In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. Ruth 1:1

Canaan—the land once flowing with milk and honey—no longer bore the marks of abundance. Bethlehem—the “house of bread”—stood empty of bread. What had been promised as a place of blessing now throbbed with barrenness. God had long warned His covenant people of this very outcome: disobedience would drain the land of its bounty. The soil would be iron beneath their feet, the trees withholding their fruit, their strength spent in futility. His word was unmistakable: “If you remain hostile toward me and refuse to listen, I will multiply your afflictions seven times over, as your sins deserve.” (Leviticus 26:20–21).

At first glance, Elimelech’s decision seems noble—a father providing for his family by leading them to food in a neighboring land. But the question pierces: should he ever have left Canaan? The famine was not merely an agricultural crisis; it was a divine summons to repentance. To abandon Canaan was to abandon the very place God had commanded His people to dwell. Moab was no refuge—it was forbidden ground. Rather than turning his heart toward Yahweh in repentance, Elimelech fled. Rather than trusting the God who could restore bread to Bethlehem, he transplanted his family into the land of idols.

Running never solves the fire of God’s refining. Unresolved issues follow us into every new place. When anger blazes, the answer is not escape but surrender—asking God to uncover its roots. When grief feels unbearable, the answer is not suppression but pouring it out before Him. When addiction clutches hardest, the answer is not distraction but facing the deep hunger beneath and yielding it to the Lord. Flight only multiplies the weight of our struggles. Ask Jonah—Moab is no hiding place.

Today remains the day of salvation. God, in His mercy, restrains judgment again and again, longing for His people to turn and live. He does not delight in famine or affliction but aches for us to repent, so He may pour out the blessings He has stored up. His discipline is never for our destruction, but always a summons home.

Frantic activity can often hide issues I’m afraid to look at, Father. I will be still to hear You speak. Amen