GOD'S GRACE IN DARK DAYS

GOD'S GRACE IN DARK DAYS

What am I supposed to do during dark days of moral and spiritual decline? Am I responsible for accepting and going along with every decision society and the government make as laws, while compromising the unchanging laws of God? The days when the judges ruled Israel grew progressively worse with each generation and leadership change. Living for God often felt hopeless when so few around were committed to the Lord and His word. Perhaps it was during the time when the Midianites almost took everything from the people of Israel that Elimelech took his family from the fertile land of Bethlehem-Judah during a famine, crossing east of the Jordan River to Moab.

God acts through the actions of His people. His decisions regarding daily life work through our faithfulness and His servants. Being faithful to Him shows our loyalty. When we treat others with kindness and compassion, it is an act of faithfulness to our Lord. We must be ready and willing for God to use us as He chooses. Through useful actions and good deeds, we achieve results that honor God. Loyalty builds trust, and trust in ordinary people who wear work clothes leads to solid, lasting results and rewards for faithfulness.

The Book of Ruth encourages those living through tough times to remember that God is full of grace, mercy, and love that do not lessen because of the widespread evil around us. During a period of religious and moral decline, when the Israelites faced national disunity and foreign intervention, the Holy Spirit places this beautiful story in the time of the judges. This story is full of faith, kindness, integrity, protection, and God's blessings. It shows God’s interest and care for ordinary people who want to live for Him during dark days.

Naomi’s story starts with tragedy and ends with happiness. It begins with poverty and famine and concludes with prosperity and contentment. The book is named after Ruth because she was the unifying link that brought this whole drama together, creating a family life that has blessed the world ever since. Faithful love in human relationships is highlighted in this story of God’s grace during dark days. As the story unfolds, God’s love in offering redemption for faltering people is a central theme. Twenty-three times, the Hebrew word for redemption appears in various forms. Naomi moved from despair to happiness through Ruth and Boaz's kindness, selflessness, and blessed actions. She transitions from emptiness to fullness, from poverty and hopelessness to the blessings of security and hope. This resembles a prophecy for the nation of Israel, where our Lord Jesus Christ, “the son of David,” will bring the promised blessings of God to His chosen people, the Jews.

Sometimes, we make life-changing decisions and hardly realize what we have done or the serious consequences that can follow. We might try to justify leaving our current location because we can earn more money there. Or, we think the job opportunities are better for our children, and the school system here is poor, and I don't want to homeschool my children. Unless we are guided by the Lord to move elsewhere, it's better to endure the pressures and difficulties of tough times where we are rather than relocate to an area where the influences could lead us away from the Lord and toward idolatry.

The book of Ruth teaches us how to stay strong in character and faithful to God when, all around us, people are “doing what is right in their own eyes.” A dark day had fallen on God’s people spiritually and morally, and society was quickly worsening. Disobedience to God, idolatry, and violence were everywhere. But God was still active in the lives of these three people: Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz. God’s grace is evident even in difficult circumstances. During times of crisis and deep despair, there are those who follow God and through whom God works to bless others. He will use anyone who is open to Him to accomplish His purposes. Therefore, the book of Ruth serves as a reminder that God is still working in the world and can use you to bring others to Him.

Many of God's people today, like in Ruth's time, likely live in unbelief and disobedience and do not enjoy God's blessings. They make the mistake of walking by sight instead of by faith. Faith helps us to look beyond and rise above what seems so clearly acceptable to most people. Running from difficulties does not necessarily mean we will avoid their consequences. We also risk making the same mistake Elimelech made by focusing on the physical rather than the spiritual aspects of our lives. We must also ensure we honor and obey the Lord, not the enemy. When he moved to Moab, he abandoned the spiritual rest he could have found even during hard times and led his family into the consequences of following worldly ways.