Don't Run, Your Problems Follow

Book of Ruth tells the story of a Gentile who married a Jew and became an ancestress of the Messiah ().

Book of Ruth tells the story of a Gentile who married a Jew and became an ancestress of the Messiah (Matt. 1:5).

Book of Ruth tells the story of a Gentile who married a Jew and became an ancestress of the Messiah ().

The story of Ruth begins with a famine and ends with the birth of a baby. We see the will of God fulfilled and the providential hand of God throughout this book.

Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Committed, “Be” Commentary Series (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1993), 11.

The story of Ruth begins with a famine and ends with the birth of a baby

What we will see in this book is a woman who was committed to do the will of God.

I believe Ruth speaks to us today to summon us as believers in Jesus to be committed to Jesus Christ and to do His will at any cost.

Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Committed, “Be” Commentary Series (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1993), 11.

The book of Ruth begins with a family making a bad decision and exchanges one famine for three funerals.

“The efforts we make to escape from our destiny only serve to lead us into it.” That was written by the American essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson. It’s just as true today as when this was published back in 1860.

Because God gave us freedom of choice, we can ignore the will of God, argue with it, disobey it, even fight against it. But in the end, the will of God will prevail; because “the counsel of the Lord stands forever” () and “He does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth” ().

Because God gave us freedom of choice, we can ignore the will of God, argue with it, disobey it, even fight against it. But in the end, the will of God shall prevail; because “the counsel of the Lord stands forever” () and “He does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth” ()

The patriarch Job asked, “Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered?” (, NKJV) Job knew the answer and so do we: nobody. If we obey God’s will, everything in life holds together; but if we disobey, everything starts to fall apart. Nowhere in the Bible is this truth better illustrated than in the experiences of Elimelech and his wife Naomi.

We see in this chapter three mistakes that we must avoid as we deal with the problems and trials of life. This morning we will deal with the first one.

What we see is unbelief: trying to run from problems ()

Ruth 1:1–5 NKJV

1 Now it came to pass, in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem, Judah, went to dwell in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. 2 The name of the man was Elimelech, the name of his wife was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion—Ephrathites of Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to the country of Moab and remained there. 3 Then Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons. 4 Now they took wives of the women of Moab: the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth. And they dwelt there about ten years. 5 Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died; so the woman survived her two sons and her husband.

Life was not easy in those days; for during the period of the Judges, “there was no king in Israel; but every man did what was right in his own eyes”. The Book of Judges is the story of Israel at one of its lowest points in history and is a record of division, cruelty, apostasy, civil war, and national disgrace.

Spiritually speaking, we are living today in the Book of Judges; for there is no king in Israel, and there will not be until Jesus returns. Like Israel in the past, many of God’s people today are living in unbelief and disobedience and are not enjoying the blessings of God.

Be Committed 1. Unbelief: Trying to Run from Our Problems (Ruth 1:1–5)

In spite of alarms in the headlines and dangers on the streets, we can be sure that God still loves the world and wants to save lost sinners. When you know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, no matter how tough the times may be, you are part of a beautiful love story.

What we are seeing in these first five verses is that Israel was reaping the harvest of their disobedience. During the period of the Judges, worship of the Caananite god Baal was common among the Israelites.

So Elimelech decided to take his family 50 miles on the other side of the Dead Sea to the pagan land of Moab. Elimelech opened his family up to the godless influence of this foreign land and his sons ended up marrying wives who knew nothing about God. But God still had a plan.

But God ended up producing the fruit of the Spirit in the lives of Ruth and Naomi. Today, the Lord is seeking a harvest and calls us to share in His labors (). The harvest today is white and ready, but the laborers are still few ().

No matter how tough our time is, God is still working out His plan in your life. So rest assured.

Ruth 1:1–2 NKJV

1 Now it came to pass, in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem, Judah, went to dwell in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. 2 The name of the man was Elimelech, the name of his wife was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion—Ephrathites of Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to the country of Moab and remained there.

When trouble comes to our lives, we can do one of three things: endure it, escape it, or enlist it.

If we only endure our trials, then trials become our master, and we have a tendency to become hard and bitter.

If we only endure our trials, then trials become our master, and we have a tendency to become hard and bitter. If we try to escape our trials, then we will probably miss the purposes God wants to achieve in our lives. But if we learn to enlist our trials, they will become our servants instead of our masters and work for us; and God will work all things together for our good and His glory ().

If we try to escape our trials, then we will probably miss the purposes God wants to achieve in our lives.

But if we learn to enlist our trials, they will become our servants instead of our masters and work for us; and God will work all things together for our good and His glory ().

