Handfuls of Purpose (Sampler)
Handfuls of Purpose Helping our Daughters Seize and Embrace their Destinies (Sampler)
Zebedee D. King
Chapter 2 Decision and Destiny
B
OTH DAUGHTERS-IN-LAW WEPT again. Orpah, being a Respectful and attentive daughter-in-law, heeded Naomi’s advice, but Ruth clung to Naomi because Ruth perceived Naomi to be a woman of destiny. I believe that some commentators give Orpah a bum rap at this point of the narrative by interjecting that another rendering of Orpah’s name is “stiff-necked”to indicate her ultimate refusal to convert to Naomi’s God and the Jewish faith. That may be true, but it doesn’t seem to me that to return to her native religion was Orpah’s overarching intent although that was probably the result, according to Chapter 1, verse 15. I believe that her rationale was a bit more practical. Darting away from Destiny I think the issue here is one of priorities. Orpah had originally agreed, along with Ruth, to go with Naomi in order to dwell among Naomi’s people. This would no doubt mean assimilating the Jewish lifestyle and religion. I’m sure that Orpah contemplated these things beforehand so it seems that these possibilities didn’t pose an enormous obstacle to her. It seems obvious to me that the issue on the table at this point was Naomi’s finding a husband for her young ladies within a reasonable period of time. And that got Orpah thinking. I believe that Orpah, upon Naomi’s advice, went back to that which was familiar to her. She was simply guided by what made sense to her. The prospect of finding
36
HANDFULS OF PURPOSE
37
another husband from some place familiar (her home in Moab) and the inability of Naomi to bear any more sons to marry may have finally motivated Orpah to leave the mother-in-law that she loved so dearly. Unlike Ruth, she wasn’t as prepared to step out into the unknown, as women of faith are often called to do. So, I reason that I don’t think that Orpah was a bad woman. Ruth just distinguished herself as a woman of purpose by committing herself to Naomi’s God first and then to Naomi, who was a woman of purpose and one of God’s people. That’s what God expects His women to do – commit themselves to people of purpose. Somehow, Ruth knew that by keeping her priorities straight, she could trust God to eventually find a suitable husband for her. Now, I do agree with the commentators that the most tragic aspect of Orpah’s departure from Naomi back to her people is that she perhaps also went back to her gods, one of which would be Chemosh, the principal god of Moab. Because of that, there is a very good chance that her future husband also worshipped Chemosh. That means that she would have married a son of Chemosh and would have reared “children of a lesser god”, spiritually. It is interesting to note at this point that in worshipping Chemosh (like Molech or Milcom, the Ammonite god) parents were required to sacrifice their children as burnt offerings by making their children “pass through the fire” – not a good legacy to leave one’s children. How many good-natured women have forsaken the love that God has prepared for them and have rather gone off to follow after sons of the gods of this age? These women end up sacrificing their faith, their dreams, their homes and even their children, only to find everything that they’ve worked so hard for has “passed through the fire”. Don’t be like Orpah, the gazelle, who sacrificed her future by darting off to find a husband without first offering herself and her destiny to God. For you see, from this point in the story on, Orpah’s life fades into obscurity. We hear nothing more of her, no reunion with Naomi and Ruth, no mention of how she finally fared – nothing. Her future is unknown and her legacy may have been lost, ultimately consumed upon the altar of many regrets. Delighting in the God of Destiny In contrast, Ruth clave to and became a friend to the God of Naomi. As a result, we see her story unfold more and more like the dawning of a new day. She didn’t rush off in search of a man. She set her priorities. She had the expectation that, if she committed herself first to God, He would give her an assured and bright future. That also included God’s orchestrating a meeting between any future husband of hers and her. So, let’s summarize the differences in the foci of Orpah and Ruth: Orpah went looking for the “guy”; Ruth went looking for God, believing that He would give her the “guy” according to His will and in His time. And that was exactly what happened, as we shall see. I know that someone out there is listening.
38
ZEBEDEE D. KING
I reiterate; Orpah wasn’t necessarily a bad woman. The difference between her and Ruth were their priorities. Ruth did what women waiting for God’s best should be doing. She . . . · · · ·
. . . delighted herself in the LORD first (Psalms 37:4) knowing that He will give her the desires of her heart . . . nurtured the relationships that God had blessed her with . . . maintained her integrity . . . watched with faith and expectancy for her heart’s desires to be fulfilled.
