PASSIONATE LOYALTY

by Bryan Thomas Schmidt

But Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.

-- Ruth 1:16 (NIV)

Ruth had no reason to stay. Her husband was dead. Naomi even urged her to return to her own mother’s home: “I am too old to have another husband.” But Ruth promised: “Where you go, I will go, and where you stay, I will stay.” We don’t know a lot about Naomi, but she must have been a pretty special mother-in-law to inspire such passionate loyalty.

Are we passionate with our loyalty to anyone? So many times, loyalty seems to be lost these days. Husbands and wives cheat on each other and divorce. Friends betray friends. Both are all too common, even among Christians. We even have trouble with loyalty to the One who gave His life for us, and he’s far more incredible than even Naomi could ever be.

After all He’s done for us, doesn’t Jesus deserve our passionate loyalty the same way Ruth clung to Naomi? Who else deserves more loyalty than Jesus? We need to remind ourselves daily of all He’s done for us, and recommit our lives and our hearts to Him, saying: “Where you go, I will go, and where you stay, I will stay.” After all, such a commitment is nothing compared to the commitment He’s already made to us.

PRAYER: Oh Lord, help me to cling to you as Ruth clung to Naomi. Help me to desire to be with you the same way. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

© 2008 Bryan Thomas Schmidt/Anchored Music Ministries, Inc. All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured. No reproduction without written permission.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Apologies for the long delay between posts. I hope I didn't lose all my readers. I have been busy on a number of projects, including my first novel, and because of agreements on a number of devotions up for publication that I will not release them first, I had to take a break. I will try and post at least once a week until I can get back up and going. God Bless!