Romans 8:28 NKJV

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Elimelech made the wrong decision when he decided to leave home. What made this decision so wrong?

Elimelech walked by sight, and not by faith. He made his decision based on what his physical eyes saw, not what God could do in spite of his situation.

Abraham made the same mistake when he encountered a famine in the land of promise (). Instead of waiting for God to tell him what to do next, he fled to Egypt and got into trouble.

No matter how difficult our circumstances may be, the safest and best place is in the will of God.

It’s easy to say with David, “O that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest” (). But it’s wiser to claim the promise of and wait on the Lord for “wings like eagles” and by faith soar above the storms of life. You can’t run away from your problems.

How do you walk by faith? By claiming the promises of God and obeying the Word of God, in spite of what you see, how you feel, or what may happen.

It’s easy to say with David, “O that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest” (). But it’s wiser to claim the promise of and wait on the Lord for “wings like eagles” and by faith soar above the storms of life. You can’t run away from your problems.

It means committing yourself to the Lord and relying wholly on Him to meet the need. When we live by faith, it glorifies God, witnesses to a lost world, and builds Christian character into our lives.

God has ordained that “the righteous will live by his faith” (; ; ; ; ); and when we refuse to trust Him, we are calling God a liar and dishonoring Him.

Ruth 1:1–2 NKJV

1 Now it came to pass, in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem, Judah, went to dwell in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. 2 The name of the man was Elimelech, the name of his wife was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion—Ephrathites of Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to the country of Moab and remained there.

A husband and father certainly wants to provide for his wife and family, but he must not do it at the expense of losing the blessing of God. When Satan met Jesus in the wilderness, his first temptation was to suggest that Christ satisfy His hunger rather than please His Father (; see ).

A husband and father certainly wants to provide for his wife and family, but he must not do it at the expense of losing the blessing of God. When Satan met Jesus in the wilderness, his first temptation was to suggest that Christ satisfy His hunger rather than please His Father (; see ). One of the devil’s pet lies is: “You do have to live!” But it is in God that “we live and move and have our being” (, NIV); and He is able to take care of us.

One of the devil’s pet lies is: “You do have to live!” But it is in God that “we live and move and have our being” (,); and He is able to take care of us.

David’s witness is worth considering: “I have been young, and now I am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, or his descendants begging bread” (, NKJV).

David’s witness is worth considering: “I have been young, and now I am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, or his descendants begging bread” (, NKJV). As Paul faced a threatening future, he testified, “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself” (, KJV). In times of difficulty, if we die to self and put God’s will first (), we can be sure that He will either take us out of the trouble or bring us through.

As Paul faced a threatening future, he testified, “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself” (, KJV).

In times of difficulty, if we die to self and put God’s will first (), we can be sure that He will either take us out of the trouble or bring us through.

Matthew 6:33 NKJV

33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Focus on God, and He will take care of the rest.

So what were the consequences of Elimelech’s actions?

I find it interesting that Elimelech’s name means “my God is king.” But the Lord was not king in his life, because he left God completely out of his decisions.

His first bad decision was leaving the land of the Jews. This led to another bad decision when his two sons married women of Moab. Jews were forbidden to marry Gentile women, especially those from Ammon and Moab (; and others).

Elimelech and his family fled Judah to escape death, but the three men met death just the same.

Conclusion:

We can’t run away from our problems. We can’t avoid taking with us the basic cause of most of our problems, which is an unbelieving and disobedient heart.

“The majority of us begin with the bigger problems outside and forget the one inside,” wrote Oswald Chambers. “A man has to learn ‘the plague of his own heart’ before his own problems can be solved …” (The Shadow of an Agony, p. 76).

We can’t run away from our problems. We can’t avoid taking with us the basic cause of most of our problems, which is an unbelieving and disobedient heart. “The majority of us begin with the bigger problems outside and forget the one inside,” wrote Oswald Chambers. “A man has to learn ‘the plague of his own heart’ before his own problems can be solved …” (The Shadow of an Agony, p. 76).

So...

A. Don’t Run… Your Problems Will Follow.

B. Remember, no matter how tough a time you’re having, as a follower of Jesus, you’re always part of God’s plan.

C. Walk by faith, not by sight.

D. Major on the spiritual, not the physical.

Don't Run, Your Problems Follow

Don’t Run, Your Problems Follow

No Matter How Tough Our Time is, You are Part of God’s Plan

When Trouble Comes, You Have a Decision to Make

Don’t Walk by Sight; Walk by Faith

Major on the Spiritual, Not the Physical