2026-02-15 WORSHIP THAT CLINGS

Cling to God When Life Empties You: Finding Hope in the Story of Ruth

Have you ever felt like God's hand has turned against you? Like everything you once held dear has slipped through your fingers, leaving you hollow and alone?

That's exactly where Naomi found herself in the Book of Ruth. Three graves. Three funerals. No husband. No sons. No future. Standing in a foreign land with nothing but grief and two daughters-in-law, Naomi's life had been completely emptied out.

Maybe you know that feeling. The diagnosis that shattered your plans. The relationship that crumbled despite your best efforts. The job that never materialized. The silence from heaven when you desperately needed to hear God's voice.

When Pain Clouds Your View of God

Here's what makes Naomi's story so relatable: she didn't stop believing in God. She just started believing He was against her.

"Don't call me Naomi," she told the townspeople when she returned to Bethlehem. "Call me Mara—bitter—because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty."

Sound familiar? Most of us won't abandon God in suffering. We'll just reinterpret Him through our pain. We'll still show up to church, still pray, still sing—but the joy fades. The tone shifts. Our grief fogs the windshield, and suddenly we can't see God clearly anymore.

The crisis doesn't create our theology. It reveals it.

The Power of Clinging to God

But here's where the story takes a beautiful turn. While Orpah kissed Naomi goodbye and returned to her old life, Ruth made a different choice. She clung to Naomi.

"Don't ask me to leave you," Ruth declared. "Where you go, I will go. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God."

This wasn't just family loyalty. This was worship. Ruth was leaving everything—her homeland, her family, her gods—to follow the Lord. She had no guarantee of blessing, no promise of provision, no visible reward. Just faith in a God she was learning to trust.

That's what real worship looks like when life empties you. Not demanding explanations. Not waiting for clarity. Just clinging to God like a child grabs their parent's leg during a thunderstorm.

God Works Before You See It

Here's what Naomi couldn't see yet: while she felt emptiest, God was working at His best.

The narrator quietly adds this detail: "They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest."

Naomi saw emptiness. God saw harvest. She saw loss. God saw lineage—a lineage that would lead to King David and ultimately to Jesus Christ. The provision was already growing. The redeemer was already in town. Redemption was already possible.

God's providence is often invisible before it becomes undeniable.

What Are You Clinging To?

So let me ask you: what are you holding onto right now? Control? Resentment? Independence? Or Jesus?

Maybe you're in an empty season—empty marriage, empty nest, empty bank account, empty heart. The temptation is to rename yourself "Bitter" and believe God has abandoned you.

But the harvest may already be growing. God may be arranging redemption in ways you cannot yet see or understand. Awakened worship doesn't wait for clarity—it clings to God in the fog.

Your Next Step: This week, identify one area where you feel empty. Instead of demanding answers, practice clinging to God through prayer, Scripture, or worship. Tell Him, "Your God will be my God," even when you can't see what He's doing.

Prayer: Father, when life empties us, help us cling to You. When pain clouds our vision, remind us of Your faithfulness. We don't always understand Your timing, but we trust Your heart. Teach us to worship You not just when the pantry is full, but when the shelves are bare. In Jesus' name, Amen.

2026-02-08 AWAKEN MY CHURCH

Awaken Your Worship: Rediscovering Your First Love for Jesus

Ever notice how easy it is to stay busy for God while slowly drifting away from Him?

In the late 1990s, Mars Hill Church in Seattle exploded onto the scene. Thousands attended. Sermons went viral. Books flew off shelves. From the outside, it looked like a movement of God—and in many ways, it was. But underneath the growth, something was quietly unraveling. Relationships fractured. Trust eroded. Leaders clashed. And eventually, the church dissolved entirely. Not because they lacked resources or theology, but because they lost something far more fundamental: love practiced over time.

Churches don't usually lose their love for God overnight. It's a drift—slow, quiet, and often respectable.

The Church That Had Everything (Except What Mattered Most)

In Revelation 2, Jesus writes to the church in Ephesus—a congregation that would make any pastor envious. They worked tirelessly. They guarded sound doctrine. They exposed false teachers. They refused to tolerate evil. If Ephesus existed today, we'd invite them to speak at conferences and ask, "How did you do it?"

Yet Jesus delivers a devastating diagnosis: "You have abandoned the love you had at first" (Revelation 2:4).

They didn't stop believing truth. They didn't stop doing good works. They stopped loving Jesus. Somewhere along the way, defending the faith replaced delighting in the Savior. Service replaced intimacy. Activity replaced affection.

Think about marriage for a moment. You can tell your spouse "I love you" daily. You can check every box on the household to-do list. But you know what they really want? To be with you. Not just words. Not just tasks. Presence.

That's what Jesus wants from us too.

Remember, Repent, Return

Jesus doesn't abandon His church—He invites her back. His prescription is simple but profound:

Remember where you've fallen. Recall the joy you felt when Jesus first saved you. Remember the cross—God's greatest declaration of love, where Jesus took your punishment and gave you life.

Repent—not just feeling sorry, but turning your face back toward Jesus. Maybe your gaze has drifted to opinions, activities, or even good things that have replaced the best thing.

Return to the works you did at first. Not new programs or busier schedules, but simple obedience fueled by love.

Church history tells us Ephesus listened. Early records describe a church that returned to joyful devotion, united in love for Christ. They didn't end in failure—they came home.

Your Invitation to Return

Highland Baptist Church isn't just talking about ancient Ephesus or a Seattle megachurch. We're talking about us. About you.

Are we busy but cold toward Jesus? Faithful to show up but distracted from loving Him? Orthodox in belief but uninspired to love difficult people because of Him?

Jesus walks among His church today—in our hallways, classrooms, and conversations. Nothing escapes His gaze. And He's inviting us deeper.

Here's your challenge: For the rest of this month, pray this simple prayer daily: "Father, grow my worship of You by growing my love for You."

A church awakened isn't one that does more—it's one that loves Christ first. Let's be great at making Jesus famous by how deeply we love Him.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we remember when You were our greatest joy. Forgive us where duty has replaced delight, where busyness has crowded out intimacy. We return to You not with promises, but with surrendered hearts. Grow our worship by growing our love. In Your name, Amen.