The book of Ruth in the Bible starts with
Elimelech, whose name means God is King,
making a poor choice by moving to Moab. It ends with God’s blessing. It is a
story of incredible grace. At the center of the story is a quiet individual
that we almost forget about, Naomi. Naomi first shows up in the second verse of
Ruth, and plays a part in every chapter. She is the center of the story again
in the last paragraph of the story just before the final, short genealogy. When
we think of the book of Ruth we think about Ruth. We think about Boaz, the
redeemer who is a picture of Christ. We think about their great grandson,
David. We sometimes forget Naomi.
That is a lot like motherhood. William
Ross Wallace wrote a poem about mothers entitled, The Hand that Rocks the
Cradle is the hand that Rules the World. Yet that hand is often an
invisible hand. Thinking about the quiet presence of Naomi in the background of
the book of Ruth, she demonstrates three godly characteristics that we would
all do well to emulate?
She is Selfless. In her
selflessness she shows kindness to her daughters-in-law. In her selflessness
she is a blessing to Ruth. In her selflessness she is willing to patiently wait
for God’s timing. Philippians 2:3-4 says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition
or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves.
Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the
interests of others.” The passage then goes on to remind us that selflessness
is exactly how Jesus lived. Even before Christ, Naomi was demonstrating Christlikeness.
Naomi was also industrious when she
took initiative in her decisions. She moved home after the death of her husband
and sons. She counseled Ruth on where to glean and how to respond to Boaz. She
even counseled Ruth in how to take the initiative in approaching Boaz. Proverbs
31:10-19 describes “a wife of noble character” as one who is industrious,
taking initiative to provide for her family. That was Naomi.
Naomi was a woman of faith. She willingly
submitted to what she perceived as the discipline of God, while trusting the
faithfulness and sovereignty of God. George
Mueller said, “To learn strong faith is to endure great trials. I have learned
my faith by standing firm amid severe testings.” It was that kind of strong faith Naomi
possessed and that reproduced itself in Ruth.
The book of Ruth starts with
Elimelech, whose name means God is King,
making a poor choice by moving to Moab. It ends with God’s blessing. It is a
story of incredible grace. Whatever happened Naomi lived her life centered on
Almighty, Faithful God. The challenge for us is to trust God enough that we too
live in such a way that life is not about me. It is about him. That kind of
faith will express itself as selfless, industrious, and reproducing faith.
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