LAND OF THE JUDGES
Jaime Wyrtzen Lauze´
Now it came about in the days when the judges governed, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the land of Moab with his wife and his two sons.
Ruth 1:1 begins with a man who moves his family from Bethlehem in Judah to Moab during a famine. This first verse is loaded. The first famine that we see recorded is in Genesis during the time of Abraham. Eventually, famines were prophesied ahead of time so that wise people could prepare. Famines were an instrument that God used for His purpose. It does not say why in this passage, except in the last verse of Judges that, "the people did what was right in their own eyes."
But we do know that Elimelech did something that God had forbidden his people to do. He did not want them to live with people who did not believe the same things because He knew that they would learn their ways.
Does this sound familiar? Aren't we all guilty of the same thing? When God seems silent...When we are not being spiritually fed, we seek to fill our needs. Instead of quietly and prayerfully waiting, we jump the gun and take matters into our own hands. Instead of examining our hearts for sin, we look for someone or something else to take God's place where we feel empty. Instead of searching God's very Word, we replace it with quick fixes. When there is a famine, we need to ask God "why." Is God trying to move me somewhere else? Is there unconfessed sin in my life? Is God just trying to get me to quiet my heart so that I can hear His whisper?
If you are in a famine of sorts, I encourage you to seek God. Wait on Him. If you seek Him, you will find him. That is a promise in His Word.
Heavenly Father, forgive us for not waiting on you. We trust that you can take our impatient, panicked mistakes and bring good out of them. Amen.
For more from Christine Wyrtzen and Jaime Wyrtzen Lauze, please visit www.daughtersofpromise.org
Originally published Friday, 01 January 2021.
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