What is Your Moab?

For those of you that know me, I really enjoy looking through the book of Ruth.  It is short, but in those 4 chapters I feel that I hear something new and fresh every time I dig into it.

A good friend sent me a link to a sermon series by a man named Ed Moore, so I will not take credit for most of this wisdom...however there is something that he didn't touch on that spoke to me while I listened to him speak.

First though, I want to ask you all a question:  What is your Moab?

If you don't know the story behind Ruth, don't only read through it, but also read through Judges.  The context of Ruth is better explained through the continuous roller coaster that the Israelites go through.

To give you a brief summary of where I am coming from with this, the book of Ruth starts off with a man named Elimelech.  (meaning "God is my King"...I know...Ironic...you will see why).  Elimelech disobeys God by leaving the Promised Land for "greener pastures".  Verses 1-4 explains the progression of him and his families intentions:

In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and 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. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years,

At first, they sojourned...meaning it was a little jaunt, intending to come back.  They were dipping their feet into Moab.  Then, they remained there.  And THEN they lived there. 

If/When you search through Judges, you will see a common phrase that pops up regularly: "And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord."  Another way to look at this is "They did what was right in their own eyes."  Elimelech led his family into Moab, because in his own eyes he thought it was right.  He intended to travel there briefly because the grass was greener.  However, we see he not only stayed in Moab, but his family decided to live there and establish connections with Moab.  

I will give you a representation here....The promised land (which Elimelech left) represents God.  Elimelech and Naomi represent us, in my opinion.  We tend to find greener pastures away from God, and what goes from an innocent testing of the waters may turn into a full commitment to something pulling us from God.  I am reminded of the phrase "Sin will take you farther than you want to go."   

So, I will challenge you all to think of what your Moab is.  Pray about it.  When God reveals it to you, escape from it.  Flee to the Promised Land.  Elimelech may have been looking out for his family and wanting the best for them, but he failed to understand that the best thing for them was God and to stay in the Promised Land, no matter the circumstance.  

Times get tough, but don't stray from God friends.  Stay in Him.  It truly is the best place to be, no matter what it looks like in our eyes.  Remember, we are still clouded and can't see as God sees.  That's why we need to trust.  

I love you all.