Every woman of faith has this promise to lean on: “Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass (Psalms 37:5).” What does the above scripture promise to bring to pass? It promises to bring to pass the “way”, (or the future) of the one who commits her “way” (or path) to the Lord. In fact, He’s promised to bring that woman’s future about in such a way as to make it obvious for all to see. That woman’s destiny will never fade into obscurity. Naomi insisted that Ruth follow Orpah’s example, but Ruth requested that Naomi not urge her to desert her or to request any further that she turn back from following her mother-in-law. As I’ve stated before, it is very important that people who are called to God’s purpose connect with other people of purpose. As many of us already know “ . . . bad company corrupts good character. (I Corinthians 15:33, NLT)”. Don’t be ill-informed about this matter. Some people in our lives serve only to derail us in fulfilling God’s plan for our lives. Daughters and Sisters, consider carefully whom you make friends with. Surrounding yourself with the wrong people may cause you to loose sight of your greatness in God, which may cause you to compromise, and ultimately, to lose yourself. Ruth knew that Naomi was a godly woman so she bound herself to stay under the same blessing that God, no doubt, had appointed for Naomi. But that’s not all Ruth signed up to. She was also willing to take upon herself the responsibilities commensurate with her deep commitment to Naomi and the God of Naomi. Throughout this book, we’ll examine the depth of commitment that Ruth exhibited. Orpah lost herself and her way by the unwise decisions she made, but Ruth’s first priority was to find herself, not find a man. She believed if she clarified her priorities, then from there the God of Naomi would add everything to her life that she needed and wanted. Ruth actually found herself and her way by losing herself in the will of God. She did that by hiding herself under the shadow of God’s wings (Ruth 2:12, Psalms 91:4). She trusted God to guide her through the path that led to His purpose and to all of the blessings and through the trials that would accompany that path. You could say that this refugee from Moab ultimately found refuge in God. In the Ruth
HANDFULS OF PURPOSE
39
1:15-17, Ruth makes it clear for once and for all that she is totally committed to Naomi and Naomi’s God. She, like Moses, chose affliction with a blessed people than to enjoy fleeting pleasures without a future (Hebrews 11:25). How many women that you’re acquainted with have chosen instant gratification that only reaps an uncertain future rather than patiently enduring the light affliction that a woman of God must encounter? They prefer the path to pleasure rather than the opportunity to be molded into maturity by the Master’s careful hand. You see, when you reach life’s milestones and then your ultimate destination, God wants you not to have suffered any lack or loss, but to have shared in His abundance, in every area. Jesus Himself said that He came to not only give us life, but life more abundantly (John 10:10). That covers every aspect of our lives, even our relationships. There are so many scriptures that I could use at this point to illustrate this, that I could write a book on just this idea, but I must stay on point. The following two renderings of James 1:4 establish the fact that, contrary to popular belief, good things do come to those that wait. “Let your patience show itself perfectly in what you do. Then you will be perfect and complete and will have everything you need. (NCV)” “So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. (MSG)” God wants his sons and daughters to be fully mature and he uses relationships and life’s experiences to help bring this maturation about. Ruth did what so many wise people do when waiting on a change of circumstances – she worked on herself, allowed God to work on her through circumstances and capitalized on good relationships. Ladies, no matter whether a man comes into your life or not, God still wants you to be whole. Ruth was going to be whole whether or not she found another husband. Because she was being made whole, she was able to discern a good man when she saw one. She wasn’t in a hurry to find a man. She was busy making a living for her and Naomi, who, by the way, later suggested that she look for a man and helped her to find one. You probably know people who rush into one relationship after another without first finding themselves. They are not whole, but instead of allowing God to mature them, they try to find wholeness with another person, who themselves may not be whole. Then, there are two immature people depending upon each other to help the other find themselves. The results can be disastrous. If you don’t know who you are, then it is difficult to share who you are with someone else. Understand that God has a habit of not only tailor-making special blessings for you, but for also tailor-making you for those special blessings. That is accomplished by your patiently treading the journey that God has mapped out for you, even though
40
ZEBEDEE D. KING
that journey may sometimes be beset with uncertainty. In the end, you will be able to handle and appreciate your blessings when they come and not forget the God who gave you your hearts desires. Before we finish our discussion of Ruth’s decisions, let’s not miss an interesting point here. From the time that Ruth had met Naomi and her family, it seems like their lives were beset with misfortunes. Why in the world would she want to commit to a God that leads His people through so many afflictions? Ruth no doubt, experienced the providential care of God along with her husband and in-laws, but most of what we know of their experiences seems bleak up until now. That tells me that there was probably an inner work of God, a tugging, that kept drawing Ruth to the point of decision to trust Him. God was working in her to prepare her for this defining moment (Philippians 2:13). Women, don’t fight the tug of God in your lives. He always seeks your best. He’s just trying to draw you to the path that leads to Him because where He is, there is always fullness of joy and pleasures forever (Psalms 16:11). Ruth somehow understood that the safest place to be is in the will of God so she hid herself in Him. The sound decisions that Ruth made consistently pleased God and gave Him the liberty to work His perfect will in her life. In turn, the rewards were immense. We will see His plan for Naomi and Ruth fully revealed when we examine in the section titled, “Legacy”. To summarize this chapter, our destinies are determined to a large part by the choices we make. In other words, we make decisions, and then those decisions make us. Although many volumes have been written and many debates have been waged about predestination and the foreknowledge of God, it is clear in this study of Ruth that, through our choices, God gives us the opportunity to either cooperate with Him or hinder His plan in bringing about what He has predestinated should be the outcome of our journey.
Handfuls of Purpose By: Zebedee King ISBN: 978-1-4500-5629-8 (Trade Paperback 6x9) Pages: 243
This is excerpt from Chapter Two of “Handfuls of Purpose�, written by Zebedee King. Find out how you can order the book at the following locations. www.xlibris.com\handfulsofpurpose.htm mosaicbooks.com\zebedee-king.htm The book is also available from Amazon.com, Borders.com, BarnesandNobles.com and over 25,000 online and local distributors.