When something terrible has happened to you how do you continue to trust God?

The sermon at church yesterday was about the second chapter of Ruth. When I woke up this morning Ruth and her choice to stay with Naomi was on my mind.

Her famous words: “Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.”  came to my mind and all of a sudden I realized that that was Ruth’s moment of choice. She had lost her husband, brother-in-law, and father-in-law. That was terrible, and she was in deep grief, but because she lost the providers in her family she also knew, if she stayed with Naomi and her God, she faced a life of poverty.  And that was the real choice for Ruth…not staying with Naomi… but deciding to make Naomi’s God her God.

After terrible tradgedy, Ruth chose God. 

And we can’t forget Job. I don’t know this for sure but I believe Job’s purpose in life was to be an example to all mankind of suffering and recovery. Job lost EVERYTHING!  He too was in deep and terrible grief.  How can we ever forget his precious words: “Though he slay me, yet I will hope in him.”

After terrible tradgedy, Job chose God.

The choice did not come easy for Ruth or Job and it will not come easy for us. In fact, it is not a choice we can make ourselves. We have to participate in it, and somehow be open to it, but the bottom line is, we can’t choose God unless He enables and empowers us to do so.

That is the mystery of the gospel. That is the mystery of life.

I choose you, God!

(Scripture references: Ruth 1:16 and Job 13:15)