Naomi - A Famous Grandmother in the
Bible
Ruth & Boaz were the parents of
Obed. Obed was the father of Jesse and Jesse was the father of King David and
King David along with the others were in the Lineage of Jesus our Savior.
Naomi Teaches the Widow that
Honesty is the Best Policy
Naomi had lost her husband
and two sons and was left with two daughters-in-law to support and no means for
doing so. Here she was in this foreign country with her life crumbling around
her. Her grief was deep and her pain so intense that she felt like there was no
way out. And you know what she did?
She blamed God. She railed
at him about his reasons for not stopping the plague from killing her sons. In
Ruth 1:13 she cried out, ‘The Lord Himself has raised His fist against me.”
It’s conjecture what she said and did, but regardless, she was just plain angry
and beat down. Have you ever been in that position?
It was at this point that
Naomi made the decision to return to Bethlehem, a long dangerous journey of
over 70 miles. You would have thought that when she finally reached her
destination, alive and with her beloved Ruth at her side, she would have heaved
a sigh of relief and rejoiced in God’s goodness to her. But that isn’t what she
did. “The Almighty has greatly afflicted me,” she called out to them. Her
physical appearance was so greatly altered from when she lived there that she
was barely recognizable, stooped by grief, bitterness, and poverty.
Before we become too harsh
with Naomi, think of all the adjustments you’ve had to make since the loss of
your spouse. Perhaps you too have suffered loss of income, family home, and are
afflicted with grief and loneliness. Naomi refused to hide her sorrow or
bitterness. She believed in God’s sovereignty and attributed her suffering to
His will. I like this about Naomi. There
was no pretense about her. She didn’t pretend everything was okay when it
wasn’t. She didn’t respond with, “I’m fine, thank you,” when she felt like
screaming. She was in the bosom of her own people and felt free to express her
true feelings. I think Naomi’s advice to you would be to not play the martyr
and say what you think is expected of you when trusted family and friends
inquire. People ask how you are because they want to know, they’re concerned and
want to be of help. Saying, “Oh, I’m okay,” or “I’m hanging in there,” doesn’t
help you or them. Feelings are fickle; we know that. But, they are real to us
when we experience them and Christ is touched with the feelings of our
weaknesses.
Be honest with yourself and your
family/friends and solicit their prayers for your comfort and emotional
well-being. God will hear yours and their prayers. In fact, He longs to do so
and bring you back to total wellness again.
By Shari Hervold
New Jersey Friends Needing Friends Meeting - April 27,2015
There was a lot of fun and laughter at our April’s meeting in
New Jersey. It was decided to have a
“hat parade” where each lady was to decorate a bonnet and there would be a
prize for the prettiest. The good Lord
said in Esslesiastes 3:4 A time to weep and a time to laugh and that’s just
what was planned, a time to laugh.
The winner for the prettiest hat was Mildred, and may God Bless her!
Enjoy seeing some of the ladies and their beautiful creations.
The guest speakers at this fun-filled meeting was Bonnie & Dan Pearson presenting Passover Table and The Seder Plate.
Thank you Diane Clark! You did a great job taking all of the above pictures.
