Bible Text: Ruth 1:8-22 | Preacher: Pastor Steve | Series: Abiding in the Lord
For she had heard in the country of Moab that the LORD had visited His people by giving them bread. Therefore she went out from the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah.
Commitment requires decisive action to get up and start moving forward towards a new goal or direction.
If we will humble ourselves before the Lord and stop trying to be overly self-sufficient then we will be surprised by the Lord’s grace and provision!
Our protection and security is ALWAYS found in the Lord
Ruth 1:8-9 And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, Go, return each to her mother’s house. The LORD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. The LORD grant that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept.
Deal kindly with you: hesed (1:8) love that is loyal, constant, and protective
That you may find rest: manoah (1:9) a permanent resting place, security, and blessing
Ruth 1:10-14 And they said to her, Surely we will return with you to your people. But Naomi said, turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Are there still sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? Turn back, my daughters, go—for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, if I should have a husband tonight and should also bear sons, would you wait for them till they were grown? Would you restrain yourselves from having husbands?
No, my daughters; for it grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD has gone out against me! Then they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. 
Ruth 1:15-17 And she said, Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law. But Ruth said: Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you;
For wherever you go, I will go; (commitment to follow)
And wherever you lodge, I will lodge (permanent commitment)
Your people shall be my people (commitment to a new way of living)
And your God, my God (Abiding commitment)
Where you die, I will die, And there will I be buried (lifetime commitment)
When we choose to receive Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, committing our life and devotion to Him, we too must cut ourselves off from our old heritage, culture and gods, rejecting our old way of life.
We must make a clear-cut break from our old priorities:
Ephesians 4:22-24 …throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God…
God looks after those who choose to walk in His purposes!
When a man or woman decides to follow Christ in holiness the chains are broken once that decision is made
The process that follows is an on-going life of making the RIGHT choices. Because I am a believer in Jesus, abiding in the Lord, following Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit then there will be triumphant victory over the chains in my life.
Our decision is to ABIDE IN THE LORD or NOT ABIDE
Sin can be boiled down to one simple concept: SELF-CENTEREDNESS
We are in a battle where SELF does not want to ABIDE IN THE LORD!
When ME is more important than HIM we will miss out on the possibilities of holiness, healthiness or wholeness
Abide in Him and He will abide in you!
Commitment
The LORD do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me. When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her.
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? But she said to them, Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the LORD has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?
Naomi: pleasant, delightful, lovely
Orpah: to be stiffed necked – obstinate or stubborn
Ruth: friendship, companion
Naomi to Mara: from pleasant to bitter from full to empty
So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. Now they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.
The truth is that the degree of our commitment determines whether we walk into or out of God’s purposes. By our commitments, we walk into God’s purposes or by our refusal to be committed we walk out of God’s purposes.