Come Home for Christmas
Wednesday, December 6, 2006
My Prayer Today
Heavenly Father, I thank You again today that You are a forgiving God, and that You came to us to give us new life and salvation through Jesus. Open my life to Your Word this day that I may be all that You have created and designed me to be. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
God’s Word Today
Ruth 1:1-5
1 In the days when the judges ruled in Israel, a man from Bethlehem in Judah left the country because of a severe famine. He took his wife and two sons and went to live in the country of Moab. 2 The man's name was Elimelech, and his wife was Naomi. Their two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in the land of Judah. During their stay in Moab, 3 Elimelech died and Naomi was left with her two sons. 4 The two sons married Moabite women. One married a woman named Orpah, and the other a woman named Ruth. But about ten years later, 5 both Mahlon and Kilion died. This left Naomi alone, without her husband or sons.
Reflecting on God’s Word
Today we take a deeper look at Naomi.
What has happened to Naomi’s sons?
Who are her daughter-in-laws?
Are they believers in God?
A Deeper Exploration of God’s Word
Marriage to Moabite women was not expressly forbidden, but it was frowned upon. In Deuteronomy, we learn that Moabites were excluded from Temple worship to the 10th generation. They were also excluded from fellowship with other Jews.
How would this affect Naomi and her relationship with God?
When our family members are not believers, do we tend to stay away from worship and fellowship? Is this a short cut to family peace that can lead to a dead end in our walk with God?
Understanding God’s Purpose for Us
Naomi now has two daughters-in-law to care for. She came to Moab to get filled, to be safe. Now, she finds herself empty, desolate.
Short cuts can leave us in a hopeless situation. Who is Naomi not relying on?
God’s purpose – plan – is for us to rely on Him in all things. List some areas where you need to rely on Him more:
Pray each day for “reliability” – relying on God in all things!
Applying God’s Word to Our Purpose
We escape dead end short cuts when we turn around and when we don’t despair.
God is a “specialist” at turning dead ends into doorways. On the surface, Naomi being widowed and losing her sons in a pagan country, seems like a dead end. As we will read over the next two days, one of Naomi’s daughters-in-law, Ruth, becomes an instrument of God’s blessing in Naomi’s life. God will use Ruth to provide a future for Naomi. God steps in … stay tuned!!!
Are you on a dead end road?
Have you trusted only yourself and not God?
Where do you need to turn around and lean on God?
Thoughts
A wise person once said, “Never be quick to judge whether something is a blessing or a curse.” The story of Naomi reminds us of this.
The name Naomi means “my delight.” But when bad things happened to her, Naomi wanted to change her name to match her circumstances. After her husband and sons died, Naomi concluded, “The hand of the Lord has gone out against me!” (Ruth 1:13). When people greeted her, she said, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me” (verse 20).
Rather than judge her circumstances in light of her identity as a follower of the one true God who had proclaimed unfailing love for His people, Naomi did what most of us tend to do: She judged God in light of her circumstances. And she judged wrongly. The hand of the Lord had not gone out against her. In fact, Naomi had a God-given treasure she had not yet discovered. Although Naomi lost her husband and two sons, she was given something totally unexpected – a devoted daughter-in-law and a grandchild who would be in the lineage of the Messiah.
As Naomi’s life shows us, sometimes the worst thing that happens to us can open the door for the best that God has to give us.