RPG Adults
PROVIDENCE, DECISIONS AND CIRCUMSTANCES (1)
THURSDAY, JULY 4
Ruth 1:4-10
Ecclesiastes 9:1-12
“…time and chance happeneth
to them all.”
PROVIDENCE, DECISIONS AND CIRCUMSTANCES (1)
Ruth is a story of providence and faith, and of their place in a life filled with tragedies and uncertainties. Life has circumstances and changes that are within our control, as well as those that are beyond our control. Naomi found herself bereft of her husband and sons during their sojourn in Moab. She was left with her two daughters-in-law. Steps that were taken to secure the family did work for a while and the family enjoyed some relief. However, the uncertainty of life, and circumstances beyond their control, changed their lives. They had marriages and happiness for a season, but also a good measure of pain and sorrow by way of the funerals. With the passage of time, the women were left alone, bereft of their husbands.
Chance and circumstances sometimes force us to make certain decisions. Of these, some are: (i) temporal, in which we find ourselves limiting ourselves by time (we are getting old, or our time is passing), and place (our options are limited because there are no godly or mature men or women around here). We end up making decisions hurriedly and unadvisedly. Others are (ii) subjective, in which we find ourselves limiting ourselves by standards we set for ourselves and measuring ourselves by those we choose to. Some may say that due to their circumstances, Naomi’s sons could not but marry Moabitesses. They use Ruth as a case in point, and conclude that it does not matter who you marry, for some “unbelievers” have better characters than some “believers.”
We often emphasise what we see and feel, and forget to consider what we believe and what God says when making choices. We measure the value of our choices based on their temporal outcome rather than on spiritual principles and divine instructions. The stories of love and life become tragedies of life, yet there is room for making new choices that are not based on temporal or subjective principles but rather on objective and spiritual principles. The changes in life brought about changes in perspectives and choice patterns for Naomi and Ruth.
THOUGHT: Death reminds us of our frailty (Ps 103:13-18).
PRAYER: (Read Nehemiah 9:32-38.)