Ruth 1:16-18, Joshua 1:5-7, Acts 7:25 & Deuteronomy 34:7

Spend time in prayer and silence with God asking him to meet you and speak to you.

Bible Reading

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. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.

– Ruth 1:16-18

No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.

– Joshua 1:5-7

Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not.

– Acts 7:25

Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone.

– Deuteronomy 34:7

Devotion

Ruth of the Bible was not a Hebrew but married one who died from sickness and left a widow. The death of a wife or husband can be one of the most wounding transitions ever. Ruth came to know the God of the Hebrew people and she was ready to place the rest of her life in God’s hands. There is such hope for people going through trauma and transition like Ruth. Because she was faithful God blessed her and she hung onto God.

Moving up the ladder at work can be filled with stress but it usually isn’t a traumatic situation. Joshua was a young leader about to take over from an experienced Moses. As he climbed the ladder, Joshua was looking back and feeling insufficient. But God had ordained this transition and He encouraged Joshua to be strong. If you are about to get a new assignment in life, pray that God will strengthen you and make you courageous. Give God praise and ask Him for help and direction in your transition. Before Joshua, Moses thought he had it all together when he was forty. Moses was an educated man with vision. He was strong and compassionate. Moses thought he was ready to be used by God. He thought his people understood all of this but they didn’t share his view. God now sends Moses off to the desert for forty-years. That’s a transition. He is a stranger living in a strange land. But he is being formed.

Moses is like a diamond in the rough that is being cleaned and polished. The rough edges and the dust of many years disappears. Over time Moses becomes a brilliant diamond. And like a valuable jewel, time, pressure and heat don’t weaken him. He is not worn out. It is never too late to be what God wants you to be!

The Big Question

Do we trust God enough to be patient and let Him polish the flaws in our character and show us our weaknesses? Cling to Him.

Conclude in prayer and silence reflecting on what you’ve learned.