While reading through any Biblical story it is quite easy to place ourselves as the hero. We like the little boy David who killed Goliath. Let me be that little boy who went and found five stones and with no fear, faced the giant.
In the study of the first chapter in Ruth it is so easy to look negatively at Orpah, who after weighing the options, said to herself maybe sticking with Naomi is not in my best interest. The preference is to be Ruth. It takes courage to be Ruth.
Her statement “Where you go, I will go, where you stay, I will stay . . .may nothing but death separate you and me.” That is a movie line. That is a best-selling theme right there. I want to be that.
But in the moment, on my own strength, I fail. I’m not the hero. I am more like faithless Peter than faithful Ruth.
The lesson throughout Scripture is the greatness our sin BUT the greaterness of Jesus. The truth sometimes stings. As much as I want to be Ruth and David, when real life faces me, I am more like Orpah and Peter.
Here lies the beautiful paradox – let me repeat that: this is The Beautiful Paradox. You and I, on our own, are more like the denying Peter. But when, IN CHRIST, we grasp that truth – we become more heroic like Ruth and David.
How? Because our God is a great God. He is a God who in a few weeks took the denying faithless Peter to the proclaiming faithful Peter of Pentecost. He is a God who works in small weak men and women all the time. He is the God that turns small, weak men and women into David and Ruth’s.
We can do great things because our God is great. You and I bring nothing to the table but trouble. When there is submission to that, when there is understanding of what God’s strength can do, is when we begin to be powerful in His hands FOR HIS GLORY.
S.D.G.