Do you need a Ruth or a Naomi?

" Return home, leave me be, I have nothing to give you and that is my job, I am the older woman and I have nothing to give.  Even my God has turned on me, so go back to what you know and worship your own gods" says Naomi

Orpah(not Oprah) says "Right on, (cry, weep(guilt)) I thank you for what you have done but I’m out of here and going back to my people to worship my gods(she probably consciously and unconsciously thinks: my families god statues and goddesses would never screw up my life like your god has and I’m comfortable in the stability of the sin of my forefathers).  See ya." 

RUTH CLUNG TO THE WOMAN.

Ruth 1: 16  "Don’t urge me to leave you or 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."

So what is going on here?  Naomi is having a little pity party, life isn’t so good, her sons and husband are dead and surely her daughter-in-laws won’t want to stick around with an old widow.  In addition, she doesn’t want them to stay for her sake or push her God(the one true God) on them.  Here Daughter-in-laws were Moabites, the same people that wouldn’t let the Israelites pass through their land during the exodus from Egypt. The Moabites couldn’t worship at the tabernacle.  Naomi thought she had nothing to offer, she felt she had no capacity to help and why would young woman with a hope and a future want to stay with her?  No matter our age when we are under affliction our first instinct is to send people away.  I think she wanted them to stay with her but she would not speak that out or push that upon them, for her own pride and self-condemnation were actively oppressing her spirit.

Why did Ruth stay?  I’ll tell you why…she was resolved ahead of time to honor and not forsake Naomi.  She had pre-determined years ago that Naomi had something she wanted and she was not going to leave her side! 

**side note:  Resolution silences temptation.  Resolution shuts and bolts the door, resists the enemy and forces him to flee(more on that next time)

Ruth said she would go with her, she would live with her, she would receive her people as her own, she would worship her GOD, THE GOD, and even went as far as to say I am so committed I will die with you.

Ladies we need some Ruth’s out there.  We need some women that are resolved ahead of time to not to leave the sides of those that #1 have what we need and #2 need what we have!  That’s what it is all about. 

WOMAN TO WOMAN…I don’t see age…I see hearts.  I don’t care if you are a Naomi that needs a Ruth or a Ruth that needs a Naomi.  It is clear that we both need each other.  There is this misnomer in our culture that the tradition of Titus 2 is the set road-map for women to reach women.  The older women teach the younger women.  Don’t get me wrong, this is so important for the mothers and grandmothers of our church to be looking for the daughters.  But Mothers and Grandmothers(Naomi’s) Do you need a Ruth!  Could it be possible that you need a Ruth to come along side you?  To Love you, to guide you.  Do you Naomi need to trust a Ruth.  Trust a Ruth to give you some insight, to allow God to let the Ruth in your life maybe even impart wisdom?

Did you know that Ruth was the Great-Grandmother of King David, a direct ancestor of Jesus!  Calling the Naomi’s of the church is there a Ruth(future grandmother of a spiritual champion perhaps) that you need to allow to come into your life?  Those younger than you have some things to give you.  Please don’t buy into the lie that because you have nothing to give them you should send the young one on her way.  Perhaps that very ‘Ruth’ has something God wants to impart to you!