for help, instead of social media, the people around me, or __. I want to be a woman who pleases You through living out Your instructions, even if they seem to contradict what I hear and absorb each day. This week, God, help me to start living in loyalty. Teach me how to be loyal to those in my life, but ultimately loyal to You. Thank You for always being loyal to me and never leaving me. I never have to doubt Your love, promises, or __! I love You, Lord! In Jesus’ Name, I pray, amen.
A Prayer to Pray over Others:
Hi Jesus! Thank You for creating us the genders that You selected for us. I know that You have amazing plans for our lives, and You designed us as a man or a woman specifically for them. Help my friend to not reject their role as a woman or a man, for they are wonderfully made. I pray that You would give them the strength to embrace exactly who You created them to be and what You call them to do. Lord, You have given my friend many examples of men and women who did this in the Bible. Remind them to turn to Your Word for help, instead of social media or the people around them. Give my friend the desire to want to be a woman or a man who pleases You through living out Your instructions, even if what You say seems to contradict what they hear and absorb each day. This week, God, help my friend to start living in loyalty. Teach them how to be loyal to those in their life, but ultimately loyal to You. Thank You for always being loyal and always pursing us. We never have to doubt Your love, promises, or goodness! I love You, Lord! In Your Name, Jesus, I pray, amen.
March is Women’s History Month! Celebrate with us by supporting women-owned businesses like Andi Gregory’s editing business, The View from the Front Pew, Boldly Created, and From the Turnip Garden.
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