The Best Loyalty Reward Program...

Ruth and Naomi - Yael Harris Resnick

 

"The trouble is not in dying for a friend, but in finding a friend worth dying for." ~Mark Twain

🦮 Loyalty.  What does it look like?  Is it that you promise to shop at the same store more than others?  Do you go to a restaurant so much they know your name?  Would you still sit in the stands of your favorite football team with a windchill of -30 (hmmm - any Bronco fans out there)? Do you vow to never eat at Taco Bell again until they bring back the spicy tostada?   

I personally swear by Joico hairspray level 10 because I know if I endure a windstorm of 60+ mph my hair will still be in place, however flammable it may be.

As a reward for reading my blog I give you (from Pinterest of course) the copycat recipe for Zuppa Toscana soup.  Trust me, you'll want to make it.  

Probably not the best examples of loyalty.  But take a look at these:

🦮 For over nine years a Japanese Akita dog named Hachiko would faithfully wait at the train station every day for his owner to return, not understanding that his owner had died.  A symbol of loyalty and devotion in Japanese culture and globally, a movie was made about this amazing dog.

🦮 William Wallace was famously known for his loyalty to Scotland, as he fought fearlessly for its' freedom from England.  His story is recounted in the movie "Braveheart" (which my husband watches about twice a year for inspiration-not sure for what?), where he dies one of the most violent and cruelest deaths and becomes a national martyr.  

🦮 Herbert and Zelmyra Fisher have the longest recorded marriage, according to the Guinness Book of World Records- 86 years and 290 days.  When asked what their secrets were, they said, "We wouldn't change a thing.  There's no secret to our marriage, we just did what was needed for each other and for our family... we are both Christians and believe in God.  Marriage is a commitment to the Lord.  We pray with and for each other every day." 

🦮 Lawrence Anthony formed a trusting bond with the matriarch of an elephant herd that was traumatized.  When he died unexpectedly the matriarch led the herd for miles to his home to mourn him. They returned at the same time for the next two years. Elephants mourn the death of family members.

The book of Ruth in the Bible (a quick 4 chapter read) is an astounding example of a loyal young woman who did not want to leave her widowed mother-in-law, Naomi, though she was a widow herself in a culture that didn't really allow for women to make their own choices for their future.  She trusted Naomi completely and wanted to follow her in her faith, stating,

"Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live.  Your people will be my people, and your God my God."  Ruth 1:16b

Both Naomi and Ruth were rewarded for their faith.  God showed His Provision for both of them through a man named Boaz, who prayed, acknowledging Ruth's loyalty to Naomi, 

"May the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully for what you have done."  Ruth 2:12

Look at God's loyalty rewards program through the lives of these people - it's restoration and redemption:

    🦮 Ruth had respected Naomi to the extent she was willing to deny herself another path of least resistance to pursue something she deemed important,  and was rewarded by God for her integrity.  She desired to have Him be her God, though she was a Moabite (a foreigner), and He blessed her with a husband and child, which ultimately created the lineage Jesus, the Savior of the world, was born through.  

    🦮 Naomi trusted in her God and He rewarded her wisdom by restoring her joy through her grandchild and family.  

    🦮 Boaz was blessed for his willingness to help and faithfulness in fulfilling his God-given duties to Ruth, a foreigner, and a widow, by giving him a bride and son.

 We have a God who rewards those who are loyal to Him.  When we seek Him out as our God, look for where He is working in our lives, trust that He will provide for us, and reach out to bless others because He has blessed us, we are loyal to Him.

✙ Dear Heavenly Father, we take refuge under Your wings.  Expand our loyalty to You in the little things each day - our time with You, our actions towards others, our priorities.  You promise to reward those who sincerely seek You, and we want to be faithful in seeking You.  Reveal in our lives the places of inconsistency, and mold us to be more like You. Amen