Monday 14 Apr 2014

April 14: Ruth 1:19-22

Key Verse: Ruth 1:19
Now the two of them went until they came to Bethlehem. And it happened, when they had come to Bethlehem, that all the city was excited because of them; and the women said, “Is this Naomi?”

Devotion:
Just as the people were excited when Jesus came into Bethlehem, so too were they when Naomi came back. This shows us that Bethlehem has always been a place where the people have been spiritual and have thought about God’s Word. When many people in a town or village take it upon themselves to walk closely with God, they will affect much of the rest of that town or village because all will see that those people have a special, spiritual connection with God.

Naomi may well have felt like she was at the end of her chain with nothing else left in the world but her God; and that should have been enough for her. But, to be honest, if I found myself in the same position as her, I too would begin to wonder whether I was doing things right or not. That is just what the devil will do; he will try to derail everything that we do for Christ because that way he will weaken our spiritual connections.

That spiritual connection we share with God in a proper relationship with Him is the very light that shines out of us when we walk in darkness. If we are not going to allow God’s light to reflect off of us we will not be seen to shine. Naomi may well have thought that she was nothing but a dark shadow walking back to her home in Bethlehem, but the people saw something else inside of her still.

Being together with other people who trust in and rely on God will allow us to continue shining even when we feel so dull that we think we are in some way emitting darkness (if it were possible). That is the thing, it is not possible to emit darkness because however small that light is inside of us, it will begin to shine. If it takes us being in the darkest possible room before that light will shine, then that is what it will take! Don’t ever think that your light cannot shine; it is God’s light, not yours.

Points to Ponder:
Do you feel dark at times?

Do you remember whose light it is?