Who or what has stood out to you in the book of Ruth?
For me, the biggest principle that I pull from the entire book is that there is no pain without purpose. God will use every situation for us to grow closer to and more dependent on Him.
Here we sit, reading about Naomi, who lost everything when her sons and husband died. In these days, when you had a husband and bore sons, you had a future and were taken care of. So, when Naomi not only lost her husband, but also her sons, you can imagine how desolate she felt. To her, she saw no hope. However, through this pain, they found their way to Boaz.
Their story was still being written.
Now we come to Ruth 4. With Boaz being in the bloodline of Naomi’s husband, he was second in line to inherit land that Ruth’s late husband owned. With that land came Ruth as, unfortunately, women were considered property in those days. However, the Lord used this to protect Ruth and Naomi.
Upon asking the next of kin if they want this inheritance and them passing on it, Boaz was happy to say “Yes!”
This meant Ruth would become his wife and Naomi had a home and a future again.
Ruth bore a child and a future line was born.
Through all of the pain that Naomi and Ruth had been through, the purpose was yet to be seen.
Here is where the principle stands out.
Sometimes, in our lifetime, we won’t get to see the purpose behind the pain. Naomi knew that she had a future now that Boaz married Ruth and Ruth bore a son. What she didn’t know is that Christ would come from the bloodline of her sons.
How huge is that?! We look at everything she went through and she didn’t even know that the promised Messiah was going to come from her family’s bloodline, from her story of loss.
Not only did God take care of her in these moments, but He brought through her pain our Savior. Naomi didn’t live to see that day, but I bet she was with the Lord praising God in all His Glory of what He did through her family’s line.
As we ourselves walk through painful situations, we may never know the purpose behind it. Our faith is what we do in times of pain. There has been so much pain in my personal life that I could have given up…and I did. Jesus met me and saved me and I am now able to walk through the pain, knowing that He is for me and He cares about me. No matter the pain I may go through, He has a purpose and a plan and will use it for His Glory. And I am okay with not seeing it in my lifetime.
What about you?
Where is your heart and mind when walking through the pain of this life? Are you sitting there angry at God or do you recognize that, because we live in a fallen world and we have to face the consequences of even other’s sin, we can depend on Him to know best?
I challenge you to go before Him and evaluate your heart and actions in painful times.
Will you have the hope of Naomi?
Kelly Lawson
Every Day With God 