Old Paths Journal – Page 14 – A Christian Magazine with a Relevant Message

Pick Your Battles

1 Kings 22:31
“But the king of Syria commanded his thirty and two captains that had rule over his chariots, saying, Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel.”

When the King of Syria chose to fight against Israel, he made a wise move in how he fought the battle. He told his warriors, “Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel.” The King of Syria wasn’t interested in trying to fight the whole army at one time; instead, he picked the importance of the battle and chose accordingly. His wise decision to pick his battles and only fight one battle at a time allowed him to obtain victory.

People often fail in many areas of life because they try to fight the whole war at one time instead of fighting one battle at a time. Many parents become frustrated with their children because they are trying to change everything about them at one time instead of fighting one battle at a time. Many pastors have gotten discouraged because they tried to change everything in the church at one time instead of wisely choosing their battles. This principle could be said about making changes in a marriage, building a successful business, overcoming sin, or getting out of debt. Three principles can be learned from the verse above.

First, don’t try to fight the whole war at one time because you will lose the fight. Nobody is capable of changing everything at once. When you try to change everything at one time, you are going to turn those who could help you in the future against you. Stop looking for immediate success in everything and learn to pick your battles. You can win the war if you fight one battle at a time.

Second, pick your battle by importance. The King of Syria knew that his biggest battle was with Ahab, so he chose to fight that battle. Every parent would be wise to determine which is the most important battle to fight in helping their children mature physically, mentally, socially and spiritually, and only fight that one battle. The same applies to your marriage; don’t change everything at one time, but try to change one thing at a time. When it comes to fighting sin, fight one sin at a time, but choose to fight the one sin that affects the most areas of your life. In any area of life, choose to fight the battle that will make the greatest impact if you win.

Third, don’t worry about the other battles, you will fight them in due time. The King of Syria said, “…Fight neither with small nor great…” Don’t let the other battles you are going to fight in the future distract you from the battle you are currently fighting. You have the rest of your life to conquer the other battles, but you need to stay focused on the battle you are currently fighting if you are going to win. Many people have spread themselves thin to the extent that they’ve lost every battle because they were trying to fight them all at one time. Friend, you will have a better success rate if you stop worrying about the other battles and fight one battle at a time.

The key to seeing great victories throughout your life in every area of life is to pick your battles wisely and to fight them one at a time. I believe if you will follow this principle of fighting one battle at a time that in the long run you will see greater improvement than if you tried to fight the whole war. Be patient, you have your whole life ahead of you. Pick your battles wisely and fight them one at a time; for wars are won one battle at a time.

Cutting Down Your Juniper Tree

by: Dr. Allen Domelle

1 Kings 19:4
“But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.”

One would think after the great miracle of praying fire down from Heaven to consume the altar that Elijah would be rejoicing. It wasn’t only the victory of praying fire down from Heaven that Elijah saw, but he also saw God answer his prayer for rain after a three-year drought. However, the next event that happened in Elijah’s life after these victories is found with him sitting under a juniper tree, running from Jezebel, feeling sorry for himself, and asking God to take his life. This totally baffles the mind. When he should have been rejoicing, he was sitting under a juniper tree in self-pity.

Sadly, there are many Christians who have allowed juniper trees to grow in their lives. When they should be rejoicing over the victories God has given them, they are living in self-pity looking at what they supposedly don’t have. Three causes lead to having a juniper tree experiences.

The first cause of a juniper tree experience is not getting your way. Elijah was running from Jezebel when I believe he felt that she and Ahab should have been removed. Many Christians have allowed juniper trees to grow in their lives because they didn’t get their way. Let me remind you that life is not about you. It is not about what you want, but it is all about what God wants and knows is best. You are going to find yourself sitting under many juniper trees if you always feel that God needs to do things your way.

The second cause of a juniper tree experience is that you are focused on yourself. Elijah focused on himself instead of God which led to dismay. Disappointment will be the mantra of your life if you feel that life must revolve around you. You are going to miss many of the joys that God has for you if you allow your juniper tree of self-focus to grow in your marriage, ministry and mission of life. If you will remove yourself from the focal point of life’s picture, you will never have the seedling of a juniper tree plant itself in your heart.

The third cause of a juniper tree experience is a lack of faith. Elijah was running from Jezebel because she put a contract on his life to have him killed. The juniper tree caused him to forget that God just provided two great victories, and protecting him from this wicked woman was no great feat for God. You are going to have many juniper trees grow in your life when all you see is what can be done through your power instead of what God has the capability of doing through you.

