Do you know that a woman’s influence is powerful when it comes to increasing a person’s faith and being obedient to God? Well, women are uniquely gifted by God to nurture and teach their children and others around them, so we have much to learn from them. This story today is about an awesome woman, of God, named Naomi. It will help us understand how God can use the life of this woman to help us develop our faith in Him. By studying her life story, we will be able to identify the positive attributes of her influence and how her lessons can help in shaping our lives.
So, who was Naomi? Naomi was a woman from Bethlehem. She lived during the time of the judges. She was the wife of a man named Elimelech, and the mother of their two sons, Mahlon and Kilion. She was also the mother in law of Ruth and Orpah. She loved her family dearly. When a famine struck Judea, Elimelech, Naomi and their two boys relocated to Moab. While there, her sons Mahlon and Kilion married the two Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth. After about ten years, tragedy struck her family. Her husband Elimelech died, and sometime later both of her sons also died, leaving Naomi, Ruth, and Orpah as widows.
What a calamity! The three women were left alone, without money or protection. The situation seemed hopeless. They had lost everything! Naomi seemed to have inherited nothing, no land or goods. What a dilemma! Naomi’s situation and future looked bleak. What was she to do? She became depressed. Can you even imagine how she must have felt? She was out in the middle of nowhere, in a foreign land of pagans and idol worshipers. She felt like she had been left with nothing. Have you ever felt like that before? Like everything in your world is crumbling around you. Have you ever known of grief so deep that you felt there was no hope for restoration? Well, that was how Naomi felt. She refused to be called Naomi. She preferred to be called Mara. She blamed God. She said “The Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me”. She felt hopelessness. Her Faith was at an all-time low! She felt God had abandoned her.
However, life must go on. She quickly devised a plan. She heard that the famine in Bethlehem was over and decided to go home to her hometown Bethlehem. She told her two daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth, of her decision and prepared to bid them good-bye. But, as they began to travel, Naomi realized that she had nothing left to offer those young girls. No wealth for them to inherit or sons for them to marry. So she pronounced a blessing over them, and told them to go back to their families, and their gods. Orpah decided to stay in Moab, but Ruth chose to move to the land of Israel with Naomi. It was a bitter sweet experience for her.
Little did Naomi know that God was working behind the scenes. He had everything under control. God, in His mercy, providentially preserved Naomi. God providentially guided Naomi back to her homeland and people. God converted a heathen woman, Ruth, and used her to save Naomi physically and spiritually. God provided provisions and hope for both women as He guided Ruth to Boaz’s field. Eventually, Boaz and Ruth bore a son, Obed, which caused them to be in the lineage of Jesus Christ.
What a mighty, mighty God we serve! In the end, Naomi not only gained a son-in-law who would provide for both her and Ruth. She also became a grandmother to Ruth’s son, Obed. Her life again became sweet and pleasant, blessed by God. Naomi had not returned as empty-handed as she had thought. Naomi was no longer Mara. Naomi’s bitterness was turned to joy. What have you learnt from this story? Here are a few of the lessons:
1. Don’t isolate yourself from the people of God during bad times. Perhaps, like Naomi, you have gone through a time of bitter mourning. Maybe a loved one died, your spouse divorced or walked out on you, a child abandoned you or you lost all your earthy possessions. These and other circumstances may make us feel as if God has abandoned us, but He has not. He will never do that. God promises us hope. For Naomi, hope was personified in Ruth. When you feel God has abandoned you, seek His manifestations of hope. He promises never ever to leave us alone. Keep the faith in God’s promises. Rehearse and remember that the Lord will never leave you or forsake you.
2. Look for those who are hurting and walk close beside them. Thessalonians 5: 14 instructs us to “…comfort the faint hearted, uphold the weak, and to be patient with all”.
3. Don’t give up! Look to the future. When you hit a few bumps in life, get up and try again. God will make a way. When Ruth met and married Boaz, they had Obed – Naomi’s grandson. Naomi probably recognized Obed as another sign of hope because her line would continue. What she could not see was that Obed would become King David’s grandfather. Generations later, David’s line would also be that of Jesus. As you hold onto hope like Naomi did, think about what your choices could mean for the future. God might not show you specifics, but He will provide assurance of blessings.
4. We must learn that in every situation we must always see good. There was Naomi being pruned by God for something great to come: that was the birth of Jesus Christ through her lineage. But because she was not prepared to let God mould her, she was very bitter. We, therefore, can learn from her that we must not assume things regardless of how dark the situation seems to us. Rather, we should place all situations in God’s care and keeping, and know that through prayer, and our faith and belief in God, He would remove any mountain.
5. We must learn to let go and let God work. When Naomi did so, she was rewarded bountifully. She was blessed abundantly. God always has a plan my friends. God will sometimes work things out in ways we could never imagine. When we learn to let go and let God work in all situations in our lives, God will then shows us, indeed, what He has said in His word… “Prove me and see if I would not open the windows of heaven and out-pour blessings too numerous to mention… pressed down, shaken together and running over.” When God restores us, He is with us always, guiding us every step of the way. All we need to do is to listen and obey His still small voice as it speaks to us.
If you are going through a famine in your life right now, please do not worry – trust God. Study Naomi’s story. God turned her famine into a bountiful harvest. You will learn how, even in her darkest hour, God’s plan was working to shine His light on Naomi’s life.
Though she felt abandoned, He had in no way forsaken her. In all of her darkness, God had left Naomi a ray of hope. Naomi story was written to give us hope in our lives’ driest seasons. Naomi has left a very important legacy for us. Through her, we are aware of the fact that in all situations we must see God. When we allow God to mould us to be what He created us to be, we then are destined for greatness – one which many people would talk about for a long time to come.
Remember: Hope is called the anchor of the soul. Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness. Without Christ there is no hope.
About the Author: Mrs. Marilyn Hodge owns and operates the Wellness Centre in the Farrington, Anguilla. The Centre offers Counselling Services by Appointment Only and has now published Positive Living Volume 2. Contact information: 476-3517 or email: marilynb@anguillanet.com. www.facebook.com/axawellnesscentre
