Articles
God is Always Working
When facing struggles—especially the hardship of grief—it is tempting to want to feel like Naomi in the book of Ruth. In Ruth 1:20-21, Naomi tells the people of Bethlehem, “Do not call me Naomi[1]; call me Mara[2], 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?” Naomi expresses this after her daughter-in-law Ruth vows to stay by her side.
Grief is causing Naomi to feel as though she is returning to Bethlehem empty. Yet, Ruth just told her, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you” (Ruth 1:16-17). Naomi having Ruth’s genuine and Godly love in her life would mean she wasn’t coming back empty.
It is only natural for struggles to cause people to feel empty and search for the reasons for their pain. However, children of God should approach these feelings with caution because we want to make sure that they don’t lead us into temptation and sin. James 1:14-15 explains that a person is lured into temptation by strong temporary desires and when they come to fruition they bring about sin—which in turn leads to death.
Due to bitterness felt during grief, Naomi desired to be alone and was tempted to place blame on God. However, God wasn’t tempting Naomi into bitterness because James 1:13 says, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.” 1 Corinthians 10:13 also reads, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” God was faithful to Naomi and blessed her with her loyal and compassionate daughter-in law Ruth as the way out of temptation.
In Bethlehem, Ruth finds work (at the risk of assault) laboring all day in the fields to feed the grieving Naomi. Due to this, it was the Lord’s will that Boaz took notice of Ruth. Boaz and Ruth’s relationship was deeper than a love at first sight or something from a romance novel. Boaz took notice of Ruth’s faithful actions because she displayed Godliness even though she was a Moabite and in grief herself (Ruth 2:11). Despite her grief, Ruth had compassion for Naomi and went above and beyond for her sake. Thus, Boaz took notice of her and became a redeemer for Naomi and Ruth. In ancient Hebrew culture a redeemer was someone who bought a widow’s land to make sure her ex-husband’s land would continue on in inheritance since she couldn’t own it herself. Also, he could also vow to provide for and essentially take the widow as his wife in order to keep the lineage of the deceased going.
Mankind was set for the path of destruction, but God spiritually insured that we would live on eternally. Similar to Boaz, God redeemed mankind when He sent His only son to the cross and shed His blood as the price of reconciliation. For a long time, mankind has struggled with the question, “Why do bad things happen—especially to me?”. Yet, no should say that God is the reason for the bad. God only provides the way to escape and endure the hardships that we suffer. Mankind has a loving and compassionate God who cares deeply for His children. You have the opportunity today to make your relationship right with God, as well as to be baptized. Will you choose to seek God and the righteous way that He can lead you from your struggles and temptations?
[1] The name Naomi is derived from the Hebrew word na’em, which means pleasant.
[2] Mara is the Hebrew word for bitterness
