Ever Feel Like Naomi?

In studying the book of Ruth, I’ve noticed a thing or two. Most people look at this book as a great romance between Boaz and the book’s namesake. Others see Ruth as the heroine; they should, she stood by her mother-in-law.

However, have you looked at Naomi?

Here is a woman who followed her husband from the land of God’s blessing. Sure there was famine, but to flee to Moab? Wasn’t Moab the nation born in incest? Weren’t they to be avoided?

But we see Naomi’s sons taking Moabite women as their brides.

I wonder what Naomi must have thought. Did she have a say in whether they left Bethlehem? Did she simply follow because her husband said so? Did she agonize and lament the decisions of her husband? Is it possible, when she left Moab and told her daughters-in-law to return to their families; was she really saying, “I want to leave the memory of this terrible move behind me”?

We can’t know the answer to that. What we do see is her response when the women of Bethlehem greeted her upon her return:

“Now the two of them went until they came to Bethlehem. And it happened, when they had come to Bethlehem, that all the city was excited because of them; and the women said, “Is this Naomi?” (Ruth 1:19)

They were thrilled to see her return. For them, Naomi’s return could have been answer to many prayers going before God. Perhaps they knew she was not wanting to leave, but obedient to her husband.

Then we see Naomi’s response:

“But she said to them, ‘Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the LORD has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?’” (Ruth 1:20,21)

Naomi is bitter, heavy-hearted. Deep within, I believe she still trusted God and believed His judgment was just. Perhaps she bore the shame of her husband’s decisions. Maybe she took his action to be her failure as a wife to keep them from stepping out of God’s perfect plan for their lives. Who knows?

So often, I believe we—as women of God—carry the weight of our husbands’ choices. Whether we ought to or not, we pick up the consequences of his action, or inaction, and bear it. When trouble comes, we may take that too, and say, “Well, I deserved this.”

We don’t tell others of the magnitude of our mess largely because of the shame we feel.

The book of Ruth is a book of redemption. The woman Ruth chooses to follow Naomi’s God. She chooses to “convert” and live as an Israelite. Boaz marries her and they have a son—Obed—who fathers Jesse, King David’s father. And we know Jesus is from the line of David.

We see the overt story of redemption in Ruth, but what about the underlying, obscure story. Naomi returned to the kingdom of God destitute, widowed, childless—in shame. The story ends with Ruth laying Obed in her lap. Her shame has been removed. She is no longer the childless woman who left many years before.

Isaiah explains this best:

“The Spirit of the LORD God is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has send Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.” (Isaiah 61:1-3)

Could this be the reason the LORD put it into Naomi’s heart to return to Bethlehem? That He may comfort her… to restore her… to remove her shame… to heal her broken heart?

Listen to this:

“Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, and instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double; everlasting joy shall be theirs.” (Isaiah 61: 7)

I’m guessing that was God’s plan for Naomi. Naming her Naomi was God’s idea. Naming her Mara was hers.

Let me ask you:

Are you shouldering the shame for anything? Past regret? Decisions you had little or no control over? Not living up to what you believe God has called you to?

It’s not too late. He is calling. It’s His desire to restore, to heal, to set free, and remove the shame and guilt.

Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”(Matthew 11:28-30)

All scriptures taken from the NKJV.

Promises, Promises

Give thanks, with a grateful heart.
Give thanks to the Holy One.
Give thanks, because He’s given Jesus Christ, His Son.
And now, let the weak say I am strong.
Let the poor say I am rich.
Because of what the LORD has done for us.
Give thanks.

I learned this song long ago when I first turned and plowed into the arms of my God and King. That was the day He began a healing work in my broken heart and faithfully reminded me of His intent to complete the process until there was no more brokenness left.

Here I am, in excess of twenty years later, seeing that He has kept His word. In the darkest of days and the blackest of nights, He has been there. When the sun shone warming my skin and tiny diamonds peppered the velvety black sky in the night: HE was there.

Though many moments (some of them stretching over months), I felt lonely and fear threatened to overtake me, I knew deep within I was safe because His word is ever-true. His promise to never leave, nor forsake whispered in my soul, coaxed me forward; soothingly saying, “Trust ME.”

And I know that I can trust HIM because HE is faithful. HE has kept HIS promise.

What is HIS promise you ask?

Please allow me to name a few:

“Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you… And the LORD, He is the One who goes before you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.” (Deut. 31:6,8)

No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.” (Josh. 1:5)

Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13: 5)

“…teaching them to observe all the things that I commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28: 20)

“Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.” (Psalm 37: 5,6)

“I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread.” (Psalm 37: 25)

These are just a few. HE will provide for our every need. HE will heal our brokenness. HE will prosper us in HIS way, in HIS perfect time. HE is a good Father who will not dangle something good before our face to tease us.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” (Matthew 7: 7-11)