In today’s devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef calls you to return to the Lord like Naomi when facing your spiritual Moab.
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[00:00:00] You are listening to My Devotional, the daily devotional from Dr. Michael Youssef and Leading
[00:00:06] the Way.
[00:00:08] God Redeems the Broken by Dr. Michael Youssef
[00:00:13] Moab isn't very far from Judah, but to Emelech it was a world away, a world away from the
[00:00:21] chaos that plagued Israel during the time of the Judges, a world away from the famine that
[00:00:27] had left the family hungry, a world away from the hard path of trusting that God would
[00:00:32] bring relief to his people in the land of promise.
[00:00:36] So Emelech packed up his belongings, took his wife and two boys around to the other side
[00:00:41] of the Dead Sea into the land of Moab where the grass was greener.
[00:00:47] Whenever we try to short-circuit God's plan for our life, there is initial comfort followed
[00:00:53] by the inevitable consequences of disobedience and finally, and thank God for this, an indisputable
[00:01:01] cure.
[00:01:03] God welcomes his wayward children home.
[00:01:06] This is how things played out for Emelech's family.
[00:01:09] At first their short stay in Moab was comfortable, but before they knew it, they had been there
[00:01:14] for ten years, entrenched in the godless culture of Moab.
[00:01:18] During that time, Emelech died, and sadly, Naomi's two sons also died in Moab.
[00:01:24] In the ancient world, a woman without a male relative to support her would be left destitute.
[00:01:30] Naomi was now far from home, without a soul to lean on, except for her daughter-in-law, Ruth.
[00:01:37] Though Naomi had been living in a pagan culture surrounded by godless neighbors, and though she
[00:01:43] had suffered much loss, she still believed in Yahweh.
[00:01:47] And there was something about Naomi's god that Ruth couldn't resist.
[00:01:52] So as Naomi planned to return home, loyal Ruth declared,
[00:01:56] Where you go, I will go, and where you stay, I will stay.
[00:02:01] Your people will be my people, and your god, my god.
[00:02:05] God was at work to bring Naomi back home, not just physically to the land of Judah, but
[00:02:12] spiritually back to him, and his redemptive plan included Ruth.
[00:02:17] Perhaps you're in your own spiritual Moab.
[00:02:20] It could be a relationship that's not honoring to the Lord, or a decision you regret, or a
[00:02:26] tendency to put your desires above God's wisdom for your life.
[00:02:31] You may be comfortable there now.
[00:02:33] You may even believe that God has forgotten about you.
[00:02:36] I want you to know he hasn't.
[00:02:39] He loves you too much to leave you in your Moab.
[00:02:43] Whatever your Moab may be, you can come home to Jesus.
[00:02:49] Let's pray together.
[00:02:51] Lord, thank you for your love that draws us out of our spiritual Moab.
[00:02:56] Thank you that you welcome us home.
[00:02:59] Forgive us for doubting your promises and leading in our lives.
[00:03:04] We pray this in the name of Jesus.
[00:03:07] Amen.
[00:03:08] To take a deeper dive into today's devotional topic, check the show notes for links to additional
[00:03:14] resources.
[00:03:15] And while you're there, subscribe to the My Devotional podcast so you never miss an episode.
[00:03:22] My Devotional is a ministry of Leading the Way with Dr. Michael Youssef.
[00:03:26] To learn more, visit ltw.org today.