It was never about Naomi, but Jesus!

Why did Jesus tell us to rejoice in tribulation? How do we view the struggles God allows us to face? Are we selfishly viewing our situations? 

So many of us become so blinded by the mountain in front of us that we don’t see the witnesses around us. Today, I encourage you to view the problems from the lens of Jesus on the cross. 

But first, let’s pray. Father, I thank you for saying in your word that the righteous will never be forsaken and their children begging for bread. Allow them the grace and strength to keep moving forward in the name of Jesus. Amen

“The name of the man was Elimelech, his wife was Naomi, and his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion—Ephrathites of Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to the country of Moab and remained there.” Ruth 1:2 NKJV

Naomi, her husband, and two sons went to the land of Moab to flee the famine in Bethlehem, Judah. Eventually, their two sons married Moabite women, and a few years later, both sons and Naomi’s husband died. Naomi was consumed with fear and rejection. She packed the little she had left and headed to Bethlehem. She instructed her two daughters-in-law to return to their mother’s houses as she returned home and navigated life from there. Without much convincing, “Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.” They both return to the place Naomi once called home, and Naomi’s first interaction with her former friends is asking them not to call her Naomi, but Mara, because “the Almighty has dealt very bitterly” with her. She says in verse 21, “I went out full, and the Lord has brought me home again empty.” Naomi changed her name to “Mara,” which means bitter, because she said God has frowned upon her. 

How often have we spoken negativity, or should I dare to say curses, over ourselves because we define our identity by temporary troubles instead of standing on our eternal God-given identity? We become so blinded by what we are going through that we don’t see what we have gained amid the struggles and battles. Yes, Naomi lost her family, but she gained Ruth, who Naomi’s friends say is better “than seven sons.” Although her words might have given room for the enemy to come and wreak havoc in her life, God was faithful because it wasn’t about Naomi but for a greater purpose, a man named Jesus. 

God in the Midst of the Chaos 

In Ruth Chapter 2, God began to unfold his plan. Ruth woke and said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.” She found herself in the field of a confident man named Boaz, who later became the redeemer of both Ruth and Naomi. Ruth found favor in the sight of Boaz, who instructed his men to freely allow her to glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters. When Ruth told Naomi the excellent news, she was shocked because Boaz was one of the Guardian-Redeemers. Though it seemed like Naomi had lost everything, even her relationship with God, God never left. The Bible tells us in Deuteronomy 31:8 that “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you, not leave or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” God being with us will not always look the same as we go through different trials and tribulations, but we are guaranteed He will be with us. I find it interesting that Ruth’s name means “Companion or Friend.” Yes, Ruth wasn’t a Jew, a follower of Yahweh, but God was directing her path all along. There are people in our lives that God will send to support and rescue us, and don’t get it twisted; those people will not always be Christian, but after they witness the faithfulness of God in your life, they will become curious about this God you serve.

Finally, Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today, you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion, and Mahlon. I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown. Today you are witnesses” (Ruth 4:9-10). Later, Ruth and Boaz gave birth to a son, and his name was Obed, who was the father of Jesse and the father of David. This gives me chills to even think about. Out of a broken woman who lost everything came the redeemer of all mankind. Isaiah 11: 1-2 says, “There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him. The Spirit of wisdom and understanding. The Spirit of counsel and might. The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.” 

Jesus promised that we would suffer in this life, but it is for the greater Good. Romans 8:36 states, “Just as it is written, For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” We serve an intentional God who doesn’t sleep nor slumber. Our God is strategic in guiding us. From the famine to Naomi and her family moving to Moab, to her sons and husband dying, to Ruth following Naomi back to Judah, it was all orchestrated by God. Why? For Jesus Christ. How privileged was Ruth to be part of the lineage of Jesus, and how privileged are you to suffer for Jesus? The troubles you currently face are far beyond what you can see. They will serve as a testament to God’s wonder for those who doubted your God to come to the knowledge of the truth. You are probably facing losses and troubles my mind can’t even begin to comprehend, but one thing I know is all things work together for good, even when we are the ones who caused the problems in the first place. ALL THINGS, not some things. Even the death of Jesus wasn’t about him but about you and me! 

Time to Stand 

When King Nebuchadnezzar commanded everyone to bow and worship the golden image, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego said absolutely not. Nebuchadnezzar was so angry that he commanded his men to through them in the fiery furnace, but the Bible says in Daniel 3:25-26, “Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire.” 

Today, I want to encourage you with this––don’t bow to fear and the enemy’s lies but continue to stand on the promises of God that joy comes in the morning. All the suffering Naomi faced was about Jesus. They both lost their families to gain something more significant. Though your beginning may seem small, your latter shall significantly increase (Job 8:7). 

Thank you for reading. I pray that you felt blessed by this blog post!