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Daily Encounter: A Week-day Devotional by a staff of ACTS International. |
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Beautiful Messes: Naomi
“In the days when the judges
ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to
sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. The name of
the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two
sons were Mahlon and Chilion...But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and
she was left with her two sons. These took Moabite wives; the name of the one
was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years, and
both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman was left without her two sons
and her husband...”1 “So, the two of them went on
until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came to Bethlehem, the whole town
was stirred because of them. And the women said, ‘Is this Naomi?’ She said to
them, ‘Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very
bitterly with me. I went away full, and the Lord
has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the Lord has testified against me, and the Almighty has brought
calamity upon me?’”2 “Then the women said to Naomi, ‘Blessed
be the Lord, who has not left you
this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel!’”3 In the Book of Ruth, we find the story of
Naomi, a woman who went from being full of joy with a pleasant disposition, to
being a woman turned bitter, depressed, and emptied by loss. Naomi’s name means
“pleasantness”, however, life’s circumstances left her feeling broken, possibly
even shattered. Naomi and her husband were Israelites; they belonged to the
tribe of God’s chosen people. During a time of great famine in the land, they
made a very difficult decision to leave their home in Bethlehem and relocate
their family to the very pagan city of Moab. Sometimes, when we think we are
doing what we believe is best for our family, it isn’t always what God has
planned for us and it is our family that ends up suffering the consequences.
Sometime after arriving in Moab, Naomi was left widowed and here began her
suffering. She now had to raise her two sons on her own in a foreign land.
Doing what she thought was best, she found wives for them among the Moabite
woman, stepping out of her faith in doing so. A few years later, her sons died
as well, leaving her utterly broken and despaired. Finding herself alone and
feeling as if she had nothing else to live for, she packed up her few
belongings and told her daughters-in-law to return home to their families, but
Naomi’s greatest qualities were her loving and generous spirit. Therefore,
having fallen in love with their mom-in-law, the girls were torn to leave her.
Naomi was able to convince one of the heartbroken ladies to go, but the other
clung to her. And so, together, they return to Bethlehem. Now, remember that
Naomi was known for her joy and pleasantness, but her suffering had changed her
so much so that upon entering the gates of the city the people said: “Is that
Naomi!?” Such a mess was she that they didn’t recognize her! Naomi tells them:
“Don’t call me Naomi, call me Mara "It means Bitter!” and she then goes on to
complain about how badly the Lord has treated her. Naomi’s story is so relatable! How many times
do we not blame the Lord for the consequences of our choices? Naomi and her
husband thought they were doing best, but when is walking away from the ways of
the Lord ever best? Unfortunately, Naomi had to bear the consequences all on
her own and they were too heavy for her to bear. She felt crushed under the
weight of them as we may have felt at one time or another. But, even so, God
took her misery and turned it into something beautiful that would glorify Him.
She was able to rebuild her life and through her daughter-in-law, Ruth, enjoy a
family again. Her friends, who I am sure missed the old Naomi, helped her to
see that the Lord had not abandoned her (Ruth 4:14) and slowly her joy
returned. Naomi reflected God’s love even through her deepest pain, and it was
because of her testimony that her pagan daughter-in-law left her Godless ways
to follow the one true God. Moreover, the Lord allowed Naomi to be an adopted
grandma and cradle in her arms the grandfather of King David, an heir to the
very throne of God! Naomi is a glorious reminder of how God can
take our bad decisions and terrible suffering and turn them into beauty;
Beautiful messes turned remarkable. Suggested Prayer: Dear Lord, I have made decisions that have
taken me far from you. I have suffered the consequences and may have even
blamed you for them. But, today, I return to the protection of your mighty arms
and ask that you forgive me for seeking it elsewhere. Thank for your
unconditional love and forgiveness. Gratefully, In Jesus’ name, Amen. Ruth 1:1-5 (ESV). Ruth 1:19-21. Ruth 4:14. |
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