Christian, it is time to cut down your juniper tree. Faith is the ax that severs the juniper trees. If you will realize that God has cared for you in the past, you will find that you have enough faith to trust Him to take care of you in the future.

Furthermore, spiritual action causes any juniper tree to dry up in your life. God told Elijah to “Arise.” Friend, the best way to get yourself out from underneath your juniper tree is to go find an Elisha who you can invest your life into. Elijah was a man God used greatly, and his inaction allowed the juniper tree to grow. It wasn’t until he arose and found Elisha that he experienced victory again. You can have the victory you are looking for and cut down your juniper tree only if you take action to stop focusing on yourself and start investing in others.

The Destruction of Self-Promotion

by: Dr. Allen Domelle

1 Kings 1:5
“Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.”

Adonijah’s self-proclamation that he would be king was the pronouncement of his demise. He was so confident in himself that he thought he could deny God’s will. It was God’s will that Solomon should be king, and he knew it. He said so with his own mouth in 1 Kings 2:15 when he said, “…Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign: howbeit the kingdom is turned about, and is become my brother’s: for it was his from the LORD.” Though he knew the kingdom belonged to Solomon, his pride still tried to promote himself above the will of God.

Self-promotion is not a new phenomenon. Since the beginning of time, we have seen people try to promote themselves into position, some have succeeded, but the result is always the same: destruction. God says in Luke 14:11, “For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” You may think that you can gain position and recognition through self-promotion, but the Scriptures make it clear that self-promotion is an individual’s destruction. Proverbs 16:18 reminds us, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” Three things you must remember about self-promotion.

First, self-promotion is ignoring the sovereignty of God. Adonijah literally thought he had the power to negate what God had already willed. You always have to understand that God has a will, and to think that self-promotion can get you what you want is to tell God that you are more powerful than He. God will have His way one way or the other. You can submit to God’s will and be blessed, or you can let God’s will force you into submission and be destroyed; the choice is yours.

Second self-promotion is rejecting God’s will for your will. When you start promoting yourself, you are telling God that you don’t want what He wants, you want what you want. Selfishness never pays, it always leaves your character in debt.

Third, self-promotion is following Satan’s methodology. Lucifer tried to exalt himself above God, to his own destruction. Anyone who uses self-promotion as a tool to gain position is practicing Satan’s methodology. Preacher, don’t promote yourself to gain national recognition among your fellow preachers. Employee, self-promotion only leads to your demise. Christian, self-promotion is not the way to gain position in the church. Anyone who chooses to bring recognition to themselves is following the wrong pattern.

What is the answer? The answer is found in 1 Peter 5:6 where it says, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:” God honors humility, not self-promotion. Friend, stop worrying about gaining position and start submitting yourself to the will of God. If you stay focused on faithfully performing God’s will, He will exalt you in His timing. Never fall for Satan’s tactic of self-promotion, but be humble enough to submit yourself to God’s will and He will exalt you when you are ready.

There is Hope in the Right Trust

Psalm 146:3
“Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.”

It is so easy to put trust in someone whom the LORD has or is using in a great way. Mankind tends to gravitate towards following man when the Scriptures clearly warn never to place your trust in man. If you allow man to be the one to whom you place your trust, then man will have the power to destroy you.

At the writing of this devotional, I have been in evangelism for over two and a half decades. When I first went into evangelism, I had nobody who put their arm around me and told me they would help me to be successful in the ministry. Everything that has happened in my ministry is because of the LORD. I’ve had no financial backing other than the LORD. I’ve had nobody send letters to promote my ministry; the only promotion I’ve had came from the LORD. Truly, the LORD is responsible for everything that has happened in my ministry these many years.

In the early years of my ministry, I went through a battle where someone was bent on destroying me and the ministry in which the LORD placed me. I was at a conference at this time of the battle, when an older preacher pulled me aside to be an encouragement. He made a statement to me that day that I’ve never forgotten. He said, “Bro. Domelle, if the LORD is the one who set up your ministry, then the LORD is the only One who can take you down.” His encouragement was simply a reminder that if man wasn’t the one who made me successful, then man has no power over what the LORD has established. That piece of advice has been gold for this preacher for many years. Every time I face a battle, I realize that my trust is in the LORD in my safety net.

