But how do you decide what to give up when there are two people involved?
I was reading Ruth today and noticed something. She is faced with a situation where her dad dies, her husband dies, and her sister in law’s husband dies. Her family is left menless, and her mother-in-law is already too old to marry and have children again. Naomi, Ruth’s mother, hears that Judah is producing crops again, and decides to head home. Naomi says to her daughters:
“Why should you go on with me? Can I still give birth to other sons who could grow up to be your husbands? No, my daughters, return to your parents’ homes, for I am too old to marry again. And even if it were possible, and I were to get married tonight and bear sons, then what? Would you wait for them to grow up and refuse to marry someone else? No, of course not, my daughters! Things are far more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord himself has raised his fist against me.”
Ruth’s sister took their mother in law’s advice, but Ruth was determined to stay with her. How do you decide what to give up? Your needs, or family?
Naomi goes on to say:
“Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. You should do the same.”
And Ruth responded:
“Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!”
But how do you decide what to give up when there are two people involved?
Choose God.
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