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February 13, 2026<\/span><\/p>\n Embrace the Different<\/strong><\/span> Lee en espa\u00f1ol<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThen they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.\u201d Ruth 1:14 (ESV)<\/em><\/p>\n When the screen went black again, I knew my phone was slowly slipping into the technological abyss. I needed to replace it.<\/p>\n But I’d just gone through a breakup, and the thought of letting go of the device that held photos, messages, and memories of my past relationship was unimaginable. Parting with that phone felt like saying goodbye not only to the past but also to the future I\u2019d planned.<\/p>\n The new phone I purchased was nice. But it was \u2026 different<\/em>. I didn’t feel ready to move forward with different<\/em>, whether technological or relational. Different<\/em> meant change, and I didn’t like change.<\/p>\n When we go through seasons of change and loss, it\u2019s natural to cling to the familiar. That\u2019s why Ruth\u2019s story from the Bible resonates with me.<\/p>\n Ruth was a woman who experienced immense change when her husband\u2019s sudden death left her a childless widow \u2014 nothing like the life she\u2019d planned. As her mother-in-law, Naomi, urged her to return to her parents\u2019 home, Ruth stood at a crossroads. She had to choose between clinging to the familiar places of her past or holding on to hope and stepping forward into an unknown future.<\/p>\n Leaving her hometown would mean leaving behind the hopes and dreams of what life might have looked like there. Going with Naomi to Bethlehem would also mean embracing a new life in a land she didn\u2019t know, following a God she was still learning how to trust. But Ruth made a choice: \u201cThen they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her\u201d<\/em> (Ruth 1:14).<\/p>\n Ruth would not return to what was easy or familiar. Instead, she would cling to her mother-in-law and step into an uncertain future. It was a monumental change \u2014 and it took courage.<\/p>\n Despite her situation, Ruth beautifully modeled Romans 12:9, which reminds us to \u201ccling to what is good\u201d<\/em> (NIV). She clung to faith, fully trusting God with her next chapter. She clung to kindness, being rich in good deeds even when she had little else to give. She clung to loyalty even after losing her own husband.<\/p>\n Like Ruth, we also face crossroads. Sometimes it\u2019s the end of a relationship, the loss of a job, the death of a dream, or simply a new season where life no longer looks like what we expected. In those moments, we can cling to what is comfortable \u2026 or we can cling to what is good, embrace the different<\/em>, and trust God with the rest of our story.<\/p>\n Change doesn\u2019t usually happen all at once. It often comes step by shaky step \u2014 like finally letting go of an old phone. We can have courage as we trust God one choice at a time.<\/p>\n Lord, when change unsettles me, steady my heart. Teach me to cling not just to what is familiar but to what is good. Give me Ruth-like courage to step into the future You\u2019re writing for me, one trusting step at a time. In Jesus\u2019 Name, Amen.<\/em><\/p>\n Some days feel like there’s just a lot<\/em> on your mind, and having a little truth spoken into the middle of it can make such a difference. That\u2019s why so many women turn to The\u00a0<\/em>Proverbs 31 Ministries Podcast<\/em> \u2014 it\u2019s real, it\u2019s honest, and it speaks to the stuff you\u2019re actually walking through. The conversations are practical and grounding, offering the kind of biblical wisdom that helps you sort through your thoughts, breathe a little deeper, and remember you\u2019re not the only one trying to figure things out. If you haven\u2019t listened in a bit, the newest episode is a great place to jump back in. It\u2019s simple, encouraging, and might be exactly what your day needs. If you could use a moment of steady, honest truth today, listen to the latest episode here.<\/p>\n Today\u2019s devotion was written by Sarah McClelland, a member of COMPEL Pro Writers Training and a winner of our Encouragement for Today<\/em> Devotion Writing Challenge. We\u2019re grateful for her heart, her words, and the way she uses her gifts to encourage women with God\u2019s Truth.<\/p>\n Philippians 3:13-14, \u201cBrothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus\u201d (ESV).<\/p>\n Proverbs 3:3, \u201cLet not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart\u201d (ESV).<\/p>\n What is a different\u00a0<\/em>situation you face today? How can you cling to what is good while embracing and trusting God with this change?<\/p>\n We\u2019d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments.<\/p>\n \u00a9 2026 by Sarah McClelland. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n Proverbs 31 Ministries February 13, 2026 Embrace the DifferentSARAH MCCLELLAND, COMPEL Pro Member Lee en espa\u00f1ol \u201cThen they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.\u201d Ruth 1:14 (ESV) When the screen went black again, I knew my phone was slowly slipping into the technological abyss. I needed to<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10758,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[86,269,4527,268,5559,270,181],"class_list":["post-18780","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-devotionals","tag-daily","tag-devotional","tag-embrace","tag-encouragement","tag-february","tag-proverbs","tag-today"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18780","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=18780"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18780\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10758"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=18780"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=18780"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=18780"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
SARAH MCCLELLAND, COMPEL Pro Member<\/span><\/p>\nOUR FAVORITE THINGS<\/h4>\n
ENGAGE<\/h4>\n
FOR DEEPER STUDY<\/h4>\n
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"