Ruth 1:22 “So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. Now they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.”
Ruth and her mother-in-law, Naomi, stepped out of Moab as broken women. Following the death of their husbands and both of Naomi’s sons, they saw no option other than journey to Bethlehem, Naomi’s homeland, and start over. Moab was the only life Ruth had ever known; there lived her people, her culture, and the gods of her youth. With her first step towards Bethlehem, she relinquished it all.
The journey proved challenging, for Naomi carried a heavy baggage of bitterness. Not only was Ruth’s mother-in-law convinced of God’s abandonment, she was certain the hand of God had gone out against her. But just when all seemed hopeless, scripture offers the smallest glimpse of God’s providence – so small, it almost goes unnoticed.
“Now they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.”
It is easy to overlook the magnitude of this under-statement, but if you know the rest of their story, it was the barley harvest that led Ruth to a wealthy man of God who became her husband. In God’s ultimate plan, their son provided Naomi with a precious grandson who would find a coveted place in the lineage of Jesus Christ. So, consider God’s perfect timing, and consider, who, but a great God, can piece lives back together using a simple grain?
Sisters, the end of their story provides us valuable insight into what Naomi did not foresee:
God never left her. God led her.
Have we ever felt like Naomi, abandoned by God? When we struggle to feel God’s presence, do we trust His faithfulness? When life gets hard, are we assured He has not left us but is leading us?
Like these women, our paths can become burdensome, delivering us to an unwelcomed destination. We may discover ourselves frightened by an uncertain future that robs us of our calm. We might struggle to feel the presence of our loving Father in the midst of our chaos. But never doubt dear Sisters, we can trust He will not leave us. On the contrary, He will lead us.
Father God, help us trust in your faithfulness and see difficulties as part of our journey leading us to your glory.
Blessings,
Rita Cochrane