Good Evening –
I pray your Monday went well and that your week is off to a
good start
I also hope that your Valentine’s Day was, well, lovely
Me, I thoroughly enjoyed my day
But how many of you know that not every day is Valentine’s
Day?
It is easy to love
those who love you – and to love life when life is loving you
But what do you do when it seems like everything is going
wrong?
You choose to love
anyway …
As promised, we will be continuing our focus on love through
the remainder of February
And today we will be re-visiting the story of Naomi
We started her story in our post the saddest valentines
And, you will recall that Naomi had been hit hard by some of
life’s challenges
She had lost her husband and two sons while living in a
foreign land …
So she finds herself returning to her hometown – with one
daughter-in-law,
Ruth,
the daughter-in-law who refused to leave her side
Yet, when she reaches her village she tells the ladies:
“Don’t call me Naomi
[which means pleasant], she told them. “Call me Mara [which means bitter],
because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, but the
LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The LORD has afflicted me;
the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me?” Ruth 1:20-21
Hurt will hurt you – so much so that it will be all you can see at times
I understand why Naomi felt as she did
She experienced tremendous loss,
And it is likely not all the women who came to greet her
were happy to see her
After a long journey, I am certain she was dusty, tired and
looking worn out
“… the women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?” I Ruth 1:19
There is absolutely no way to be certain of their intentions
Some – I am sure – were very happy to see her once again
after so many years
However – knowing the nature of people – some likely used it
as an opportunity to mock
‘Could this be the same Naomi who left here so blessed and
full of hope – returning to the people she left behind, disheveled and alone,
without husband, sons or wealth?’
You know how people can be sometimes
Not everyone who comes to check on you is checking to see that you are
doing well
But their intentions or perspective didn’t really matter,
Naomi already had enough on her
mind all on her own
Her faith was weather-beaten from the storms of life she had
experienced and she was feeling bitter
One online source defines bitterness as being angry, hurt, or resentful because of one's bad experiences or a sense of unjust treatment
It is hard enough to go through difficulties – especially if
you feel like you deserved better
But we must all understand – no one deserves anything
Further, the rain falls on the just and the unjust
The LORD God Almighty …
‘He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on
the righteous and unrighteous’ Matthew 5:45
This is a first-hand testimony from Jesus
In fact, in the verse immediately preceding that verse He
says,
“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” Matthew
5:44
God is Love –
The LORD is well able to handle your enemies;
You focus on handling your heart
And this is what the LORD will do – when you choose to love anyway,
‘He will make your enemies your footstool’ Psalm 110:1
‘He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your
vindication like the noonday sun.’
Psalm 37:6
The 2021 Modern Day
Translation of Psalm 37:6?
He will give your
enemies a front row seat to the blessing show
Now – that is not why we choose to love anyway, but it is
one of the side effects
Naomi’s story has a happy ending!
We will talk about it some more tomorrow …
Have a Blessed Evening!
‘ Thou preparest a table before me in
the presence of mine enemies … my cup runneth over’
Psalm
23:5
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