by John O’Malley
“Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?” (Ruth 3:1).
A deposit of hope is made in the heart of the hopeless when you consider Naomi’s words. Naomi has assumed spiritual, financial, and familial responsibility for Ruth. It would have been very easy for Naomi to ignore the needs of Ruth’s heart. Naomi could have spent her days nursing the painful past of yesterday. She had come home with tales of departures, death, and disappointments. These events and memories could have become the shackles that kept her in the prison of her mistakes. Yet it was the goodness of God that carried her from the prison of sorrows to the place of supply.
Naomi learned a lesson after more than ten years in her Moab: she must not spend her days wishing she could make a new start . Instead, Naomi sought to make a brand new end. Instead of seeking her own pampering in pouting, she turned her heart toward God, and He changed her misery into a ministry. Naomi’s words lend us insight into her forgiven and healed heart. With conviction, she confesses that she desires rest and reward for Ruth.
What if you learned to do the same thing? Align yourself again with God’s will and Word; take the keys of His grace and goodness and unlock your shackles of misery and mistakes. Now, set your heart on Him. Find someone in your spiritual charge that you can take with you, and bring him or her past the place where you entered your prison of hopelessness. Seek to bring them rest and reward as you minister to them.
Far too often, many disobedient believers end up serving themselves as they wallow in self-pity and sorrow. It is the obedient believer that desires to serve others. Naomi found comfort in serving Ruth by seeking her reward and rest for her. When will you begin to do the same? How long will you choose serving self?