Ruth 1:20. “And she said unto them, ‘Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.’”
NAOMI. Often in life there are times when we grieve over what went wrong. We feel guilty about what has happened and we have really lost our song. The mistakes have left consequences we are not even able to change – And we wonder if ever the sun will shine, or if this is going to remain the same.
The years pass by so slowly – there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight. We’ve tried many things to correct it, but nothing seems to set it right. Finally, we stop and consider, “Why not go all the way back to the beginning, And see if the Lord will teach us, or if in some way we still are sinning.”
So, we leave where we’ve been for years, and start on the road back home - And to our surprise there are others who have decided to come along. One for sentimental reasons – the other one with deep conviction; She has learned by watching you in trouble, there is more than soul’s salvation.
Her simple words of faith have a meaning that comes from deep in her heart; And you sense that in her long journey, this first stage is only a start. Her words are filled with faith, she has learned to trust God completely And the remarkable thing to ponder, she has learned this from your testimony.
Not all of life’s lessons are easy; we really learn more in times that are hard. It is in these times of our testing; others see if we are really trusting the Lord. Even when we have to go through deep valleys, and the lessons to learn are bitter; Others looking on are deciding if a life lived by faith in the Lord is better.
We will never really like the testing, the losses, the pain and the hurt; But our loving Father knows well that light seems brighter in the dark – He guides us along step by step and gradually brings back the way we came – And looking beside and around us, we find a lot of others doing the same.
“O Loving Father, thanks so much for recovering me when there have been the times of wandering and wasted efforts. I praise Thee for not leaving me to drown in self- pity or guilt but assuring me that when any recovery or restitution need is finished, then it is time to get on with our service for Thee in life. Amen.”
OPENNESS There is a resistance on the part of most people to letting our feelings show in times that really count. People can ventilate loudly and for a long time at a sporting event when everyone else is doing the same thing, but when it comes to real openness and frankness, the natural tendency is to put our guard up high enough that we think others won't know what eating at us inside. When unexpected things happen or things and events work out differently than what we wanted, we wonder why or what we did that was wrong. Often at such times the outward person is very different from what we are inwardly. The tendency is to camouflage what we are really like and how we really feel about the matter. We become like a door to shut people and events out, rather than like a window allowing light to shine in and illuminate our understanding. It is not our normal choice to let our sincere and genuine emotions out in the view of others but to keep them hidden. When Naomi came back from Moab, she may have looked older, worn and grey with new wrinkles on her face, but she didn't put on a stone face like some do and pretend everything was alright when she was really angry inside.
Like a blank face without expression can hide bitterness and anger, a happy face can cover up a crying heart inside. "Everything is just fine and dandy" isn't always a very honest statement but is a way of deflecting the truth from what is actually happening to us. There is also the "Christian" face that we see when God's people come together that is supposed to advertise our contentment and delight in the things of God. "Praise the Lord, Hallelujah" and other words may be used to hide doubts and confusion within that we think should never been thought about in a Christian's life. It is hard to live and maintain a false front with bluff and bluster for very long. One who is constantly trying to cover up some problem in life may find that the emotional stress one is under affects their physical health and well-being. The body, soul and spirit all are affected by our emotions. Naomi was wise enough to "let it all hang out," doubts, anger, bitterness - all of it was right out in the open because this woman was transparent enough to say what she really meant.
No doubt her return to Bethlehem after being away ten years was a cause of excitement in the little town. They knew her as Naomi, which means "pleasant, lovely," but now she was apparently a bitter woman because of all she lost. It seems like she was disappointed in God as well as in the way her life had turned out. All she had expected and hoped for, plenty in times of famine, a loving husband to care for her, sons who would bring grandchildren to her for her guidance - all that people want today, and what she wanted evaded her completely. The reality was such a disappointment compared to her expectations. She may have thought God would end the famine quickly so they could come home sooner instead of later. Her hopes for a happy family life were gone leaving her nothing at all for the present or the future. She was not only disappointed with God but may not have realized the choice jewel she had in her life - Ruth. Very few people would ever criticize God, even though inwardly we may blame Him for the circumstances in life in which we are found. It is not uncommon for us to sanctimoniously blame ourselves when we are talking to others even though we really don't mean that sincerely. It just plays good to the people we want to impress with our apparent honesty.
By Naomi openly admitting her disappointment, she expressed her desire to have an open, honest relationship with God. That is a high compliment to God who knows our hearts anyway. She was no credit to God and His goodness and even seemed to cast blame on Him for what was taken away from her. That kind of open frankness startles us and must have scared the people of Bethlehem who were so glad to have her back. It is an interesting thing to note that bluntness is not uncommon in the scripture accounts of God's people and their dealings with God. God is quite blunt Himself when He speaks to us. That does not give us the right to irreverence and disrespect toward God but openness and transparency with God is appropriate. God does not overlook our faults and failures and tells us plainly how He feels about that openly and bluntly. The scriptures encourage frankness and specificity so that we can express our feelings, thoughts and intentions that are already known by God.
Openness reveals the fact that we do trust God and His grace in spite of all our failures. It may be one way of complimenting God in whom we trust implicitly in spite of everything that happens to us. Openness in marriage, in friendships and family strengthens our relationships in all of these cases. God our Father knows all these things anyway, so by removing any mask we might try to put on, we let Him know we trust Him in the bad as well as the good times. Naomi told of the bad things that happened and it didn't turn the people off. By telling others of our experiences helps us to unload those things that bear us down helps us as well as them to understand our Lord's dealings for our ultimate blessing. Openness with God is an act of faithfulness towards Him and expresses our faith in His goodness and grace.
We don't often express what we mean when it comes to the affairs of the heart We want people to think that what is seen is not as bad as it seemed at the start So, we get used to saying what we think is best rather than that which is true And before long we suffer from deep unrest as the tensions in life accrue.
Our Gracious God has patience with us so bluntly tells us what's wrong His objective is that we put full trust in Him who for us is so strong The purpose of God is not always clear at the moment when we feel the loss But the faithful one knows our Father is near even though we have to pay sin's cost.
A person is wise to be open and frank regarding our questions in life To try to hide behind some facade brings bitterness, disappointments and strife When nothing is hidden behind a false front then all that is left is the truth We are able to not bluff and rather be blunt with that which is of vital worth.
Failures will come and mistakes too that we wish had not happened to us But with open confession stating what is true we testify that in God only we trust He is open and frank with us and doubtless expects us to be with Him With honest transparency this is a plus and so healing and recovery begin.
O Gracious God my Father, I thank Thee today for telling it like it is to us, and for not getting upset or impatient with me when I fail and complain to Thee. I hope I will never get over, or cease to appreciate, the blessing of Thy unfailing grace and love - and willingness to make it abundantly clear what is right and wrong. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen."