...the irony of a bad decision.

 


Ruth 1:3

“But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons.”

Shocking. What?! The irony of a bad decision!

Before our departure from our homeland so many years ago, I remember as a child how my mother always said, “We all travel together, or we all stay.” She was not about to leave anyone behind or send anyone off ahead.

We make decisions all the time. Many, after careful consideration. Others on the fly. But for all of them, whether we like it or not, whether we are even aware of it or not, there are consequences. Sometimes they are immediate, others not so much. Sometimes our decisions are well intentioned; actually, most of the time.

I am sure that before taking off for Moab and uprooting his family, Elimelech (whose name, by the way, means “my God a king”) thoroughly considered the move. After all, there were many things to consider before, many things to take care of, and others to leave in place, since the idea was always to come back. But did he consider the implications? Did he consult his God and King? Was the famine bad enough for such a drastic move? If God had brought him there, why not attempt to be faithful and wait for better times with his family and fellow countrymen?

He made the decision, nevertheless. So, he set out to the unknown, with the hope of better provision for his family. The problem is that it came back to bite him. Elimelech died. The one thing he was running from, followed him. Now, he has left his wife alone, with the responsibility of two sons. What now?

It is ironic, isn’t it? What happens when we run away. We try to change our circumstances by changing our surroundings. But, at best, nothing changes; at worst, it changes for the worse. Elimelech died. We die. Maybe not physically, but at least spiritually. We run away from our spiritual famine. We run to the seemingly more fertile land of the world. And we die there. We thought we had made a good choice and it turns out the nourishment we needed was there all along, but we were not faithful enough to wait for better times. A good choice isn't always the right choice. Are you running or thinking of running? Please, stay. Run the race marked out for you. Your God, who is King, will give you strength.

Father, help me stay the course. Help me in my weakness. Satisfy my hunger as only you can. Do not let me run away from the protection of your loving arms. Do not let me run away from the spiritual food you give me, even though sometimes I think it’s not enough and I feel hungry. Give me the nourishment of your word, for I long for it so. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“Therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious...”

Luke 12:22-31

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