March 26, 2014 - Wednesday

Start Time: 6:14 A.M.

End Time: 6:44 A.M.

Title: Naomi Loses Her Husband and Sons

Scripture: Ruth 1:1 – 22

God’s Message / God’s Promise / God’s Commands:

→ In the days when the judges ruled,^[a] there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. The man’s name was Elimelek, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there.  Now Elimelek, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons.  They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years,  both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband. When Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, she and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there.  With her two daughters-in-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah.

NOTES:

Ø God provides a way back home to His children!  After all the loss, Naomi had nothing left, yet at her troubled state, God provided her a way back to Him even when she already lived far from Him for some time.  The Lord never leaves us and He never forgets us.  Despite of how far and how long we walk away from Him, He finds a way to lead us back to His arms.  After losing her husband and son, good news arrived.  The Lord had come to the aid of His people in a place far from His promised land.  When Naomi heard this, she took it as a sign to return home.  We may be in a similar situation, where we have lost everything but God never forgets, and even to this day, He thinks of us every day and He is leading us back home.  Thank You Jesus!

→ Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the Lord show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me.  May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.”Then she kissed them goodbye and they wept aloud and said to her, “We will go back with you to your people.” But Naomi said, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons— would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord’s hand has turned against me!” At this they wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her.

NOTES:

Ø God ensures that we have the support we need especially in times when we are miserable and hopeless!  Many times when trouble come our way, we see it as the end of us, we fail to see the light down the tunnel and we push people away, desperately clinging on to becoming alone in our misery.  But God knows us better than we do and He knows we need company and support in troubled times.  He sends us people than more often we push away to be at our side and help us in taking a stand again.  God enables us and empower us by the presence of our friends, family, etc.  He knows best and He is sure that a positive companion will do wonders in our miserable lives.  So Ruth did not want to return back to her home and decided to stand by Naomi in her hard times.

→“Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.”But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.  Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.”  When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.  So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?” “Don’t call me Naomi,^[b]” she told them. “Call me Mara,^[c] because the Almighty^[d] has made my life very bitter.  I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? TheLord has afflicted^[e] me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.”  So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning.

NOTES:

Ø God shows His miracles to us in times of our miseries even if our eyes are too blinded to see the truth!  Ruth’s decision to stay with Naomi and pledge her loyalty to the point of throwing away her culture, race, tradition, religion, etc. is a miracle!  Here’s a woman (Moabite) who has her own people, her own beliefs, her own tradition, etc. who can go back to her own home and live her life as a Moabite, yet decided to stay with her mother in law who is depressed and even pronounced her life to be a curse!  Ruth chose to stay with the depress Naomi, rather than going back to her own home, this decision is nothing but a miracle yet Naomi did not see that.  All she saw is her life that is bitter for she lost everything.  Many times, we are like Naomi, we struggled and we endure hardship but then our minds are filled with negativity that leads us to depression and we then fail to see the miracles God does for us daily to show us His love, grace and favor!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, miraculous God, my ever loving Lord who never leaves nor forsakes me.  I am grateful for Your wonderful acts of love every day.  Thank You because in our darkest times, You provide us a way back home always.  Thank You because in difficult times, You provide us a way out and You include support and help from our friends and family and loved ones.  Thank You Jesus because You see our needs and You know our hearts and because of that, You provide for everything we need to get back on track.  Jesus, help me to see daily Your miracles.  Do not allow the negative thoughts, actions, environment or any form of negativity cloud my vision and prevent me from seeing Your goodness, love and favor each day.  Allow me to always see Your miracles Lord that I may always find life refreshing, beautiful and enjoyable.  Thank You Jesus for Your everlasting love, I do not deserve it yet Your grace always abounds in me.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen!