1 Samuel 14:7 (NIV)
7 “Do all that you have in mind,” his armor-bearer said. “Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.” (emphasis added)
Ruth 1:16-17 (NIV)
16 But Ruth replied, “. . . Where you go I will go . . . . 17 Where you die I will die . . . . May the LORD deal with me . . . if anything but death separates you and me.” (emphasis added)
I’ve been wrestling over this post for awhile. I’m having a hard time communicating in words what God is communicating in my spirit.
The bottom line is that spiritual maturity, growth and fruit requires a decision to commit (despite any hardships). Commit to what? You tell me . . .
We all have areas of our lives that we’d love to abandon, hop the fence and frolic in the grass on the other side. My church isn’t feeding me. Let me try the church down the road. This relationship is too much work, how about I move on to that pretty looking girl over there? I’m not content at my job. Let me keep my eyes open for an out.
In the verses above, the armor-bearer and Ruth both stand firm in their commitment to Jonathan and Naomi. Wherever they go, we go. Kinda reminds me of the My Buddy and Kid Sister commercials of the 80’s. ;)
It is this commitment that eventually brings God’s blessing. Jonathan and the armor-bearer defeat the Philistines. Ruth marries Boaz and becomes the great grandmother of King David (I think I did the genealogy right).
Commitment is a lot like planting a seed. Your life is a seed. When you choose not to commit and plant yourself somewhere else, you start from the beginning. You have to re-grow your roots. Keep bouncing from here to there and you’ll never see any fruit in your life.
Psalm 92:13 says those who are planted in the house of the Lord will flourish.
bq. Roots are critical to growing things.
~ Stu Weber in Tender Warrior
Do you have roots where you’re at now? If not, plant yourself. Make the decision to commit regardless of how difficult, painful or inconvenient it may be.
(Obviously filtering it through God first.) ;)