Then, she recited many instances of
how God heard and answered her prayer that very week through the words and
actions of caring friends and relatives. My friend, a widow, has no one to walk through
her pit with her. . .except God and, as
she stated,
“Each widow comes to a point in
their “pit” where they may ask for more proof of His presence. I’m at that
point . . .” It may not be cancer, it could be any number of circumstances that
has put you in your pit, or perhaps you’re still in the pit of despair and
grief over the loss of your husband. I assure you, as I assured my friend, that
God welcomes your request that He demonstrate His love for you in a special
way. As I ruminated over our conversation, I thought of the life of a woman in
the Old Testament who was in a “pit” and how God’s mercy was extended to her.
I’ve written much about Naomi, as
she’s a favorite of mine for many reasons. (Her entire story is recorded in the
book of Ruth.) Let me refresh your memory concerning her. She, along with her
husband and two sons, went to Moab from Bethlehem in Judah because Judah was
experiencing a drought. Things were going well for her and her family in Moab.
They had plenty to eat, while their families back home in Bethlehem were
suffering through a famine. Then, trouble hit. First, Naomi’s husband died,
followed by the deaths of both of her sons. She was cast into the abyss of
grief and despair and, upon hearing that food was again plentiful back in
Bethlehem, Naomi made the decision to return.
This was a seventy-mile trip
through some rough and dangerous terrain. Only one of Naomi’s daughters-in-law
committed to make the entire trip with her. Whether they walked or rode on an
animal of conveyance, they doubtless endured hot dusty days, cold nights, and
danger from wild animals and robbers who hid along the roadways. Two women
would have been easy prey for disaster.
Yet, God protected them and they
arrived safely to Naomi’s hometown. Usually when one arrives home after a long
absence, there is much rejoicing with hugs and kisses to spare. And even though
Naomi’s name means pleasant, she was
anything but. The Scripture relays her
homecoming like this: When they came to Bethlehem the whole town
was stirred because of them and the women asked, “Is this Naomi?” But she said
to them, “Do not call me Naomi. Call me Mara, because the Almighty has brought
great bitterness to me. I was full when I left, but the Lord caused me to
return empty.” (Ruth 1: 19b-21a) God
is sovereign over all of life, but it is never His intent to make us bitter; He
is always at work to make us better, more like Him.
Naomi, though still in her pit of grief over
lost loved ones and despair over her poverty, knew that God was with her. Most
likely she would have acknowledged that it was He who had protected her and
Ruth on their arduous journey from Moab. Yet, she, much like my friend, needed
a new visitation from God, a demonstration of His abiding love in her life. The
author, Elizabeth George, says this, “We can be sure that Naomi would say,
‘When you’re in a hard place in life, it is not the time to collapse, to cave
in, to fall apart, or to break down. It is time to trust God.’ When her life caved
in, Naomi began learning how to trust God more.”
Soon Naomi’s bitterness was
replaced with hope, and God began to orchestrate changes in her life, first
through her daughter-in-law Ruth, and then through Boaz, a close relative of
her deceased husband. Ultimately, joy and fullness reigned in her heart again
through the birth of her grandson, Obed, who became an ancestor to Jesus our
Messiah.
Had Naomi prayed, “Open the eyes of
my heart, Lord, that I may see you,” she would have known that it was no coincidence
that she decided to make the trip back to Bethlehem, it was no coincidence that
Ruth insisted on accompanying her, it was no coincidence that Ruth gleaned in
Boaz’s field, it was no coincidence that Boaz fell in love with Ruth, and
certainly no coincidence that their precious baby boy became the grandfather of
King David and in the lineage of Jesus, our Messiah.
I
encourage you always, no matter what you’re going through, to remember that
there are no coincidences with God, our heavenly Father. He has promised in
Romans 8:28 that He is working all things
out for our good. When you are able to see things through His eyes, you will
begin to “see” with faith those good things that He has for you. Remember, you
serve a loving heavenly Father whose plans for you are good . . . no matter the
circumstances that will lead you there.
If you have not asked Jesus, our
Messiah, into your heart, I implore you not to delay in doing so. He wants to
make something beautiful of your life too and demonstrate his great and eternal
love for you.
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| Message by Shari Hervold |
