十二月十五日
俄珥巴与婆婆亲嘴而别，只是路得舍不得拿俄米。（得1：14）
她们二位都很爱拿俄米，所以当她起身回犹大地的时候她们也与她同去。但是试验的关头来到了，拿俄米毫不自私地把这试验摆在她们的面前，嘱咐她们，爲她们的幸福和安逸计还是回到摩押地的亲友那里。起初二人都坚绝地说与她一同回她的本国去，她们情愿与耶和华的民同处；但是经过再一次的考虑，俄珥巴便忧伤痛哭地与婆婆亲嘴，于是便离开了她、她的国和她的神，回到拜偶像的亲友那里去了；而路得却定意跟随她的婆婆。在万事顺适亨通的时候爱神和在困难无望中爱神是不可同日而语的两件事。外表承认的亲嘴是很便当、很轻易的事，而实际归服神，则必须爲保持真理和圣洁的缘故下一番绝心，这却不是一件非同小可的事。
我们的情形怎样？我们的心是否专注于耶稣？祭牲是否已经用绳索绑在坛角上？我们曾计算过所付出的代价吗？我们肯爲主的缘故，甘心在世事上受亏损吗？后来所得的赏赐足能抵补我们过去所受的损失，因爲埃及的财宝绝不能与将来所显于我们的荣耀相比。俄珥巴的事从此再也没有听到，她在拜偶像的环境中苟安贪欢直到默默无闻地死去；但路得却传诸史乘，存于天堂，因蒙特恩万王之王便出于她的世系。因着基督的缘故她便成了蒙福的女子，爲衆人所传颂；但是最不配被人记念的乃是当受试探的时候，背着良心又回到世界中的人。今晨愿我们切莫满意自己灵修的方式，或许我们连俄珥巴的亲嘴也不如。但愿圣灵在我们里面动工，使我们整个的心都贴近我们的主耶稣。
December 15
“Orpah kissed her mother-in-law; but Ruth clave unto
her.”—Ruth 1:14
Both of them had an affection for Naomi, and therefore
set out with her upon her return to the land of Judah. But the hour of test
came; Naomi most unselfishly set before each of them the trials which awaited
them, and bade them if they cared for ease and comfort to return to their
Moabitish friends. At first both of them declared that they would cast in their
lot with the Lord’s people; but upon still further consideration Orpah with
much grief and a respectful kiss left her mother in law, and her people, and
her God, and went back to her idolatrous friends, while Ruth with all her heart
gave herself up to the God of her mother in law. It is one thing to love the
ways of the Lord when all is fair, and quite another to cleave to them under
all discouragements and difficulties. The kiss of outward profession is very
cheap and easy, but the practical cleaving to the Lord, which must show itself
in holy decision for truth and holiness, is not so small a matter. How stands
the case with us, is our heart fixed upon Jesus, is the sacrifice bound with
cords to the horns of the altar? Have we counted the cost, and are we solemnly
ready to suffer all worldly loss for the Master’s sake? The after gain will be
an abundant recompense, for Egypt’s treasures are not to be compared with the
glory to be revealed. Orpah is heard of no more; in glorious ease and
idolatrous pleasure her life melts into the gloom of death; but Ruth lives in
history and in heaven, for grace has placed her in the noble line whence sprung
the King of kings. Blessed among women shall those be who for Christ’s sake can
renounce all; but forgotten and worse than forgotten shall those be who in the
hour of temptation do violence to conscience and turn back unto the world. O
that this morning we may not be content with the form of devotion, which may be
no better than Orpah’s kiss, but may the Holy Spirit work in us a cleaving of
our whole heart to our Lord Jesus.
