Love Makes Hard Decisions

Scripture: Ruth 1:11-13

But Naomi said, “Return, my daughters. Why should you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?  “Return, my daughters! Go, for I am too old to have a husband. If I said I have hope, if I should even have a husband tonight and also bear sons, would you therefore wait until they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters; for it is harder for me than for you, for the hand of the Lord has gone forth against me.”

Insights:  Up to this point in our journey through this passage we have been looking at the difficulty of loving from one side of the equation.  There is another side as well and it deals with hard decisions we have to make in times of risk.  Notice with me in today’s verses Naomi makes the hard decision to send her daughter-in-laws back to their home land.  Now we know Ruth does not go back home, but in our verses today we see Naomi make very good arguments as to why she and Orpah ought to return.  If you think about this story, would it have been easier and better for Naomi to have let these two women join her back in Bethlehem?  The answer would have been yes.  They could have both gleaned fields.  They both would have been present to help comfort Naomi.  Naomi knew, however, it would not have been best for the girls.  We know the story, but at this moment in time, there was no guarantee Ruth would have found a husband.  She was a foreigner after all from a country that was often hostile to Israel.  Who would have wanted to marry these ladies?  As a result of all this information, Naomi makes the hard and sacrificial decision to have her daughters return to Moab.  Beloved, we must be willing in our lives to look at the evidence and make the hard decisions at times in life.  From a leadership perspective, sometimes these decisions are not going to be well received by the masses.  If they are the right decision, then you must, because of the compelling nature of love, make that hard decision.  It is not easy.  If it were easy, then everyone would be known for making these hard decisions.  Let us strive to seek after the Lord and to hear His voice when it comes to the decisions we need to make in life.  Then, let us make wise and godly decisions no matter what and honor the Lord in the process.

Questions:

1.  Have you ever had to make a hard decision and knew others would not like it?

2.  Are you willing to make hard decisions no matter what the ramifications may be if it is the right decision?

Prayer: Father, the world is desperate for leaders who will follow hard after You and make hard decisions.  May You grant me the courage to be one of those leaders.  Amen.