Every day we find ourselves in various circumstances. Often, we use those circumstances to guide us in making decisions. However, that can be dangerous, because we often misread our circumstances.

Consider the account of Naomi that is detailed in the book of Ruth.

Ruth 1: 1-5: “In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. The man’s name was Elimelek, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there.” Now Elimelek, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.”

Naomi and Ruth made the decision to return to Naomi’s home in Bethlehem, and the following verses record their exchange with her community upon their arrival:

Ruth 2:19-21: So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?” “Don’t call me Naomi,” she told them. “Call me Mara, 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.”

We can certainly understand Naomi being sad after losing her husband and two sons.

But God doesn’t make mistakes. God is in control, even in these very hard circumstances. When we allow Him to be the center of our thoughts during our challenging times, we can find peace and joy in the midst of our sadness. After all, God understands loss. He gave His One and only Son, Jesus, to die for our sins. God the Father and God the Son had never been separated for eternity past, but when Jesus paid our debt on the cross, He was separated from His Father when He became sin and took God’s wrath as the penalty for our sin. He was sinless, but willingly gave His life so we could be reconciled to God. 

How did Naomi react and respond to her challenges? She chose to allow the circumstances to overwhelm her. She allowed her emotions to control her. She felt (emotions are dangerous to trust) that God had done wrong to her. She had a very narrow view of her life, and her circumstances misled her because she lost sight of Who God is and the amazing possibilities He can bring when we hope in Him. She didn’t know what we know, the rest of her story.

That is why we need to be cautious when attempting to base our feelings and decision on circumstances. As Naomi didn’t know her future, neither do we know what God has in store for our future – what His good plans for us hold.

The truth for Naomi was that God was guiding her life. That is the same truth for those of us who are Christ’s followers – God IS guiding the moments of our lives.

The truth for Naomi was that God had really great plans for her future. She simply couldn’t see it through her emotions. The truth for Christ’s followers is that God has really great plans for our future! Read Revelation 21 and 22, and you will be informed about those plans.

We can learn from Naomi:

Naomi should have found rest and comfort in the character of God. 

Naomi should have focused on the ways God had loved and protected her up until this point.

Naomi should have remembered that God doesn’t owe us today, nor tomorrow.

Naomi should have remembered that God has only good plans for His people, even in the midst of this fallen world. That is not easy when our circumstances hurt, but it is the truth.

But God is the only One who can truly comfort and heal us when life brings unexpected events that we view as negative.

This is what Naomi didn’t know God had planned for her:

Ruth 4:13-15: So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.”

A grandchild doesn’t make up for the loss of a child, but God can use that grandchild to heal our suffering in the midst of that loss.

What Naomi also didn’t know during her lifetime, but what God has revealed for us, is that Naomi’s grandchild would be the ancestor of King David! That is amazing! 

4:21-22: “Boaz the father of Obed, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David.”

But God has an even greater blessing to reveal. Naomi’s grandchild would be in the lineage of Christ [Matthew 1:1-16]. I wonder what it was like for her to know that when she went to be with the Lord? 

Sometimes, the greatest blessings might not come on this side of eternity. 

That is why we need to trust God and His good plans for our lives. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

That is why we cannot allow our circumstances to mislead us, because when we do, we waste valuable time that could be used for worshipping God. When we worship God, our hearts are refreshed, and we can find a different perspective in our circumstances, we find God’s perspective. The circumstances may not change, but God does something supernatural in us through our praise that releases the negative, to produce something good in us.

Psalm 22:3 [WEB]: “But you are holy, you who inhabit the praises of Israel.”

Proverbs 17:22: “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”

John 14:27: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

What circumstances are you grappling with today? How might singing praise songs and reading the Bible help you to change your perspective?

I’d be happy to come alongside you in your struggles. Please contact me at:  ButGodCares@gmail.com, 

Living for Jesus, Donna

P.S. If this has helped you, please feel free to share it with others!

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Copyright 2023 Donna Shappy   All rights reserved.  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other – without the prior permission of the author.