New Beginnings...
Ruth 1:16-17 But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me”
The story of Naomi and Ruth keeps cementing my unshakable belief on the place of women in ministry as far as binding the broken hearted is concerned. Because of our ease to listen and empathize with others, this is a ministry that most of us can engage in our daily endeavours at work place, home, church etc. With vulnerabilities around us, we can serve God in this capacity and show love to the neighbour. Naomi is a bitter woman and thinks God has left her and forgotten about her long ago. When all that she had comes to an end with his husband and sons death, she feels that all things is over and she doesn’t have the will to live again. When she begs her daughter in-laws to leave and let her go back to her people, Orpa decides to go back but despite her pestering, Ruth is adamant and actually in the moment of confrontation she reveals the most amazing thing.
Most certainly Naomi needed help and support after losing 3 important men in her life but here she is so adamant and refusing any kind of help. Ruth however, because of the discerning of the Holy Spirit faces her mother in law squarely and what she says is striking. Ideally, if I were in her shoes, perhaps I would have given up on Naomi and left her but Ruth challenges me. As a matter of fact, Naomi hasn’t just given up on herself but also in her God but Ruth comes in and makes six powerful promises that leave Naomi Silent.
She says
- Where you go I will go
- Where you stay I will stay
- Your people will be my people
- Your God my God
- Where you die I will die
- There I will be buried.
With the above assurance and powerful words that anyone would be easily convinced came from the mouth of a bride to his lover perhaps in their wedding day, we would expect Naomi’s heart to soften up and hug sweet Ruth but she goes numb and perhaps with her hands clasping the cheeks in mourning.
Ruth was also hurting for her husband but her strength knocks me up. When hurting, we would want to deal with our pains and rarely would we stand up and be strong for others in our worst. When we are hurting, it becomes even more difficult to look past of our pain to the pain of the one inflicting our pain.
Grace unto you ladies to look beyond your hurt to the one of he/she that is inflicting pain,
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