The verse above warns, “Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.” This warning is to every Christian. You may try to get close to a well-known person in hopes that they can promote you, but if man sets you up then man can take you down. Your trust must never be placed in what man can do for you; it must be placed in the LORD who has the power to deliver and provide for you.

Verse 5 shows where we should place our hope. It says, “Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:” Notice, happiness doesn’t come from placing your hope in man, but it comes from placing your hope in the LORD. It is the LORD who is able to deliver you. It is the LORD who is capable feeding you. It is the LORD who is capable of loving you when others forsake you. Oh my friend, everything you need in life can be found in the LORD.

Let this devotional be a reminder to stop looking for the approval and help of man. Young preacher, stop trying to get close to the well-known preacher and get close to the LORD. Church member, stop trying to please your pastor in hopes that he will give you a position and start doing right to please the LORD. Christian, when you place your trust in the LORD, you will find there is hope to make it through every circumstance you face. Man will come and go, and he can turn against you as quickly as he has promoted you. The only one who truly has the power to help you in every circumstance you face is the LORD. Let your trust be placed in Him.

The Other Person

by: Dr. Allen Domelle

2 Samuel 11:9
“But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.”

There is always another person who is affected by an adulterous act. Rarely do those who commit these acts ever think of the other person. The reason they don’t think of the other person is that they are so wrapped up in pleasing their flesh that they have pushed the other person out of their mind. However, you had better take into consideration the other person before committing such wicked acts because your dealings with them will be of far greater consequences than the pleasure of the sin.

David never thought about the other person when he committed adultery with Bathsheba. David was thinking of one person, himself. His selfish, adulterous act caused many people to act adversely to what he did. There is little doubt in my mind that David would have never committed adultery had he known the effects of this sin. Sadly, every person who reads this story has an opportunity to learn from David and the effects his adultery had on the other person. There are four other people you must always consider when you are tempted to commit adultery.

First, adultery always affects the spouse. It is not just going to affect your spouse, but it will affect the other person’s spouse. The verse above says, “But Uriah…” You may be struggling in your marriage with your spouse, but have you considered the other person’s spouse? Uriah was a good man and was valuable to David, but he allowed his passions to override the effects his act would have his wife and Bathsheba’s husband. Always remember that whether or not your act is discovered, it always affects the spouse and your marital relationship.

Second, adultery always affects the children. In 2 Samuel 13, the story of Amnon was a direct result of David’s sin. David’s sin opened the door to his children justifying doing the same thing. You would probably never want your children to commit adultery, so if you don’t want them to do it, don’t open the door by doing it yourself. Whether or not you like it, and even though it is not a good excuse, you will open the door to your children to do the same sin because they will use your act as their justification.

Third, adultery always affects those you influence. David’s reign was relatively quiet in Israel until he committed adultery. His adulterous act damaged his authority. Those you influence will never be the same after they discover your sin. You may sit and wonder why they don’t treat you the same, but you are the one who damaged your influence with them. Adultery always causes others to react adversely to you. You will never be treated the same by others if you choose to commit this sin.

Fourth, adultery always affects your fellowship with God. You cannot commit adultery and think that God is going to be fine with it. You will have to deal with God when you commit such sins. Yes, God is merciful and forgiving, but He must judge sin. You will forever regret the hurt you caused God if you commit adultery.

Friend, the pleasure of adultery is never greater than the consequences of sin. Before you commit such wickedness, think of the other person. You may not have committed this sin, but correct any steps you are taking towards this sin so that you won’t hurt the other people in your life.

Keeping Your Master

1 Samuel 26:16
“This thing is not good that thou hast done. As the LORD liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not kept your master, the LORD’S anointed. And now see where the king’s spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his bolster.”

David was in the fight for his life when he happened to come across Saul lying in a trench with his security team asleep as well. Their job was to protect the king. For them to be asleep and not protecting the king from his enemies was worthy of death. Yet, David understood that it wasn’t his role to take Saul’s life because he was the “LORD’S anointed.”

There is an important principle taught in this verse, and that is the importance of protecting the LORD’s anointed. We often hear that the responsibility of the pastor is to be a wall-walker and a gate-keeper to protect the church from those things that could harm them. However, what about the responsibility of those whom the pastor protects? They also have a responsibility to keep or guard their pastor. The pastor is as much the LORD’s anointed as was Saul. If Abner was to be sure that Saul was protected from the enemy, then every Christian also have a responsibility to protect their master. There are four areas where you can guard your pastor, the LORD’s anointed.

