Ruth 1:9b – 13 “Then she kissed them and they wept aloud and said to her, “We will go back with you to your people.” But Naomi said, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me – even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons – would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord’s hand has gone out against me!”
Grab the Kleenex. This is at least a three-hankie moment. If this story were being played out on the silver screen, it would definitely be pegged as a chick flick. Oh, the drama, the drama!
Can’t you just see these women, standing in the middle of the road, crying their eyes out? Naomi’s heart is breaking, for she knows that, for their own good, she must send her girls back to their own mothers. Orpah’s and Ruth’s hearts are breaking, for they’ve lost their husbands, and now their last connection to their lost loves is sending them away . . . yet they know she’s right. They need to go home. It is the only sensible thing to do.
During that time, if a woman was widowed, her dead husband’s brother was to marry her and take care of her. Strange law, but it worked for them. But Naomi had no more sons. She had no husband, and no prospects of any more children in her future. And even if she were to bear twin sons within a year, Orpah and Ruth would be old women by the time the twins were old enough to marry. There was no way around it. Ruth and Orpah needed to go home and find new husbands.
This situation only added to Naomi’s bitterness. She had lost her husband and her sons. Now, she was being forced to give up her new daughters as well. She felt the Lord’s hand had gone out against her, but she was wrong. God is love. He loves us beyond description. He is always for us, and never against us.
Oh, He is against our sin. And He will discipline us, as a loving parent will discipline a child. But God did not cause Naomi’s pain. As a matter of fact, I’m sure God’s heart was broken as He witnessed the suffering of his beloved daughter. She was angry, hurting, confused, and devastated; she wanted someone to blame. So she blamed the One who loved her more than anyone.
Have you ever felt that way, my friend? Have you ever felt that God was against you? If so, think again. 1 John 3:1 says, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” 1 John 1:5 tells us, “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.” We live in a fallen, broken world, where people get sick, hearts are broken, and life is just plain hard at times. God doesn’t cause our problems. But He is the One who can heal our sickness, mend our broken hearts, and give us joy and peace and strength for our journeys. Instead of blaming God for our problems, we must remember that in all things, He is our solution!
Dear Father, Please forgive me for blaming You when life gets hard. Thank You for always being there to help me through the hard times.
Amen
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