Are you stuck in a groove? Naomi's story offers hope.

 

Hope restored: Who’d have imagined?

And Naomi praised the Lord again.

 

Art: Philip Hermogenes Caulderon 1833-1898.

For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. Psalm 100:5.

 

Life! As you mature, you reflect. As a young mum, you think the nappies, the cooking and cleaning are endless. There’s little opportunity to rest or take stock, but if you love Jesus, and you’re over sixty, you may understand why the Lord allowed you to walk that path. For me, losing my dad to suicide at twenty-one was an earth shattering experience. At seventy, I realize the Lord allowed it to change my life and my family’s trajectory. If you’re intrigued, you can read about it in my book, When They Prayed. Who would have thought I’d become an amateur writer or live in another state? Just as the Lord has shaped my journey, he’ll guide you if you trust him.

 

   The numbers of mature women who live alone has risen. Death or divorce has robbed them of companionship. Perhaps they are bitter or disillusioned with God, and their faith has suffered a crushing blow. They know God is somewhere in the beyond, but the closeness has gone, and they feel abandoned. Youthful joy has vanished, and each day is a battle for survival.

 

    Naomi had reached this point. The book of Ruth is set in Moab and Israel. The year was c.1050 B.C., but if you read Judges, you’ll discover some stark similarities to the twenty-first century. ‘In those days, Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.’ Judges 21:25. The book of Judges records murder, rape, idol worship as examples of this chaotic historical era.

 

    The average citizen on a modern street believes his truth is as good as yours. Jesus taught he is the absolute truth and the way to eternal life. Who do we believe?

 

   How do we navigate heartache and disappointment? Naomi’s story shows us how God restores hope and faith. A psychologist may teach you useful coping strategies, and medications will ease your depression, but Naomi couldn’t access these modern day resources. She endured hardship and waited on God. She learned trust and initiative.

       

   In my Zelophehad’s daughters blog, (published September 22^nd, 2023), I described how God allocated land to Israelite clans. The system provided for widows and orphans through levirate marriages. Since Naomi had lost her husband and her two sons in Moab, she faced destitution.

 

   Elimelech, her late husband, had moved his family from Bethlehem in Judah to Moab because famine had invaded the land. The Bethlehem community worshipped Jehovah, but Elimelech left this ancestral home for Moab’s idolatrous but greener pastures. In reality, Elimelech’s decision isolated Naomi from her tightknit community, the home of her guardian redeemers. But after his death, her two daughters-in-law, both Moabite women, were her chief concern. Her thoughts naturally gravitated to her youthful home, her roots in Bethlehem, where she’d married her husband. The famine had eased in Judah, and she wanted to return.

 

   The late winter or early spring was ideal for traveling, but Naomi faced a foot journey of one hundred and twenty kilometers through the treacherous countryside. God alone would protect her from hunger, thirst, and bandits. No wonder she suggested Ruth and Orpah return home to their families. Naomi was brave and selfless. These women had been her friends and members of her household for ten years, and they loved her. She loved the Lord, her God, and Ruth had embraced her faith as her own. As we know, Ruth clung to her, and her famous loyal declaration resounds through the centuries.

                                          

   Naomi couldn’t have imagined the long-term plan God had prepared for them in Bethlehem. The most she expected was to collect grain behind the reapers because she was too old to find another husband or to bear more sons.

 

And in this respect, we’re the same. When God opens a door, we either walk through it by faith or dismiss it because we’re afraid. Ephesians 3:20 assures us he can do more than we imagine. The Psalmist wrote. ‘He lifted me out of the slimy pit and set my feet on a rock.’ If Christ is our rock, let’s stand on his promises!

 

Once they’d settled, Ruth gleaned barley in Boaz’s field, the safest workplace in Bethlehem. As Ruth arrived home after work, Naomi bombarded her with questions.

 

“Where did you glean? Where did you work?” She’d been waiting all day for an answer!

 

“I worked in Boaz’s field, Mother.”

 

“The Lord bless him! He hasn’t changed.” This was confirmation of the Lord’s faithfulness to Naomi. God had brought them safely to Bethlehem, and a relative was already protecting and providing for them.

 

     What if?... Naomi plotted while Ruth worked. She’d been to the marketplace and the local village women remembered her. Rumors about Ruth, the Moabitess, had spread through the community. Never mind! If Naomi was too old to marry, Ruth could. Who better than Boaz, a guardian redeemer? She hatched a daring scheme, one which required discretion and care.

 

  “My daughter, I’m going to find you a home, and since Boaz is our relative, visit his threshing floor tonight. But don’t let him see you before he lies down to sleep.”

 

   And Ruth did as Naomi suggested, because she trusted her. These two women relied on each other, and Naomi’s renewed experience of God’s faithfulness offered them courage. If the community noticed Ruth at Boaz’s threshing floor, they may have labeled her a prostitute. Since neither Ruth, the foreigner, nor Boaz needed slanderous gossip, Ruth followed Naomi’s instructions to the letter.

 

   Next morning, before the sun rose, Ruth crept home, laden with grain. Had Naomi slept or spent the night worrying? Her first question was, “How did it go, my daughter?”

 

 Imagine her relief when Ruth assured her of Boaz’s kindness and promise to act in their favor. Her daughter’s response confirmed her appreciation of his character.

 

“Wait until you find out what happens. He won’t rest until he’s settled the matter.” Ruth 3:18.

 

  Naomi could replace her anxiety with calm assurance. Do you see God working behind the scenes?

 

 And by the next day, Ruth had married Boaz. He wasn’t the first claimant. That redeemer refused the offer, since he couldn’t jeopardize his own property.

 

And several months later, Naomi became a grandmother to Obed. His name means servant, worshipper of God. This child was another redeemer of his maternal grandfather’s property, which meant he would care for Naomi and his mother, Ruth, after Boaz’s death.

 

     If Naomi had a plan, God had a superior one, because Obed was the King David’s grandfather, and the Lord Jesus Christ’s earthly heritage is from King David.

 

     Elimelech’s death had depleted Naomi of her self-esteem and joy. Her journey to Bethlehem needed her courage and faith. Her mind must have swirled with doubts and fears before and after she made that journey, but God honored her mustard seed of faith, and she received her heart’s desire.

 

The book of Ruth is like a symphony. It opens in a minor key and finishes with a triumphant fanfare. As you review your life, search for the Lord’s signposts. Where and when did he direct you?

And as for your future? Your small step of faith will guide you to your Bethlehem. Remember, this was the birthplace of the Savior. In your darkest moments, place your hand in his and trust your future to him.

 

  Naomi praised the Lord, and the entire town rejoiced with her. She discovered God’s hope is secure because he turned her ‘mourning into dancing.’

 

Come, we’ll worship the Lord together. Why not open your Bible and read Psalm 8, penned by Naomi’s great grandson? Hallelujah!

 

Map: the Bible Journey Map 52.  

 

 https://www.thebiblejourney.org/find-people-places-maps/find-maps-diagrams/

 

 

© Janet Crawshaw 2023.