First, keep him through prayer. 1 Timothy 2:1-2, reminds us, “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority…” The importance of praying for your pastor on a daily basis cannot be over emphasized. The pastor is daily under attack by the Devil. You have an obligation to pray that the LORD protects him and gives him wisdom as he leads the church. You have no right to criticize a fallen man of God if you didn’t pray for him.

Second, keep him by being in your place of responsibility. Abner should have been fulfilling his duty of protecting Saul, but he was asleep. You could truly take a lot of unneeded pressure off your pastor by making sure you are doing what you are supposed to do. Don’t let your continued neglect of your responsibilities be the contributor to frustrating your pastor. Be where you are supposed to be, when you are supposed to be there, all the time.

Third, keep him from the attacks of others. Abner’s greatest responsibility was to be sure that Saul never had to face his enemy. You could stop the attacks against your pastor by not listening or being a part of gossip. Friend, your pastor is not perfect or sinless, he is going to make mistakes, but that doesn’t give you a right to criticize or gossip about him. Furthermore, when you hear gossip, you need to let those gossiping know that you don’t appreciate them talking about the LORD’s anointed.

Fourth, keep him by staying in the Word. The one thing that David took was the “…cruse of water that was at his bolster.” God’s Word is called “water” in Ephesians 5:26. If you study the Word every day, you will help your pastor because your growth in Christ will be an encouragement to him. Furthermore, when you stay in the Word, you will be able to foresee false doctrine that is trying to get into the church.

Christian, are you keeping the LORD’s anointed? Don’t be asleep like Abner. It is your responsibility to be sure you protect your pastor by doing the four things mentioned above.

A Boy Doing a Man’s Job

1 Samuel 17:10
“And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.”

The condition of a nation is always set by her men. When the men of a nation are not doing what they are supposed to be doing, that nation will find itself in disarray. God meant for the men to be the leaders of a nation.

Sadly, Israel found itself in a situation where no men would stand and do what was right. Goliath was cursing God, and the men would not stand to shut his mouth. Israel was hiding because no men would stand for her existence. Israel was a nation facing the brink of defeat because the men were not doing what they were supposed to be doing.

Goliath saw that the men would not stand, so he began to defy the armies of Israel. He said, “…give me a man, that we may fight together.” Because no men would accept the challenge, a boy had to stand. A youth named David was the only one who stood to fight against Goliath. David was a boy doing a man’s job. David was a teenager who should have watched how to fight against Goliath; instead, he was showing the men how to fight the giants. A few observations should be considered when reading this story.

First, men need to be the example when facing giant opposition. When opposition comes, you will find the true men. Men don’t flee because of the inconvenience of opposition, but they stand against it. Men don’t wait to see who will stand against the opposition before they stand, they are the first ones to stand. Men should never allow the youth to be the first to stand against the opposition. No, they should be the example and be the first ones to rise and face the opposition.

Second, men need to be the example of how to fulfill their responsibilities no matter the consequence. A young boy should never grow up wondering how to fulfill their responsibilities because they should have learned it from the men. It is the responsibility of men not to allow truth to be attacked. It is a man’s responsibility to defend their nation. It is a man’s responsibility to be the leader in the nation, church and home. Real men stand for right even if the consequences are not good. Sadly, the youth or women will have to step in the void of responsibilities when the men won’t do it.

Furthermore, men need to be the example of standing for God. Real men don’t hide in the tents of the populace for the sake of acceptance when God’s truths are attacked. When real men see the name of God attacked, they rise up and defend His name. A real man is not concerned with who is standing with him because his only concern is standing with God. Oh for the day when men were men and they stood for truth.

It was a dark day in Israel’s history when Goliath said, “…give me a man…” If your home is going to be what it ought to be, the man of the house is going to have to be the leader. If your church is going to reach its world for Christ, the men are going to have to step up and be the leaders in the church. If your nation is going to be strong, the men are going to have to stand up and become the leaders. Men, it’s time to stop letting the boys do a man’s job. Certainly, it is encouraging when boys rise to do right, but boys shouldn’t have to do what men are supposed to do. The men should lead the boys.

