by John O’Malley
“Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter” (Ruth 3:1).
Naomi had not forgotten the words of Ruth, spoken to her on the border between hope and hopelessness. Ruth’s commitment to the heart of Naomi had brought an unmistakable bond between them. This bond went beyond family; it was a joining together of faith.
Naomi would not soon forget that this Moabitish girl had promised against hope to stay with her until death separated them. Ruth’s promise to stay had come when there was no barley harvest, no Boaz, and no promise of a better day. Now, with the barley harvest past, and with Boaz on the horizon, Naomi found that the Almighty had begun to fill the cup of joy in her heart again. Naomi’s words from days gone by seemed hollow in light of Boaz’s compassion and Ruth’s commitment to his harvest and to his heart.
As the mutual interest and affection between Boaz and Ruth kindled, Naomi found hope breaking across the horizon of her heart as she pondered the goodness of Jehovah. Later, her own great-great-grandson would write many times in the book of Psalms, “The Lord is good.” Truly, the goodness of God stirred her heart. Naomi began to see and know that the Almighty had sought to bring her back to Himself. What she had formerly defined as bitter treatment by the Almighty now was becoming clear; it was not bitter treatment at all.
The consolation in the opening statement of this chapter should make you contemplate your own situation. God sought Naomi’s best by bringing her home to redeem their family’s name and to restore the line of Christ. He had remembered His promise to Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob; His promise to them extended to her, and now to Ruth. Ruth’s promise to Naomi reminded her that God had been so very good to them. Now, as the goodness of God began to shadow yesterday’s bitterness, Naomi sought to become Ruth’s mother, matchmaker, and mentor of the faith.
Naomi, with greater ease than a few months before, was able to remember Ruth’s promise. The Lord does arrange the course of our lives to bring about many events; these events are meant to bring Him into better focus.
What do you do when faced with circumstances far greater than yourself? Do you focus more quickly on the problems of the day or on the promises of the Divine? Oh, that we were quick to remember His promises!