"In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit." (v. 6)

For Reading and Meditation:     Judges 17:1-13

Ruth arrived on the scene in the period when the judges ruled in Israel. The children of Israel had occupied the land for some time.But the peace and prosperity that had been theirs disappeared after Joshua's death, when the people returned to their evil and disobedient ways. The condition of Israel at the time Ruth appears was, as our text for today points out, that "everyone did as he saw fit." As a direct consequence of this rebellion there was famine in the land - physical and spiritual. When men and women turn from God and persist in doing what is right in their own eyes, barrenness a nd dryness follows - as surely as night follows day. Am I talking to someone right now whose spiritual life is empty and dry? You read the Bible dutifully every day but its words do not speak to you as once they did. There is always a reason for spiritual dryness. It doesn't just happen. A sense of spiritual dryness can arise from a poor physical condition. More usually, though, it comes about because something has gone wrong spiritually. If you are feeling dry and barren in your spirit at this moment, and you are convinced it does not stem from a physical condition, then ask yourself: Is there some disobedience in my life that needs to berecognized and repented of? The saying "He who will not heed the helm must heed the rocks" is certainly true. Unless we live in obedience to Christ and His commands, then we will have to settle for a life that is less than the best.

O God, I know that Your way always leads to fruitfulness, sparkle and joy. In the hour of spiritual dryness help me to track down its cause and then turn to the cure - real and radical repentance. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.