Choose the Blessed Life

by: Valerie Grande

“And give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep thy commandments, thy testimonies, and thy statutes, and to do all these things…” 1 Chronicles 29:19

“And Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king instead of David his father, and prospered…” 1 Chronicles 29:23

If you are like me and grew up going to church, you know the story of Solomon: the wisest man to ever live. You know that God blessed him with more than just wisdom and understanding. The man had everything! 1 Chronicles 29:25 says, “And the Lord magnified Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and bestowed upon him such royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel.” Solomon had it all: wealth, power, fame, fortune and women. Everything he wanted, God gave to him. Talk about being blessed, right?

Now let’s take a step back and think for a moment. How did Solomon – of all the sons of David – end up being the one chosen? Why did Solomon get the blessing? Was it because of David’s dying wish that God chose to bestow His blessing on Solomon and not one of his other sons? Did the fact that his father was a godly man who sought to please the Lord give him a “fast pass” to living such a blessed life?

We know that God did bless Solomon because of his father’s godly life and dedication to serving God. We see this in 1 Chronicles 28:7 where it says, “Moreover I will establish his kingdom for ever…” While this played an influential part in Solomon’s blessed and prosperous life, I believe that the extent of God’s blessing rested on Solomon and his personal desire to serve God. God blessed Solomon because that’s what he promised David, but even more so because he sought God’s direction in his life and wanted it for himself. Solomon made his father’s life and his decisions his own. Solomon could not and probably would not had ever have received God’s full blessing and power until he decided to take God as his own. Solomon had to make it personal.

We read the verses at the beginning that told us David’s prayer to God for his son and God’s fulfillment of His promise. But, we skipped over a key event that allowed God to keep His promise…and then some.

1 Kings 3:5 says, “In Gibeon, the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.” Verse 9 says, “Give therefore thy servant and understanding heart to judge thy people that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?”

We find in verse 9 that Solomon asked for wisdom; he asked for understanding; he asked for God’s hand of guidance upon his life. In his heart of hearts, this was Solomon’s greatest desire. Why do I think this? Because looking at verse 5, we see the Lord came to Solomon in a dream. Now I don’t know about you, but when I’m dreaming, I really don’t have control over what is going on inside my head. I have no control over what I am going to say or do. What about people who talk or walk in their sleep? Those of us who are awake enjoy asking them questions and coaxing them into telling things that they never would normally answer truthfully…why? Simply because people who talk or walk in their sleep have no control over themselves.

Solomon had no idea that God was going to speak to him in a dream. He did not have time to sit and think about his answer to the question that was raised that night. This in itself tells me that this was something that Solomon had already pondered and prayed about. He was in the spiritual place that he needed to be at the right time. Without knowing it, he had been preparing for this one crucial moment that would determine the success or failure of his life and kingdom.

Teen girl, I know you have parents, pastors, pastor’s wives, youth pastors, and youth pastors wives who are praying for you. They are praying that God will use you in a mighty way; that He will guide and direct you in all that you do. While these prayers matter, the success or failure of your life as a Christian will be determined by whether you want it or not. Don’t be swept into this concept of, “I grew up in a Christian home with godly parents…everything is going to be just fine.” You may have the most spiritual, and wise parents in the world who are praying for you; but if you are not actively seeking a personal relationship with God and striving to do His will, He can only do so much. You have to seek Him; you have to ask Him to guide your life; you have to want a blessed life. You HAVE to make it personal. You have to want it in your heart of hearts. Solomon did, and look how God blessed him in 1 Kings 4:29, 34, “And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore. And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.”

God has countless blessings in store for you. More than you or I could ever imagine. I challenge you today to take the prayers and the faith of the spiritual leaders in your life and make it your own. Just think of all God could and would do through the life of a godly teenage girl who surrenders to God and sincerely desires to serve Him with all her heart. The possibilities are endless!

Ephesians 3:20 says, “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.”

Valerie Grande
Church secretary
Stockton, MO

Finding God’s Will

1 Samuel 9:27
“And as they were going down to the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Bid the servant pass on before us, (and he passed on,) but stand thou still a while, that I may shew thee the word of God.”

In the verse above, Saul had yet to find that God’s will for his life was to become king of Israel. Up to this point in his life, he was still involved with cattle. It was when Saul was searching for his livestock that he found the man of God and discovered God’s will for his life.

You will never be happy until you find God’s will for your life. I often tell people that they won’t be happy doing anything else until they are doing God’s will for their life. You can try everything else in life, but you will never be happy until you find what God made you to do. In the verse above, five things were done that helped Saul find God’s will for his life.

