a chair experience with Ruth

Years back a wonderful friend shared with me something very personal... of course I'm going to share it with you! It's too good to keep to myself. My beloved friend had a submission problem. As hard as she tried to submit to her husband and respect him, she just couldn't. She would throw tantrums, argue, talk back, do the opposite of what he desired and well... you know how that goes. Both were strong willed and bumped heads all day long. But something began to change with the help of a chair. Yes, a chair.

You see, my Friend took for herself a child size chair that belonged to one of her children and kept it in her small closet. Every time she disagreed with her husband on any matter or was in a heated argument she would go to her closet, sit on the small chair and talk to God. It was in those chair moments that she would vent, she would pray, she would cry. Most important, it was in those chair moments that God revealed to her the condition of her heart, he would speak correction, redirection, comfort and hope to her. Her marriage began to be transformed by these chair experiences with God. Ever since she shared this with me, I go to God for chair moments. Not in the darkness of a closet but wherever, whenever.

Today I want to share a chair experience with you and with Ruth. I pray that the Lord would reveal the condition of our heart. May He speak correction, redirection, comfort and hope.

Ruth 1:16-17 “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!”

Let's break this down (click one verses):
"Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go"
Are you willing to cling to Jesus and follow Him wherever He may go? Are you willing to leave family, friends, career, possessions, pleasures to follow Jesus? [Luke9:23]

"wherever you live, I will live"
Have you chosen to make your home the center of God's will for your life, or is your home the center of your will for your life? Are you content where God has you? [Matthew 6:33]

"Your people will be my people"
Are God's people your people? Do you love all of God's people, or only the ones you choose to love? [John13:35 Romans 12:9-21]

"your God will be my God"
Is God, Lord over all and every area of your life? Or are your own god? Are your possessions/career/education your gods? Has someone taken the place of God in your life? Are you willing to give up these gods? [Hosea 2:14-23 Matthew 6:19-21]

"Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried"
Are you willing to die to yourself as Christ died to himself for you? [Galatians 2:20]

"May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!”
Are you fully committed to God? Have you ever made a lasting commitment to God? [Psalm 56:12-13]

Thus, many have a value and affection for Christ, yet come short of salvation by him, because they will not forsake other things for him. They love him, yet leave him, because they do not love him enough, but love other things better. -Matthew Henry

Let us not love anything more than we love Jesus. Just as Ruth clung to Naomi and vowed, may we cling to our Lord and say: I will not leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and You will be my God. As you have died, I will die, and there I will be buried. As You have risen, so will I rise with you. May You punish me severely if I allow anything to separate us!