DEALING WITH DIFFICULTY!!!!!! Ruth 1 (KJV) 1 Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons. 2 And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehemjudah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there. 3 And Elimelech Naomis husband died; and she was left, and her two sons. 4 And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years. 5 And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband. 6 Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the Lord had visited his people in giving them bread. 7 Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters in law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah. 8 And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mothers house: the Lord deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me. 9 The Lord grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept. 10 And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people. 11 And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? 12 Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have an husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have an husband also to night, and should also bear sons; 13 Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye stay for them from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord is gone out against me. 14 And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her. 15 And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law. 16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: 17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me. 18 When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her. 19 So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi? 20 And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went out full and the Lord hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the Lord hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me? 22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest. 1-5 Naomi and her husband Elimelech took their two sons and their wives and left Bethlehem (house of bread) because of the famine in the land. So they tried to escape the trials that God put before them. As a result of the failure of this trial, Elimelech died. Elimelech means God is my King. So by running from the trials, God being King in the life of Elimelech and Naomi died because when they ran from the trials they also ran from God. We must all live in Jesus or God will die in our hearts and lives. We must always ask God what He wants and do as He asks. Proverbs 3:5-8 (KJV) 5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. 8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. 6-9 Naomi heard that in Bethlehem that God blessed the people there with bread so Naomi chose to return there and return to God. We all should do the same when we are in distress and return to Jesus because in Jesus, we will have rest, bread and drink. Naomi was confused and so far from God that she thought that her daughters-in-law would be happy to stay in Moab. An unwise consoler giving advice will be not so of the will of God. 10-22 Naomi is thinking unwisely and tells the two daughters-in-law to return unto their own Gods in their land so they will be happy. They cried and wanted to know of Naomis God and people. Naomi was in so much grief and confused so greatly that she did not see that the one true God can work out all things. Out of all this, Orpha went back to Moab, but Ruth chose to stay in the true and living God with Naomi. No matter how bad things get, never leave Jesus. Stay in the Spirit always and always put Jesus first in your lives and He will guide you into such greatness whether it is on earth or not but definitely in heaven you will prosper. Naomi returned to Bethlehem but was blaming everything on the Lord. Naomi chose to leave the Lord when being given a trial and she failed that trial. So now she gave up. God did not give up on Naomi. Naomi and Ruth are now being blessed among all who were following God and it is the beginning of the harvest in the Spring. When we come back to God and realize that Jesus has surely blessed us for coming to Him, picking up our cross, and asking Jesus to forgive us and cleans us is always what we should do and to put Jesus before our own lives and praise and worship Jesus. God is always with us and never against us. 2 Corinthians 4:8-12, 15-18 (KJV) 8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 11 For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. 16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Posted on: Sat, 26 Oct 2013 07:59:21 +0000