“And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, ‘Go, return each to her mother’s house. The Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me.’” (Ruth 1:8)

After the three, Naomi, Ruth, and Orpah, had journeyed together to the borders of Judah, Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Return each to her mother’s house. There they stood at the parting of the ways.

•. The two voices which called.

One voice was saying, “Go back to Moab to your mother’s house, to your home city, and to your former gods.” The other voice was saying, “You have learned to know the Lord; leave, therefore, your father and your mother, your houses, your lands, your everything, and go on to follow after the Lord.”

How often do we come to the parting of the ways! As we stand there, vital decisions which must of necessity affect our lives for good or for bad, for time and eternity, are before us.

Even now we can hear Joshua saying, “‘Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve . . . But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord’” (Joshua 24:15).

Now we can hear the Prophet Elijah, as he stands before the assembled host of Israel and says: “‘How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him’” (1 Kings 18:21).

Brothers, when Abraham came to the place of decision, he arose and went out to follow God, not knowing where he went. When Moses came to the place of decision, he forsook the pleasures of Egypt, choosing rather to suffer with the children of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.

•. Decisions must be full-fledged and final.

If those who are reading these words today would go forth for God, they must come out of the world. We cannot serve two masters. There is no middle ground, no straddling of the fence. A half-way Christian is no Christian at all.

Guard your heart. Teach your children. Watch and pray. Go all in for Christ.