Love Takes Risks

Scripture: Ruth 1:1-2

Now it came about in the days when the judges governed, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the land of Moab with his wife and his two sons.  The name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife, Naomi; and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem in Judah. Now they entered the land of Moab and remained there.

Insights:  At FBCBG we have been working through a sermon series this year titled REAL Worship.  Each letter of the word REAL stood for an attribute of worship.  Worship is to be Relevant in our every day lives.  Worship is to be Exciting and by that we meant joy-filled.  Worship is also to be an Adventure in which we are going someplace with the Lord.  This past Sunday we moved into our final sermon series for the year and are looking at how worship is to also be driven by Love.  One of the best histories in the Bible that paints a vivid picture of love is the book of Ruth.  We are, therefore, going to journey through this amazing book through the remainder of this year and watch love unfold before our eyes and I personally think this is appropriate as we move into the holiday season of Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Is there a better subject with which to examine during this part of the year?  I dare say the answer is no.  So, in today’s verses we see that Elimelech loved his family so much he was willing to risk moving into hostile territory in order to feed them.  Israel and Moab had not always had a good relationship with each other, but the famine was so severe that Elimelech thought to himself, “I have to do something.”  He loaded up his wife and two boys and headed to a land in which he could potentially be mistreated, but he knew they at least had food in that land.  So, he risked it all for the sake of love.  Love is not just a subject for married people and family.  For example, we had our Vision Workshop Sunday afternoon.  If FBCBG decides to adopt this Vision, then it will cause us to take a step of faith and that means a risk.  It is not safe to walk by faith, because faith always presses us outside of our comfort zone.  It is, however, in this place of discomfort God does His greatest work of love in our lives which makes the risk all the more worthwhile.  Beloved, let us risk it all for the sake of Christ.

Questions:

1.  What risks have you taken in the past to demonstrate love?

2.  Are you willing to continue to take risks in the future to demonstrate love?

Prayer: Father, I often times get scared to risk when it comes to showing love.  Yet love is really the motivation behind the worship I bring to You.  Help me to risk and to be vulnerable in order to love.  Amen.