The Book of Ruth is a record of one of God’s families from Bethlehem Judah. Elimilech, his wife, Naomi and their two sons named Mahlon and Chilion faced a time of famine in their land. They packed up and went to Moab where they hoped to survive. For a time things were going well. The sons married wives of the Moabites, however evil seemed to follow the family. First Elimilech passed away and then the two sons died also! What a heavy heart Naomi had!
After this the father and then the sons all died in Moab. One morning Naomi rose up and told her daughters in law that she was returning to Bethlehem as she heard that the famine had lifted. She told her girls to return to their parent’s homes as she was going back to her people. Orpah was persuaded to return to her home, but Ruth would not be enticed to stay in Moab.
Ruth 1:16 and 17 record the words of Ruth: “Do not plead with me to leave you or to return from following after you, for wherever you go, I shall go. And where you lodge, I shall lodge. Your people are my people, and your God is my God. Where you die, I shall die and there I shall be buried: The Lord do so to me, more also, if anything but death part you and me.”
Finally Naomi realized that she would be unable to dissuade Ruth from following her, the two returned to Bethlehem together. When they arrived the whole city was moved with Naomi’s return and said, “Isn’t this Naomi?”
To this she replied, “Do not call me Naomi, call me Mara, Bitter, for the Almighty has dealt very bitter me, I went out full and the Lord has brought me home again empty. Why call me Naomi, seeing the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has afflicted me?”
On the surface evil seems to have befallen Naomi and she has become bitter in her sorrow. She seems to be crediting God with her misfortune and is not counting the fact that she has resources at her fingertips that will bring her into the linage of our Savior, Messiah, Jesus Christ!
As the account progresses, Ruth provides for her mother in law and then married Boaz. The two are blessed with a son named Obed who becomes one of the people in the linage of Jesus. Naomi had no idea of the outcome of the situation, and had considered the loss of her men-folks as finality to the worthlessness of her life.
As it turned out she had her greatest resource still remaining. The devotion in the life of Ruth was the most valuable possession that Naomi had ever had. Ruth adapted to Naomi’s needs to the fact that she gave her first-born son to her mother in law.
When we have someone who is committed, devoted, adapted and purposed to cling to us and to the values God has placed inside of us, we may well have unlimited resources. Just because those we thought would be there for us weren’t there, doesn’t mean that God can’t raise up someone or something much better than the first.
As we see in this case, God took the seemingly evil circumstances and brought a beautiful picture of His grace, restoration, mercy and love into view. So what’s so bad in your life? What do I think is bad in my life? It’s time to wait on God and be assured that He has a greater and better plan in view for us. Let us be encouraged and encouraged the discouraged!
