Living Without a King

"During the time of the judges, there was a famine in the land. A man left Bethlehem in Judah with his wife and two sons to stay in the territory of Moab for a while.” Ruth 1:1

This is a family whose story made it into the Bible, and what a story of application it is for us. This family was a very devout family who loved God and walked with Him. But they eventually found themselves in a provisional dilemma…a famine came across the entire region that left them starving. What we must understand about the temperature of this season is what triggered the famine. We only need to turn one page back to the last verse of the preceding Book of Judges. The last line of Judges states, ‘In those days there was no king…everyone did whatever seemed right to them.’ The Bible makes a crystal-clear observation as we close the door on Judges and open the door to Ruth…without a king people do whatever they want which will always lead to a provisional crisis.

Oh, how this speaks to me this morning as I consider ‘those days’ in my own life when I was acting without a King. I was spending money that I didn’t have, searching for things that would make me feel better, and building my own kingdom of deceit. Those were days when I crowned myself king and did whatever I wanted. What followed was a famine like no other…a time I was so hungry for normalcy again…a time that seemed empty of resolution and full of shame. When we operate in our own desires, we move away from the provision of God. The closer that we move back to Him, the more fully He will provide for us. No doubt that in Moab they found plenty of food…plenty of enjoyment…plenty of options. But then life happens, and things change. One famine led to another and our story takes a pivot. In God’s kingdom, you can’t outrun a famine.

Famines are meant to create a hunger for something we lack in our lives. Like the family in our story, their famine prompted movement to find the provision they so lacked. The husband and sons died while in the land of Moab, and the mother, Naomi made the courageous decision to return to her original home. As tough as the decision was, the famine had lifted, and she could fill both her stomach and her heart at the place from where she had come.

God is the only one who can fill our hunger with good things that nourish and fuel our walk with Him. When we allow Him to be King of our lives, famines will be fewer and provisions will be greater. God uses our lack to draw us back to His heart, and provides us with everything we need spiritually, physically and emotionally. If you find yourself in a place of need today, ask God to reveal His heart on your circumstances and to move you into His land of provision. And with that beautiful invitation He will always take His place back on the throne of our lives. I have never regretted letting Him wear the crown!