But Ruth replied:  Do not persuade me to leave you or go back and not follow you. For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Where you die, I will die and there I will be buried. May Yahweh punish me, and do so severely if anything but death separates you and me.
Ruth 1:16-17 HCSB

This is one of the most beautiful statements of commitment I have ever read. Ruth has lost her husband, her brother-in-law, and her father-in-law. She is on the road with her mother-in-law who is returning from the land of Moab to her home in Judah.

Naomi, Ruth’s mother-in-law pleads with her to return to her family in Moab. Naomi and her husband had two sons they had been living in Moab to escape a famine in the land of Judah. Naomi’s husband and two sons had died, and her future looked bleak.

Her only solution was to go back to Judah. She urged Ruth to return to her family. But Ruth refused. Our Scripture passage is Ruth’s declaration of commitment to her mother-in-law, Noami. This passage is often used in wedding ceremonies.

Let’s take a minute to look at Ruth’s pledge to Naomi. She asks Noami not to try to persuade her to leave her or not follow her. She promises wherever Naomi goes she will go. She promises to live wherever Naomi chooses to live. She even pledges to serve Yahweh, the one true God, who is Naomi’s God.

This would be forsaking Chemosh who was the god of the Moabite nation. She is saying she will forsake her family, her country, and her god to follow Naomi. This is total commitment, total surrender, and submission. She even pledges to die where Noami dies and be buried where she is buried.

Ruth agrees she should suffer divine punishment should she break her vow to Naomi. She goes a step further by saying that the punishment should be severe.

Ruth gives us an illustration of what Jesus is talking about in Matthew 22:37-39 when he said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” Jesus said this was the greatest commandment.

This means we surrender all to Christ. We give our all to loving Him. Doing this causes us to want to love others as we love ourselves which he says is the second greatest commandment.

Many search their whole lives looking for that type of love and devotion. I have good news. It can be found easily in Jesus Christ. He gave His all for every one of us even though we are sinners. He loved us enough to die on the cross for us to save us from our sins. Now that’s commitment!

If we show Jesus the kind of devotion Ruth showed Naomi, we will come to understand His great love for us. We will also better understand how to have an even better relationship with our spouse, our family, and our friends.

No one wants to be in a relationship with someone who offers a half-hearted commitment. We don’t marry in hopes that our spouse will be sort of committed to our relationship or sometimes be committed to our relationship.

Friendships are often difficult when they lack commitment. Commitment is a necessary and important part of any relationship.

Are you committed to Christ? If we commit ourselves to Christ, the other relationships in our life will fall into place. Matthew 6:33 says, “Seek first the kingdom of God and all these other things will be added to you.”

If you are lacking commitment to Christ, trust me, other areas of your life will lack commitment as well. Trust in Him today. Love Him with your whole heart, soul, and mind. Surrender to Him and submit to His plan for your life.

People should be able to see your commitment to the Lord and say, “Now that’s commitment!”

Have a great day!