Triumph of hope over Experience

And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Ruth ' s steadfastness in remaining faithful to her husband and his people has been applauded and upheld as a model for all to follow. The hapless Naomi had little to offer her widowed daughter in law. Death of her husband had absolved her of any ties or any need to remain with Naomi. But Ruth swore by her allegiance to Naomi ' s God and her people. She refused to be persuaded by Naomi's logic to return to her own people unlike the other daughter in law Orpah. The results are significant. Orpah was never heard off after her leaving. Ruth continues to inspire the faithful in every generation. Ruth added meaning, purpose and companionship in Naomi's otherwise empty life. Naomi's God-given wisdom gave Ruth a sense of guidance and security. As a result Ruth won the favour of Boaz, her Kinsman-redeemer. She goes on to be a mother and a forebear of the Messiah Jesus, our Kinsman-Redeemer. The lesson to be drawn from the bitter- sweet true story of Ruth is that regardless of the situation, we should hold on to the remnants of our faith: hold on to Jesus, never give up, never say , "all is lost", stick to the basics of our faith. The Sovereign Lord who sees our faithfulness will vindicate us. He will turn our empty lives into fruitful ones, our bitterness ad sadness into sweetness and joy. Maintain a sweet attitude despite bitter experience, a victorious feeling despite many failures, a triumphant hope despite a traumatic and tragic past. It is the triumph of hope over experience, conviction over opinion and faith over circumstance. Prateep V Philip