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TITLE: Against All Odds!
By David Mbue
08/10/07
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Hi everyone,
Kindly let me know your feelings on this.
Being reasonable means putting two and two together to derive decisions that you can live with. Blunders can be so unforgivable, especially when they result from ignoring obvious considerations. If you burn your fingers while trying to retrieve a cake from an oven without gloves, you may be laughed to scorn when you really want sympathy. The irony of it all is that faith never seems to obey the rules of rationality. Ruth is our case in point.

Curses On The Trail?
Where I come from, folks are all too eager to pass judgements. They have a reason for every mishap that befalls others. “That church is having challenges because its weakling pastor handles ministry too frivolously… That brother’s business caved in because he’s dull-witted… That sister is too naïve to sustain a marriage…They are poor because they won’t think… There’s a curse in his life, look at all the misfortunes that have befallen him…” Hello?

Responsible people don’t fix blame; they fix problems. God has called you to rescue hurting souls out of their afflictions. It’s cruel to add pain to people’s injuries! Unfortunately, we live in deficient environments and often imitate poor role models. Sometimes, God allows us to be misjudged so we may learn how painful it gets. Without His intervention, I’d never have learnt certain lessons myself.

I once thought that Joseph was to blame for his woes; thanks to preachers I was listening to. “He shouldn’t have disclosed his dreams to his brothers.” Well, Joseph was a child when he dreamt, and a child doesn’t think like an adult. Actually, God wanted him to relay those prophetic visions. By studying the challenges that threatened to snuff out Joseph’s dreams we get better grip on God’s faithfulness. His power is not based on your capacity to make opportune moves on every turn. But that is another story.

Entreat Me Not To Leave Thee… (Ruth 1:16)
What did Ruth see in Naomi? The older woman was a picture of misfortune and none admitted that fact more readily than herself. 20 …Call me not Naomi, [sweetness] call me Mara [bitterness]: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me? (Ruth 1:20-21)

Husband and two sons were all dead in quick succession –Elimelech, Mahlon and Chilion! All she had left was an unbearable burden of two Moabite widows wailing after her. Was God recompensing her sins? Were her woes the result of a curse? Was God unhappy that this Jewish family had gone to Moab to escape drought? Naomi arose to return to Bethlehem but somewhere along the way she stopped to talk to her daughters-in-law.

Desert Schools Of Wisdom
Naomi didn’t want to subject another soul to her heartrending experiences, least of all her deceased sons’ widows. Orpah and Ruth had prospects in life; they were still young and pretty. “Go back, my daughters; why are following me? Don’t be foolish. What chances do I have of getting married again, let alone raising other husbands for you…?” Age begets wisdom and Naomi applied hers tactfully. If these girls decided to follow her, they would have to make their own independent decisions and absolve her of future blame. Orpah kissed her mother in-law goodbye and left.

Was Naomi happy at Orpah’s departure? The answer lies in what she told the remaining girl, …Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law (Ruth 1:15). Orpah was not just turning her back on Naomi, she was returning to her people and to her gods. That’s where her future lay. Even after marrying a God fearing Jew, Orpah was still entwined with the ways of her people!

Whether Ruth’s resolve was purely personal or that her mother in-law’s words touched a sensitive cord in her spirit is hard to tell. But whichever the case, Ruth made a firm decision and refused to bulge. 16 "Don't ask me to leave you and turn back. I will go wherever you go and live wherever you live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. 17 I will die where you die and will be buried there. May the LORD punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!" (Ruth 1:16-17 –NLT) Oh, it was all a question of allegiance: to whose deity and to whose peoples’ ways?

Hope In God Does Not Disappoint (Rom 5:5)
All is well that ends well. Eventually, Ruth becomes king David’s great grandmother and is named in Christ’s ancestry. But when the poor girl followed an old widow to a land she knew nothing about, she was being very unreasonable. What did a descendant of Lot’s incestuous progeny think she was doing?

Perhaps you are a rare bird toeing ‘the route less travelled’. Perhaps you’re drunk with your own tears from the disdain of those who question your choices. May God soothe your heart with these simple words! To walk alone through the valley of death’s shadow with Jesus in your heart is far better than to bask in the favour of the wicked. 4 Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. 5 For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name… (Isa 54:4-5).

It’s a great thing to suffer as you pursue God’s will. I can’t guarantee that it’ll be easy. What I know is that your crown of glory is being polished and when it’s placed on your head, you’ll shine like the sun. The going could get so tough that God may have to send His angel to comfort you. I urge you to retain an attitude of expectancy. Pain has a way of taking your focus off of God. But don’t let satan engage you in sideshows; keep your eyes on the Lord.

An angel Of The Lord Stood By Me This Night (Acts 27:23)
Jews swore to kill Paul. Believers didn’t like everything he taught. Roman authorities kept him in prison. Bad choices of sailors put him on a hazardous voyage in a tempestuous sea. Soldiers decided to kill prisoners, including Paul, to ensure they didn’t escape. The ship was destroyed by raging storms. When they got to ashore, a poisonous snake bit the apostle’s hand.

When satan decides to kill you, he’ll try all possible means. It’s no joke; he won’t care if millions of lives are destroyed alongside his target. Paul didn’t fight a fool’s battle. He stayed in the Spirit. Count how many times he’s reported to have been fasting on his trip to Italy. When the enemy stirs up storms against you, you don’t give up; you put on your full armour and stand your ground, leaning firmly on Christ’s everlasting arms!
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