It can Be Done!

It was an especially violent time, when men did basically what they wanted to do; anarchy was ruling the country. It wasn’t safe to travel the streets by day, let alone at night alone, and even in company with others it was a dangerous undertaking. The land was actually under a curse from God: famine, disease and violent crime were rampant. In this same time, a family left the country, looking for the good life, and thought they had found it. Not long afterward, however, the husband and father of the family died suddenly. The mother and her sons tried to carry on without him, but life became progressively harder. Then one day, not just one, but both of this lady’s sons died! Then, she was in turmoil because in that time, being a widow and childless was almost the ultimate curse. She did have a couple daughters-in-law, but they all together were like fish out of water, just wandering around, wondering what they could do to just make it another day. Then, it seems almost everything happened suddenly for this lady, suddenly news came to her that in her home country the famine that was so severe and had decimated almost everything, was over, and farmers were beginning to have bumper crops of wheat! So, she decided that she was going to go back home, by herself. But her daughters-in-law didn’t want to be without her, even though they were in their native country, they would rather go back with her to her country than be without her in theirs. So, they started with her. On the way, however, this lady who had become so bitter against life, told them that they’d be better off without her, and though they both cried, one of them went back to her home, but the other one clung to her and even came to know her God!

I’m sure that you’ve figured out by now that the lady is Naomi, and her daughter-in-law is Ruth. Now, both Ruth and Naomi were believers in the one True God; they traveled back to Bethlehem, Naomi had become so bitter against the God she loved that her appearance was so different that her friends and her own family in her hometown barely recognized her! She had become so used to being bitter that she actually wanted to change her name to Bitter! But as always in the lives of His people, God was working in Naomi, and He used her former idolatrous daughter-in-law Ruth, among others, to teach her and us great truths about Himself! Among those others was a man named Boaz, who we’ll not say too much concerning now, except that in a time of great godlessness, he not only influenced his family, but even his employees for good and for God! It can be done!

We have a delightful free Bible course in our BBN Bible Institute on the book of Ruth, course number 40900. Not only will it inform you it will also enlighten and enliven your faith! If so, please tell a friend!