First, you must be patient if you want to find God’s will. Samuel said to Saul, “…stand thou still a while…” You can’t be impatient when trying to find what God wants you to do. God will tell you what His will is in His timing. Many people want God to be like a fast food restaurant where they go to the counter and order His will, and within a few minutes He delivers it to them on a platter. Friend, part of finding God’s will is separating yourself from everything else so He can show His will to you. God needs to refine you and remove the things that would hinder you from being what He wants you to be before you are ready to know what His will is for your life. Until that time comes, be patient.

Second, you need to take time alone if you want to find God’s will. You will notice that Samuel sent Saul’s servant away. You won’t find God’s when you never spend time alone in prayer asking Him to show it to you. If you truly desire to know God’s will for your life, you will have to spend time alone in prayer asking God to reveal His will to you.

Third, you need to listen to the man of God if you want to find His will for your life. Saul had to stand still so that the man of God could tell him what to do. God often reveals His will through preaching; this is why you need to be faithful to all the church services. The one service you miss could be the one sermon that God was going to reveal His will to you. Furthermore, you would be wise to listen to a lot of preaching throughout the week. The more preaching you listen to, the better chance you have of God showing you His will. It was during a preaching service when God showed me that I was to be a preacher. God uses preaching to reveal His will.

Fourth, you need to read God’s Word to find His will. It was the Word of God that Samuel needed to show Saul. You will never find God’s will if you don’t spend time reading His Word. It is while you are reading God’s Word that He will often speak to your heart and show you what you need to do. Don’t let the Scriptures lay on the shelf, but spend time daily reading them so that God can either show you His will or prepare your heart to learn His will.

Fifth, you must yield to the Holy Spirit if you want to find God’s will. In 1 Samuel 10:1, Samuel anointed Saul with oil. When a person is yielded to the Holy Spirit, their heart will be open to anything God wants them to do. If you daily yield yourself to the Holy Spirit, you will find that God will anoint you with His will.

Bread Principles

Ruth 1:1
“Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.”

Elimelech and his wife, Ruth, made the same mistake that many still make today in that they didn’t learn that you don’t follow bread. A famine had come to their land, and they felt they needed to go to the country of Moab so they could survive. What is sad is that they left the place of God’s blessings to go to a place where they would eventually see the bread they followed dry up. Not only did it dry up, but Naomi lost close to everything. She left Bethlehemjudah a pleasant lady but came back a bitter one.

Many Christians have blamed God for their condition when they should be blaming themselves. If they had learned the principles God teaches about bread, they would have learned that He will take care of them in the time of famine as much as He takes care of them in times of plenty. When I talk about bread, I am talking about money and its ability to meet your needs. Four bread principles can be learned from Naomi that, if followed, will help you throughout your life.

First, don’t follow quick bread because it will soon be gone. The mistake this couple made was that they became more concerned with the immediate instead of the future. You must never allow yourself to become a person who looks for a quick way to make money. Always remember that if you can earn it quickly, it can be lost just as fast.

Second, bread is cyclical; don’t get too excited or too worried. One of the principles I’ve observed about money throughout my lifetime is that there will be good times as well as bad. When money seems to be plenteous, you would be wise not to spend it as if you will always have it because eventually it will dry up. On the other hand, when financial times are bad, don’t get so worried that it is always going to be that way; times will eventually turn around. In times of financial famine, you must learn how to tighten the belt so you can make it. It times of plenty, don’t spend frivolously but learn to set aside so you have a way to make it in those times of famine.

Third, God can provide bread in the time of famine. What is interesting about this couple was that verse 21 says they “went out full.” God was providing their needs, but they wanted more. Friend, God can take care of you in any financial circumstance. God’s economy is not based on the world’s economy. God will take care of you if you don’t despair.

Fourth, follow God’s will; not bread. The greatest lesson you can learn from this couple’s life is that God’s will should be what you follow. God will take care of you as long as you follow His will. Money should never be the determining factor as to what you should do. You might follow a job that will give you more money, but end up losing your family and marriage because you left the church where God was blessing you. Just because you can make more money somewhere else doesn’t make it right. You had better be sure that where you are going is where God wants you to go and not where your pocketbook wants you to go. If you follow God’s will for your life, He will make sure that He takes care of your needs. Always remember that God can provide in times of famine as much as He provides in times of plenty.