Life is a motivation. It is filled with series of event. Life is an infallible feature, a concrete but an invisible phenomenon that distinguishes living beings from nonliving ones. Notwithstanding these distinguishing features of life, motion is however the mainstay of life. Man is always moving. The issue nonetheless is not movement per se: but in what direction the man is moving. Meanwhile, progress is movement in the right direction in accordance with God’s precepts, an onward motion, steps that lead to advancement in one’s life. On the one hand, movement in the right direction tailors the life of a man into an explicit and clearly defined pattern of advancement; on the other hand, movement in the wrong direction drowns a man in a sea of retrogression or stagnancy. To retrogress is to metamorphose from a better state into a worse one, while stagnancy depicts marking time. Are you moving in a direction that is value-oriented? The first chapter of the book of Ruth details how Elimelech “from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab” because of famine (Ruth 1:1). Unfortunately, he and his two sons died in the land of idol worshippers. Consequently, his wife, Naomi had to go back to the land of Judah. In Ruth 1:21, she lamented: I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me home AGAIN empty…, note the adverb – again, it denotes two connotations: Firstly, time, and Secondly, degree. It means, while in Judah, they made no progress, but they believed that when they move to another place, they would progress; but unfortunately, the reverse was the case. Rather than make progress, considering the fact that they were four in number, on the contrary their number reduced to one, and subsequently, the degree of their poverty became worse. What a catastrophe! Why did they experience such heart rendering reversal? Movement in the wrong direction of course! Who initiated the move? It was none other than Elimelech, the head of the family. Given this brass tacks, every man should give careful consideration to the way he moves. Every decision or steps taken by the man of the house automatically affects his entire household.
Therefore for a man to experience an incessant forward motion in his life and family, he has to move well, and for a man to move well he must have, as well as maintain a perpetual good personal relationship/rapport with the Lord, the omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent God. the Psalmist, after a thorough and keen walk with God told Him: You know when i sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, you Lord, know it completely…Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? (Ps 139:2-4, 7). Every man’s daily prayer should include: God, be with my mouth, baptise my reasoning faculty with wisdom, and order my steps. When god is with your mouth, he will not only put words in your mind, but he will also go ahead of you to speak to people on your behalf. Likewise, when your steps are ordered by the Lord, only goodness and mercy shall follow you. Accordingly, you are bound to experience a leapfrog in your undertakings because God will set your feet on a large place (Ps 118:5b) so that you do not slip when you encounter challenges, which you will sure come across as you make progress.
The story of Naomi also reflects the fact that everything works out for God’s good, even our missteps. This adventure by the family into Moab’s land and territory ensures that firstly, there is Moab blood in the line of David and our Lord Jesus Christ’s bloodline (Jesse, Boaz) and secondly when Saul was persecuting David and he had to hide with his family in a territory that is outside Saul the king of Israel’s sphere of influence and reach, David and his family sought and got refuge among his great grandparents’ people, the Moabites.
