God is still working when life feels empty and even when we are unaware that He is with us. Naomi returned to Bethlehem, overwhelmed by the loss of her husband and sons. She openly admitted her bitterness. Her name, Naomi, means “pleasant” in Hebrew. She knew her life was no longer pleasant because of her …
Choosing faith when the future is unclear is about trusting Him above what we can see with our human eyes. It requires God working in our hearts. This act of faith played a role in Ruth’s life, as she traveled from Moab to Israel with her mother-in-law, Naomi. Years earlier, Elimelech, his wife, and his …
Faith is tested by the choices we make, as seen in Naomi’s daughters-in-law. After the deaths of her husband and sons, Naomi decided to head back home to Bethlehem. The three women readied themselves for the trip and started down the road. Ruth 1:8 But on the way, Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back …
God’s mercy still calls us home even when we have experienced failure. Scripture tells us this repeatedly. This very fact gives insight into the heart of God, our Good Shepherd, who never tires of calling lost sheep back to the fold. As the book of Ruth unfolds, we see this very story of God’s heart …
In this week’s story, we see Naomi repeatedly responding to unwanted transitions. First, because of a drought, the family had moved from Bethlehem to Moab. Then an unwanted death intruded. Ruth 1: 3 Then Elimelech died, and Naomi was left with her two sons.[1] Naomi was now a widow. In that culture, a woman needed a …
Living between loss and direction can be difficult because you are in a place of uncertainty. As people, we don’t like experiencing loss and are often impatient while we wait for direction, yet this type of transition is not unusual. In the book of Ruth, Naomi experienced this challenging transition. In the days when the …
Decisions made without God’s guidance often rely on limited human understanding, leading to avoidable challenges and missed blessings. We can easily fall into this trap, as we see in the story of Elimelech and his family leaving Israel for Moab during a drought. Rutha 1:1In the days when the judges ruled in Israel, a severe …
Have you ever thought that we can bless our descendants? No matter who your ancestors are, you can make a difference by blessings generations that come after you. Many people are not familiar with the book of Ruth in the Bible or her husband, Boaz, but many people have heard about their great grandson King …
Do you want to feel and be uplifted? I think we all do, and one way to do it is to begin by praising the Lord no matter what your circumstances are. Exodus 15:2 The Lord is my strength and my song; he has given me victory. This is my God, and I will praise him— …
Have you noticed that great people in the Bible such as Noah, Abraham, and Paul also had godly character? In addition, people in the world that have caused the most problems are people of ungodly character. Character can be defined as a collection of personality traits within our behavior that shows who we are. This …