Saying goodbye to loved ones can sometimes be a very difficult decision. If you ever used to speak on phone late into the night with someone you loved, sometimes both of you held on to the call and no one was ready to say goodbye until one falls asleep. The emotional strings of love can make you stay up all night saying nothing but refusing to end the call. If this sounds familiar to you, remember you were not alone. When we have affection for others, we tend to want to spend quality time with each other. One way we do that is to be intentional about making time for one another. From the previous posts, we have seen that Naomi was obviously loved by her daughters-in-law. Ruth and Orpah might have had a similar parental love for Naomi. Being aware of how her daughters-in-law were attached to her, Naomi might have also shown them love and affection. Their lives had changed and things were not normal for both Naomi and her daughters-in-law. In their losses and grief, the three women might have been a source of support for one another. But, things were about to change. Ruth 1: 6-7 states that, “When Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, she and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there. With her two daughters-in-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah.” It was time to return to Bethlehem and Naomi and her daughters-in-law prepared to go together. The three women set off and headed towards the road to the land of Judah. It might have been a surreal moment for Naomi and an exciting adventure for Ruth and Orpah. Suddenly, Naomi turned to her daughters-in-law, she loved them but she thought going back to their parents house would be better. In Ruth 1:8-10, “Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the Lord show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me. May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.” Then she kissed them goodbye and they wept aloud and said to her, “We will go back with you to your people.” Ruth and Orpah were unwilling to return. They would rather be with Naomi than to go to their own parents. When Naomi saw that her daughters-in-law were unwilling to return, she gave them the convincing reasons to show that they would be better off in Moab than Bethlehem: “But Naomi said, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons— would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord’s hand has turned against me!” (Ruth 1:11-13) At this they wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her. (Ruth 1:14) Naomi had valid reasons for asking her daughters-in-law to return. “At this they wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her.” (Ruth 1:14). Orpah did not return because she loved Naomi less, she returned because she reasoned with Naomi. She saw the truth in what Naomi said. Bethlehem would be a foreign land to her. She understood the dynamics of the relationship between the Israelites and the Moabites. She considered all the possibilities of what could happen in Bethlehem. She might have thought that she might never remarry because Naomi has no other son. “What if the Israelites do not like her?”, she might have pondered. Considering all the background information and her current situation, Orpah made the decision to go back to her parents. She kissed her sweet mother-in-law and went back to her own family. Before you judge Orpah, know that she was not harsh in her decision. She wanted a good life and after the information Naomi gave, it seemed that Bethlehem wasn’t going to offer her that life. She had been through pain and the thought of another painful experience in Bethlehem might have overwhelmed her. Most importantly, in the Sovereignty of God, He knew what would happen in Bethlehem and which of the ladies would be fit for the task. Orpah turned to her own family, her own people and her own gods. The story of Orpah ended right there. She suddenly exited the scene and scripture does not record any other thing about her. The story continues with the one who stayed, not the one who left. The story of Orpah might be the story of many believers. We count the cost of following the Lord and to save our lives, we decide that the best for us, is to return to our old ways of lives or to be a lie low Christian. God is not interested in those who return, neither does He delight in those who hide their faith. It is either you are hot or you are cold. Lukewarm Christians are not Christians at all. Their end is this: “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” (Revelation 3:15-16) Don’t quit when it makes no sense to serve the Lord. When your life is in shambles, don’t say goodbye to your faith. Leaving might be a temporary solution, but staying is the permanent move. God is with you, don’t give up on yourself. When the tunnel of your life only shows darkness, go to Jesus. He is the light of the world. Before you say goodbye to your faith, look back, look forward and look up. God is everywhere and Yes, He sees you. When the going gets tough, it is the Spirit-filled that continue the journey.
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