I was so honored to share a devotional this morning at my church at Freedom Church Baltimore. I wanted to share it here as well, as it speaks to hope in the hurting places of our life. The video can be found here, where I begin at around minute 21; and below is the transcript:
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Good morning Freedom Church!
When Pastor Jeremy so graciously asked if I would consider doing a devotional today, he asked me to pick a woman who really resonates with me.
I knew who she was almost instantly, and I wish I could say she was Queen Esther, bravely risking her life to save all of her people from certain death, or Mary who Jesus said had chosen the “good part”- that one thing necessary, or- can you even imagine- the Proverbs 31 woman.
But no, none of them came to mind, but the woman I knew I resonated with was Naomi.
Naomi, who in Ruth chapter 1 verse 20, told her community, don’t call me Naomi, call me Mara- because the Almighty has made my life very bitter.
I remember vividly Mother’s Day three years ago, being here at Freedom, crying through the entire service. I had just gone through my second miscarriage, and was dealing with a plethora of severe health complications from it. My husband was gone out of state, visiting my dear mama-in-law who was in the ICU fighting for her life.
I can’t say that was a Happy Mother’s Day.
I imagine there are many here struggling with Mother’s Day today as well. And probably many not here because the struggle is easier fought at home.
Naomi knew hardship. She gets a bad rap, so often when discussed in our comfortable little Christian circles, she’s just known as the bitter one. But Naomi was so much more than her pain.
She had been through tremendous loss, we can’t discount that. She had been a refugee due to a famine, and after relocating, her husband and both of her sons died. She returned to her homeland poor, without her husband, 2 sons, and one of her daughters-in-law.
But, as the story beautifully tells us, the other one, Ruth, remained.
I want to give us a few quick lessons from Naomi’s account:
First of all, Naomi acknowledged God. “The Almighty has made my life very bitter”– It’s interesting to me how well we notice her use of the word “bitter” but miss the recognition she had for God’s hand in her hardships. How often do we pat ourselves on the back for our good attitudes through loss, yet never allow ourselves to really go there when thinking about what God allows? Maybe you haven’t struggled with being mad at God, but have you separated Him from your trials? I know the pain of wrestling the questions- Why would God, How could God, Did He really… it did not at first comfort me to know God was with me- if that were true, how could He just sit back and watch my suffering unfold? I had to face the questions- I had to acknowledge God’s hand in the painful events of my life. It was not fun to wrestle- but I assure you, the deepening of faith and peace that comes on the other side is a divine gift that is worth all the wrestling.
Secondly, Ruth stayed but bitterness did not. Ruth is an amazing example of how to help a sufferer by just being present. We have no record of Ruth correcting Naomi, telling her how to cheer up, count her blessings, or move on. Ruth simply stayed with Naomi, and I have no doubt that’s a large part of why bitterness did not. As the book of Ruth unfolds, we see Naomi act with hope and be a guiding voice in Ruth’s own healing journey. Let Naomi be a reminder that bitter seasons can end. And it didn’t take fixing the broken circumstances to end it. Your bitterness can end today too, even without your story getting happy. When you walk out of this church later today, your bitterness can be left right here. We can lament honestly and with hope, free from bitterness.
Lastly, Jesus is the bow tie to your story of suffering: As I remember that Mother’s Day from 3 years ago, it’s amazing to look at where God has brought us this Mother’s Day. My mama-in-law is here with us today, and my recently adopted daughter as well. I am still here. And I still have faith. All of that is God’s miraculous grace. But none of that wraps up my painful story with a pretty bow tie. And isn’t that what we so often want in suffering? The perfect bow tie at the end to just neatly wrap everything up pretty again. But circumstances are limited to do that. We see that in Naomi’s life. At the end of the book of Ruth, there is a lot of restoration for Naomi, just like I can see a lot of restoration as well. But there are holes left for Naomi too. We all know there’s no such thing as replacement children. Naomi rejoices in Ruth’s marriage but still has lost hers. There’s trauma gone through that leaves wounds.
I resonate with areas of lingering loss and scarring.
But at the end of the book of Ruth, we see Naomi’s bow tie, that came long after she was on earth to see it. At the end of Ruth and in Matthew chapter 1, we see that Jesus Himself descended from Naomi’s grandson Obed, and so Obed and Ruth were included in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Not only had God given Naomi a kinsman redeemer to help heal her pain, but God had done abundantly more by using her pain to help bring us the Redeemer of the world to heal all His children’s pain.
Out of Naomi’s hardships, came Jesus. And out of your hardships, He can come as well. Jesus gives us purpose and meaning for our suffering. Jesus gives us hope. Jesus gives us Himself. Jesus will use every bit of your pain and your loss. Like Naomi, we may not get to see all the answers and puzzle pieces fit together during our lifetime. But have faith, knowing He is working to redeem it all.
Father God, how we thank you for Jesus. We thank you for hope. We thank you that you allow us to honestly grieve, but help us to do so without bitterness, because we know You are sovereignly working all things to good. Touch each hurting heart today Lord. May we not pretend or hide from our pain, but instead take each broken piece to You, knowing You will redeem each one. In Jesus Name, Amen.