Today, I am thinking of Naomi and
cannot help but be glad that Ruth came into her life. Interestingly, Ruth was
not even her own child but we probably would never have heard about her if Ruth
did not enter her life. Her own children had all died. They died too early for
her to reap the full benefits of having children. However, it was for one of
them that Ruth came into her life and I guess this was God’s way of consoling
her; no wonder the saying “the replacement is always better than the first”. I
wonder if her children would have done all Ruth did for her and even put her in
Christ lineage. The thing is, God works in mysterious ways and we must give Him
room to do that which He does best. Most of the bible stories are nothing less
than fascinating but someone paid the price for us to either be corrected or
even encouraged by them. We must learn to wait patiently for God even when it
looks hopeless because He is very often working to cause everything to work
together for our good.
Hebrews 10: 36 “For you have need of patient endurance (to bear up
under difficult circumstances without compromising), so that when you have
carried out the will of God, you may receive and enjoy to the full what is
promised.”
Ruth 1: 20 “Don’t call me Naomi, she responded. Instead, call me Mara,
for The Almighty has made life very bitter for me. I went away full, but the
Lord has brought me home empty. Why call Naomi when the Lord has caused me to
suffer and the Almighty has sent such tragedy upon me.”
Naomi had become so bitter at her
God that she had decided to alter the course of her destiny, by asking to be
called “bitter”, to align it with the events of her life as she saw it then.
What she did not realize was that she had enough time left on this side of
eternity, for God to change her story and enter her name in this book that will
be read as long as earth remains. In her opinion and to all intents and
purposes, the best period of her life was over and there was nothing to live
for anymore; but God was just beginning. There was no indication of an exciting
future for her. She more or less returned home hopeless which is understandable
given her circumstance; but she forgot that God is Himself, Life. Naomi must
have loved and trusted God at one point otherwise her daughters in law would
not have met with and fallen so deeply in love with her God that they wanted to
serve Him but tragedies of her life had dulled her love. Love is obviously more than a feeling; it is a
commitment. True love endures all and is long suffering. It takes a commitment
to see love through to the end inspite of all.
Revelation 21: 8 “But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the
immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshippers, and all lairs-their
fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
I wish God would always move just
when we are about to give up but it is not always so. We can’t explain it
either. I think it gets more complicated because He doesn’t tell you that He is
working on “it”, not does He let you know that it will soon be over. God truly
wants us to trust and love Him. Thank God for Ruth who trusted God enough to
believe Him to the very end despite everything. It is worthy of note that Naomi
went from that woman whose life drew others to God, to the woman who was so
disappointed in life and frustrated with God that she complained to the point
where she asked everyone to call her “bitter”. This is not unlike us when God
seems to be looking the other way as terrible events unfold in lives.
Sometimes, they happen so rapidly that it seems like God has set out to destroy
one; but it is not so. Not only is He setting such persons up for great good,
He is also preparing them to deal wisely in life.
1 Corinthians 10: 13 “The temptations in your life are no different
from others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation
to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out
so that you can endure.”
Sadly, complaining and murmuring
against God is never a solution; instead it facilitates our disconnection from
God. Though complaining may be instinctive sometimes, we must practice
self-restraint at times like that seeking help from The Holy Spirit. God is not
pleased with complainers and murmurers. Whilst it may not be unusual to get to that
point where one is fed up; it is what we do when we get there that is most important.
That is the point when one seeks help form The Holy Ghost like never before.
Don’t try to do it yourself or in your strength which will fail you: we have no
capacity in ourselves to carry the weight of life’s challenges. Life throws
very hard punches sometimes and often when we are ill prepared, but God is
never caught unawares. One day you will find that you came through it all and
you are still standing.
No comments:
Post a Comment