Ruth 1:1-5
I still remember it like it was yesterday. We had arrived in West Branch at my parent’s cabin for a week of swimming, ice cream, late-night movies, games, and a ton of fun…that is until my parents received the fateful call. I was sitting in the living room across from the kitchen as that phone call came. One of my parent’s pastors was trying to get a hold of my aunt and uncle (who were also up north, but in their cabin across the road) to let them know that their son, my cousin, had gotten into a serious car accident. Time stood still. Everything changed in the blink of an eye.
What proceeded next was anything but encouraging! My dad sprinted across the road to tell my aunt and uncle. Together, they all got into a car and headed straight to the hospital which was an hour-and-a-half away. Sitting in stunned silence, we all began to pray quietly to ourselves. The next few hours felt like days as I begged God to spare my cousin’s life. That night, the sovereign Lord chose to take my cousin and his infant daughter to heaven. We were shocked and completely heart broken. This wasn’t happening…except it was.
Sometimes in life, the path that we have chosen changes! Sometimes, it leaves us devastated! This was exactly how the book of Ruth began. Because of a famine in the land, a man of Israel took his family into the nearby country of Moab. Then, surprisingly, the man died. The Bible doesn’t tell us the “how” or the “what,” but we can assume that this was NOT expected by his family. It’s one thing when an elderly man or woman dies; it’s a completely different thing when a man or woman in his or her prime of life dies. Naomi’s husband Elimelech has died.
Life went on, things got back to “normal,” then it happened again. At this point in the story Naomi had two Jewish sons who had married Moabite women. Then, disaster struck again! Both of Naomi’s sons died. Again, this was unexpected. She was left with two daughters-in-law. In the culture of that day, it was very different from today’s culture in regard to wealth distribution and “job opportunities.” If you were a woman without a husband to provide for you both physically and financially, it made you susceptible to thievery and physical abuse. What would Naomi and her daughters-in-law do? They were in a tough place.
It’s not a matter of “if” you are going to have to face disaster in your life, it’s a matter of “when!” We all struggle with the “unexpected!” In my life, I have experienced my cousin’s accident, my sister’s aneurysm, my student’s house fire, and other devastating moments. Just recently, we shockingly lost our dear friend, Toby Hubbard, who was instrumental in Emmanuel being able to adopt Great Lakes Baptist Temple. Life happens. What will you do when devastation “knocks at your door?”
One thing I don’t want to do is be the “spoiler” of this incredible story. You need to read how God provided for both Ruth and Naomi in supernatural ways. The fact is that he will do the same for you in difficult times. While you’re not guaranteed that he’ll remove the pain, God is always faithful to “fill in the cracks” in our hearts in these difficult times. His will is perfect, and I want to leave you with a few questions to ponder as devastation has been introduced but with hope on the way:
1. How do you view God when devastation strikes?
2. How can an eternal perspective give you encouraging hope?
3. What or who are you “holding onto” tighter than Jesus?
4. Are you prone to reacting in bitterness or responding in truth when tragedy strikes?
What proceeded next was anything but encouraging! My dad sprinted across the road to tell my aunt and uncle. Together, they all got into a car and headed straight to the hospital which was an hour-and-a-half away. Sitting in stunned silence, we all began to pray quietly to ourselves. The next few hours felt like days as I begged God to spare my cousin’s life. That night, the sovereign Lord chose to take my cousin and his infant daughter to heaven. We were shocked and completely heart broken. This wasn’t happening…except it was.
Sometimes in life, the path that we have chosen changes! Sometimes, it leaves us devastated! This was exactly how the book of Ruth began. Because of a famine in the land, a man of Israel took his family into the nearby country of Moab. Then, surprisingly, the man died. The Bible doesn’t tell us the “how” or the “what,” but we can assume that this was NOT expected by his family. It’s one thing when an elderly man or woman dies; it’s a completely different thing when a man or woman in his or her prime of life dies. Naomi’s husband Elimelech has died.
Life went on, things got back to “normal,” then it happened again. At this point in the story Naomi had two Jewish sons who had married Moabite women. Then, disaster struck again! Both of Naomi’s sons died. Again, this was unexpected. She was left with two daughters-in-law. In the culture of that day, it was very different from today’s culture in regard to wealth distribution and “job opportunities.” If you were a woman without a husband to provide for you both physically and financially, it made you susceptible to thievery and physical abuse. What would Naomi and her daughters-in-law do? They were in a tough place.
It’s not a matter of “if” you are going to have to face disaster in your life, it’s a matter of “when!” We all struggle with the “unexpected!” In my life, I have experienced my cousin’s accident, my sister’s aneurysm, my student’s house fire, and other devastating moments. Just recently, we shockingly lost our dear friend, Toby Hubbard, who was instrumental in Emmanuel being able to adopt Great Lakes Baptist Temple. Life happens. What will you do when devastation “knocks at your door?”
One thing I don’t want to do is be the “spoiler” of this incredible story. You need to read how God provided for both Ruth and Naomi in supernatural ways. The fact is that he will do the same for you in difficult times. While you’re not guaranteed that he’ll remove the pain, God is always faithful to “fill in the cracks” in our hearts in these difficult times. His will is perfect, and I want to leave you with a few questions to ponder as devastation has been introduced but with hope on the way:
1. How do you view God when devastation strikes?
2. How can an eternal perspective give you encouraging hope?
3. What or who are you “holding onto” tighter than Jesus?
4. Are you prone to reacting in bitterness or responding in truth when tragedy strikes?
Posted in Devotional