Ruth 1-4, Jeremiah 29: 11, Matthew 10: 39

Teresa Phillips

(Lads - please don't go away - I assure you this isn't girlie talk!!)

Who is your favourite hero or heroine in the Bible? I think I am the stereotypical girl-power kind of lass - I confess I love Esther the best. She really was something that we can all aspire to. Many know how Esther bravely appealed to the King on behalf of her people, putting her own neck on the line. Fantastic! However, this is not the person I want to talk about; I want to talk about someone who perhaps doesn't get the coverage she deserves - Ruth. Like Esther, she probably would have been happy being out of the limelight. Yes, she happens to be in the biggest selling book of all time now, but let's remember that while she lived her quiet, heroic life and made her wise and difficult choices, there was no-one around to pat her on the back for doing so. She lived a simple and devoted life - yet I found that through studying her a simple but life-changing truth was revealed...

In Ruth Chapter 1 we read how Naomi's husband and two sons die, leaving her with her two daughters-in-law. Ruth, unlike her sister-in-law Orpah, refuses to leave Naomi alone, despite her pleas to leave her and go and start a new life. Ruth knew what she must do, and without hesitation, pledged to stay and look after the elderly Naomi during times of hardship. She gave herself entirely, unselfishly, without one thought for herself and her own selfish desires. What she never would have expected of her future was to be provided for, to be loved and adored by a second husband, Boaz, to be able to look after Naomi in a safe place and to bear a son who was to become the grandfather of none other than King David (see Chapter 4 - it makes an interesting read)!!! Wow.

What I read from this is that this is how we should be with God - entirely unselfish. Without a thought for our own selfish desires, the ideal Christian would be ready to give his life entirely to God. This seems such a tough call, but there are so many promises from God that encourage us in the decision to truly give our lives to God..

We have the promise of Jeremiah 29: 11. "I will bless you with a future filled with hope - a future of success, not of suffering." It's hard sometimes to make the decision to trust God and let Him tailor the big plan. We think we know best, but God knows best. God might or might not have the same plan as you. Whatever God has in store for you, IT WILL BE THE BEST PLAN for you!!!! He is the author and finisher of your faith. He died to save you. Don't you think God deserves to have our lives since He was the one who gave and saved life? Still, it is hard to give it up unselfishly.

If you, like I do, find this a tough challenge to accept sometimes, it might help to look at it this way. "if you try to save your life, you will lose it. But if you give it up for me, you will find it.." (Matt 10: 39) And if we give our lives to God in surrender, He promises to give us life in abundance! Think on that!!!!