The Grass Is Not Always Greener On The Other Side

by Cesiah Aguilar

In Ruth 1, we find a story of a man named Elimelech, whose wife was Naomi. They had two sons, Mahlon and Chilion. Now, Elimelech’s name meant “God is King”, but he did not let God rule his life. The Bible says that there was a famine in the land and he led his family astray instead of sumitting to God’s sovereignty. Elimelech perhaps thought the grass was greener on the other side, and he led his family away from Bethlehem-judah, into the country of Moab, a pagan land. Now, we know what happened to Elimelech and his two sons, they all died, leaving their women behind.

Sometimes we imagine, or we think that the other side looks better (greener grass), and we mistakenly think we can run away from our problems. The reality is that our problems usually follow us because we are the problem! A change of scenery doesn’t change the heart, but turning to God can. Moses taught the children of Israel that famine was a form of divine discipline, but repentance of their sin would restore God’s blessing. Turning a famine into a feast was just a prayer away!

Therefore, when the going gets tough, we should learn to stay put. Stay grounded in the Word of God. Running away from your problems or from our Heavenly Father will only make things worse. Instead of running, try getting closer to God, because forgiveness is just a prayer away.