Sometimes, ups and downs in our lives are a good sign...
John 16:33 : ““I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Our lives are not a straight and flat line to the sky! But
we'll get there! Hold on!
Righteous people´s lives have curves, ups, downs,
rocks, dangerous crossings, seas to cross, storms ... But victory is
already assured!
Life has all these hindrances but with God it has always a way,
you will never find a dead end!
Naomi (Book of Ruth) was a happy woman. She was married, she had two
children.But it came a famine in Judah and this family needed
to move. And they went to Moab. Moab was a foreign land, different rules,
different habits, with pagan gods. And it goes against what God expects us to
do that is to keep us separate from the world.
So dies the husband of Naomi. And maybe she thought that
his death was God's hand weighing on the decision of her family to live in Moab.
Now, Naomi´s children play with fire: marry Moabite
women ... And once again, Naomi must have felt that because of judgment death came
to her house, for her two sons died.
So we have a woman who had everything a woman dreamed at that time
- family and children-, but who went through hunger, moving to another place, losing
her husband, losing her children and now
she has two daughters-in-law, two foreigner daughters to care.
She hears about the
visitation of God to Judah and rises to return to Juda. And she departs with
her 2 daughters-in-law. At some point of the journey, Naomi tries to dismiss them.
She talks about her miserable situation, the husband's loss , the loss of the
children. And Orpah kissed her mother in law and returned.But Ruth surprisingly and certainly surprising Naomi decided
to stay.
In chapter 2, Naomi is filled with
hope. Boaz appears to be a possible husband for Ruth. But at first, he does not propose it to Ruth. And this chapter ends full of expectations and
uncertainty, but with the hope of a marriage. (Look at the ups and downs!)
Continuing in chapter 3, Naomi and Ruth draw a risky
plan and Ruth will seek Boaz in the night... She approaches quietly, uncovers his feet, and lays down and she
tells him:"9 Boaz asked, "Who are you?" She said, "I
am Ruth, your servant girl. Spread your
cover, or the corner of your garment; or your wings; over me. Im requesting you
the provision and protection of marriage, because you are a relative, who is
supposed to take care of me. You are a guardian; Kinsman-redeemer" (Bible Expanded Version)
And then they live happily ever after?
No!
Boaz is an honest man and knows that according to
Hebrew´s Rule, there was another man with the right to marry Ruth before
himself. (Look another curve down in the life of this people!) And this relative was interested in the land of Naomi,
but not in a wife and children ... Perhaps he was already married ...
Then at this point you already listen the wedding´s
song! So Boaz and Ruth got married.
And Naomi? What happened to her?
It looks like she was honored (Ruth 4:13-17): neighbors said, "a son was born to Naomi! They
do not say, a son was born to Ruth! "
Again God teaches us through this book that the life
of the saint is full of ups and downs ... The story that began with so many
deaths to Naomi, ends with the birth of a grandson, Obed.
How many times we do as Naomi, rather than resting
and trusting in God, we complain, murmur?
This book reminds us that our lifes are important! Your life is very important to God ... It may seem worthless
to your eyes.. But is very important.
This story could be just a story of a baby born in a
small village, with a grandmother hugging a new grandson… But Obed was the
father of Jesse and Jesse was the father of David.
Suddenly we realize that throughout this simple history
something much bigger than we could imagine was happening. God was not drawing
a temporal blessing for some Jews in Bethlehem. He was preparing the coming of
the greatest king that Israel would have, David. And the name of David brings
the hope of the Messiah, the new age of righteousness, peace, freedom from pain
and tears and grief and guilt.
Your life is very important for people around you. Naomi was very important for Ruth´s conversion. Ruth saw something in Naomi´s testimony and wanted
to follow her even with Naomi's speech about an unfortunate life.
Ruth leaves the gods worshiped in Moab and recognizes
the God of Naomi as the true God.
Take care of your testimony!
Some
things are beyond the script, and in the course of the year you will see many of your
plans frustrated in favor of much larger plans that are God's plans for you.
The college you
wanted to do but didn´t, the job promotion you wanted that you had not, the
"great love" that you thought it would be and was not, that dream you
have and so on.
What God wants from me and you is an unshakeable
confidence and FAITH that if you obey and seek His will, even if some of your plans
fail other major will happen.
That´s why not everything I
wanted God gave me, because He knew it would not be the best for me!
Keep
believing!
You're not seeing or hearing anything ?! Get used, that our God even has a special way to enjoy
surprising, and only at the end is that you will understand…
God does much more than you ever dreamed!
Ana
