SOJOURN
Jaime Wyrtzen Lauze´
We are told in God’s Word to walk straight down the path that He has for us. There is no room for turning off for even a little detour.
Ruth 1 opens with a tragedy. During the time when the Judges ruled Israel and the people did what was right in their own eyes, a man named, Elimelech chose to sojourn his family to Moab. Sojourn means to turn aside. Earlier in the Bible, God forbade His people from intermingling with Moab. They caused Israel great harm in the past. Even Moab’s very existence came out of uncleanliness. What would cause one of God’s people to turn aside and seek help from an enemy? Famine. Instead of seeking God, Elimelech took matters into his own hands.
Proverbs 19:23 says “The fear of the Lord leads to life, so that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil.” Proverbs also says “Do not turn to the left or to the right.” The fear of famine outweighed the fear of God. The Hebrew word for fear here means “awe” or “reverence.” God is the epitome of holiness. The opposite of holiness is unholiness or uncleanliness When we fear circumstance and man more than we esteem God, we are led off the righteous path directly into unholiness.
Fear is a strong emotion, one that we have to keep taking captive in obedience to Jesus. Unchecked fear can lead us farther away than we could have even dreamed. Have you allowed your own earthly fears overwhelm your awe of the Lord?
For more from Christine Wyrtzen and Jaime Wyrtzen Lauze, please visit www.daughtersofpromise.org
Originally published Wednesday, 24 February 2021.
SHARE
