800-253-RICE [email protected]

Switchbacks

by | Devotionals

Ruth 4:14, 17 “And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel. . . . And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.”

A switchback is a trail that zig-zags-instead of going in a straight line-to enable you to navigate a steep climb or descent. Sometimes a straight line between point A and point B is not possible or not feasible. A switchback trail runs diagonally back and forth to allow you to navigate the terrain.

“Switchbacks” describe the path that Ruth and Naomi took in the Book of Ruth. Think of the circumstances Ruth and Naomi faced: leaving home in the midst of famine, traveling to an unfamiliar place (Moab), having almost all of their family die, the kinsman redeemer, and so on. Along the way, there seemed to be roadblocks. One option would have been to give up and retreat back the way they came. But sometimes a roadblock is not a deadend-sometimes the only way to gain ground is on a switchback. When you are on the right trail, switchbacks take you higher, even though you are “zig-zagging.”

A switchback is not a setback, despite the limited perspective. On a switchback, you may only be able to see several feet in front of you. Your limited perspective does not dismiss the fact that you are going higher! Naomi and Ruth had no idea in Ruth 1 of all the events that would transpire. In the face of a roadblock, they recognized it as a switchback. Anything of note that has ever been accomplished for God has been by switchbacks.

Near Indian Garden in the Grand Canyon, there is a set of twelve tight switchbacks known as “Jacob’s Ladder.” The switchbacks are so tight that you can see other hikers on the same trail, only they appear to be heading the other way! Your perspective is limited, but switchbacks put you on the right vector, even though you seem to go back and forth.

A switchback is not a setback, despite the painful climb. After hiking “Jacob’s Ladder” recently, several muscles in my back and my legs were crying for relief! The climb was painful, but for me the joy of hiking far outweighed the temporary pain! In life, a path of switchbacks may not be without pain, but they are not setbacks.

A switchback is not a setback, and the view at the summit is panoramic. Your perspective may be limited on the trail, but the view on the summit is wide-open. A switchback is a way of gaining higher ground to reach a summit. Naomi came to what she thought was a wall; in reality, it was a wall she was climbing.

The Book of Ruth is full of illustrations of switchbacks. Today, be on the lookout for switchbacks. If you are on the right trail, switchbacks are not setbacks. The perspective may be limited now, and the climb may be painful, but the view at the summit is worth it!

Prayer Requests:

– Revival services tonight in Madison, OH

For more information about the Bill Rice Ranch visit our website: billriceranch.org
Share This