Lena's Journalin' To Ruth 1 Today

Why do people Christians, leave home? Yes, I live in The United States of America and I’m asking this. Yes I am alive in 2007 in a country which promotes leaving and puts a stamp of approval on it, as though it is some sort of metal worn or success to display, saying, “Look at me, I can make it on my own!”, “Look at me, I’m proof, I was obviously raised independently as all Americans are supposed to be. People like to believe they’ve successfully measured up to our motto of being an independent and free nation, and feel this type of lifestyle, no matter who it may affect, represents us well.
Leaving is many a time very situational. Circumstances try to tell a person what to do with life. Culture tries to tells a person where to go. Background, influencers, education and peers are telling us how to live and what to do. The pull to rely on these voices is very strong.
BUT, we have been Born Again and have come outside of the bondages that come from following after wrong voices, of culture or background. In our faith we have forsaken old ways of thought, and are becoming acquainted with the new culture of the Kingdom of God inside of the world we are alive in today.
The Kingdom of God has a King, who is out to establish His Kingdom within any and every culture, people group, kindred race or nation and tongue. He is rising up Kingdom sons and daughters who choose to become a counter culture within the very culture they are alive in today.
They can choose to stay, till God sends them out, after they have successfully established a holy nation unto God, becoming a strong foundation inside of their circumstances and situations.
Leaving a situation rarely ever really changes it. It does give a person relief for a time, until they arrive on some scene somewhere else and have the same shadow to deal with there.
Elimilech fled His hometown so his family would not be left alone without what he felt was important. He was looking at their bodily needs and a natural future of life without these needs met. His natural eyes took him away from the continual building of a stronger foundation gathered daily with those of like mind and heart and purpose. This can be a dangerous place, especially if one flees because of natural situations.
Unless God said go, one should assume to stay. One must also be very careful not to say they hear God when they’ve really only heard their own voice of reason. That voice could be god, little “g”, speaking. That would be the lord of my flesh telling, my flesh what to do. Most words established by God are found to be confirmed inside of a council of advisors. Sending out usually is done by a Father who has trained a submissive son, sees their readiness and asks them to go.
Even Abraham left his father, mother, the family business, etc. Yet when God called him out the very thing he told him to become was what he’d left, but in a different form. The leaving of all he’d known was not as much physical, though to make it very clear how separated he need to be from his old life it took a radical physical exodus, God was establishing a new heaven on earth picture.
Elimilech’s exodus could be quite contradictory in whether it was in accordance with the perfectly appointed will of God or not. We always want to be willing to look at the ideal so we can learn what we don’t have to experience firsthand, that we may walk circumspectly before the Lord. We’re not talking about what is acceptable and whether God will fix our mistakes, for He is faithful and always does, especially when we repent!
Elimilech may have left fearing that natural provisions could not be made for His family in a place of famine. He wanted to have a guarantee of the safety of his family’s future, especially where having food was concerned. There’s an angle to strongly consider here. Can God provide for your family in famine? Who or what is your true source of supply?
The Bible clearly states he who seeks to save his natural life only, will risk losing his true life, in life eternal. I wasn’t saying E. died eternally, though he could have risked that in his family and himself in seeking what is naturally obtained. That is a high price to pay.
He ended up dying in the place wherein he fled. His sons also with him. Yes circumstances spoke of what he should do and where he should go, but was it worth the price to be paid? His sons were married to foreigners. It is awesome that those who did not know Christ were able to come to know them through this family. I believe that is/was the extended grace of God and provision inside of Naomi’s turning back to her spiritual roots.
Many a time we can’t seem to see beyond the noses on our own faces. We do not look ahead to decisions made and how these decisions will have an affect on us, our families, our neighborhoods, and even our culture later on. Are we living merely for today, or do we go beyond that. Do we only have goals for our own safety and comfort, or do we make considerations for how things will pan out from whatever it is we do today that will be as far reaching as 3-4 generations beyond us?
Do we move situationally? That’s today thinking.
Do circumstances tell us what to do? We may be living for the comfort of our own natural lives.
Kingdom citizens live in such a way daily, a way that asks, “How may I be a part of the fulfillment of His plan as much as I can in the time that I’m alive here?” They live for the adventure of imparting the passion of Christ and to be an example of actions towards that plan, to those who will carry it on after our time is over here. If we live for Him and demonstrate it to others who God has set intimately around us, we are arising above circumstances and situations to really see with the eyes of a visionary.
For a situation or a circumstance to rule us, says to God that we do not trust Him to rule us. To move situationally is to distrust Him, and to have disbelief in the ways of His kingdom.
Can a person really be in and not of a situation?
Is a person free to choose his own ways?
Do his decisions have effects on others, other than his own life?
Can God redeem anything?
Anything repented of.
Better to live by permission, submission and accountability now, than to make mistakes and have to pick up pieces later on, enough pieces that a whole family has pieces to pick up or a whole community has curses from disobediences to contend with.
The exercise and insistence of freewill independence is the tactic of God’s enemy to distract us and lead us astray, causing us to loose valuable time and sacrifice generations of intimacy.
Why would someone stay?
Covenant, relationship, establishment, to build and erect upon a foundation, to BE a living example no matter which storm arises. To show the everlasting unconditional love of Christ to the unlovely, to show trust and full reliance on God as Keeper and Protector.
To show and tell God you don’t have to control situations, you trust Him enough to stay and show Him you believe in His ability to move mountains if mountains need moving! You don’t need to protect yourself, or feed yourself, or clothe yourself, or fight or manipulate or make others pay you back. He is your source and supply. He is your all in all, even if it looks bad. Your faith is not in what you see, it is in Him, and what is not seen is yet to be seen, if it even needs not be seen while you are here on earth. Maybe it is for someone after you to see, your life was merely for the planting of it’s seeds.
There are types of leaving that God authors and accepts. Leaving sin behind us, which one can do while physically staying put. Leaving wrong thoughts unmediated upon. Leaving a lifestyle of independent unaccountability. The other type of “leaving” would be - being sent out, after being regularly accountable, submitted in lifestyle and living a willfully governed life.
Ruth was a Moabite, an unsaved, unredeemed person. When she left where did she go? Back to where Naomi & her family came form before the famine. She had to follow, then she had to stay. She came under accountability and tuteledge. How many people do you k now that believe in Christ come under submission to other believers and really follow them, leaving independence and individuality behind? These are those who someday will manifest Christ. These are who Christ comes through, for, and to, for a thousand generations!
Being a believer is one thing
Becoming a disciple/follower is a ‘nother
Becoming like Christ, and called a Christian by others, especially your closest family and friends is a whole ‘nother deal,
and those who stay to the end and overcome win!
Many, like Orpah, say to Christ, “I believe in You, I’ll follow after You”, but when it is time for a better circumstance to come their way, they do not follow through. They believed, but they did not live out their faith. Ruth, said, “I’ll go all the way, even I have to change my whole life! I’m not truning back!” SHE overcame!
Who are you? Have to be a Ruth first in order to be a Naomi, but are you an Orpah or a Ruth?
God will know by what you do, where you, go, how much you are willing to leave behind, etc.
He doesn’t believe in what we say, by the way, He righteously judges us by what we do.