Epiphany 7 and Ash Wednesday

Epiphany is the season when the lectionary readings explore ways Christ and God are made ‘manifest’ or clearly seen. As the hymn Songs of Thankfulness and Praise* notes this happens in many ways. Jesus was “Manifested by the star/To the sages from afar”. Then again, “Manifest at Jordan's stream…at Cana, Wedding-guest/In Thy Godhead manifest”. The hymn goes on to tell of healing, “Ever bringing good from ill.” There is a foreshadowing of the coming darkness of Lent and joy of Easter when we sing, “Sun and moon shall darkened be/Stars shall fall, the heavens shall flee/Christ will then like lightning shine….Thou by all wilt be confessed.” Finally, we ask for “grace to see Thee, Lord/ [to] imitate Thee now…God in man made manifest.”

Throughout Epiphany we looked at the way God was ‘manifest’ in the lives of the men and women of the Book of Ruth in the Bible. We heard from them how God acted in and through their lives, even when they weren’t aware of it. The were evangelists for God, even though they didn’t necessarily know that. We also are evangelists for God. We make God visible to the people and world we interact with, too. It’s an awe-some responsibility. 

If you want to delve even further into the story of Naomi and your own faith journey, you can get the just completed study guide that supplements my book, Naomi’s Joy. Called Rooted in the Tree of Life the study helps you think about your story by considering Naomi’s life and Jeremiah 17:8. Over the 6 sessions, you’ll create a ‘tree’ to represent your faith journey and gain insight into the work of God in your life. If you are looking for a Lenten study, this might be it! You can download the study, or request a print copy ($5 to cover shipping) by emailing Cynthia. 





Wednesday of this week is Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent. During the 40 days of Lent, I’ll be exploring ways we might RE-Turn to God. The prefix ‘RE’ means ‘do again’ or ‘go back’. We will explore how we RE-Solve to turn to God, how we work to RE-Pent, as well as RE-Member as we seek to RE-Concile, RE-Store and allow God to RE-Create us during Lent. Then we are able to celebrate RE-Surrection. There will be optional directions for creating a Lent Box aid to use throughout the season.

The Lent retreat of the Women of the Diocese of the Rio Grande has the same theme. It will be led by the Rev. Canon Lee Curtis, who will have his own way of looking at this way of moving through Lent toward RE-Surrection. More info on the Women’s Ministry website.



*Songs of thankfulness and praise,
Jesus, Lord, to Thee we raise,
Manifested by the star
To the sages from afar,
Branch of royal David's stem,
In Thy birth at Bethlehem.
Anthems be to Thee addressed
God in man made manifest.

2. Manifest at Jordan's stream,
Prophet, Priest, and King supreme,
And at Cana, Wedding-guest,
In Thy Godhead manifest;
Manifest in power divine,
Changing water into wine.
Anthems be to Thee addressed
God in man made manifest.

3. Manifest in making whole
Palsied limbs and fainting soul;
Manifest in valiant fight,
Quelling all the devil's might;
Manifest in gracious will,
Ever bringing good from ill.
Anthems be to Thee addressed,
God in man made manifest.

4. Sun and moon shall darkened be,
Stars shall fall, the heavens shall flee;
Christ will then like lightning shine,
All will see His glorious sign;
All will then the trumpet hear,
All will see the Judge appear;
Thou by all wilt be confessed,
God in man made manifest.

5. Grant us grace to see Thee, Lord,
Mirrored in Thy holy Word;
May we imitate Thee now
And be pure as pure art Thou
That we like to Thee may be
At Thy great Epiphany
And may praise Thee, ever blest,
God in man made manifest.

Epiphany: Naomi

We have come to the end of ‘meeting’ the characters of the Book of Ruth. Today we meet Naomi, who was the one who instigated and held the story together. It was her family’s journey to Moab that began the process that led to Ruth’s marriage to Boaz and a place in God’s work of salvation.

The image is Ruth Swearing to Naomi by Jan Victors, 1653. I chose it because, as many artists have done, Victors dresses the women in contemporary clothing rather than Middle Eastern garb. I think this helps us understand the timelessness of this story and the way God continues to work our salvation through the loving actions of everyday people. Naomi’s life and actions impacted each person she met. We also make a difference, hopefully for good, with those we interact with. 

Naomi tells her story:


My life has never been easy. I think the Living God has been testing me from the beginning. I was born during the Exodus and married Elimelech while we were still traveling around. I could tell you stories of all the miracles that the Holy One of Israel did while we wandered. There was the daily manna-the sweetish bread-like food we ate. There was water flowing from a rock. There was the ever-present pillar of cloud and fire that we followed. At first, I was afraid of that, but you get used to it.

There were scary things too, like the snakes that killed many in the camp until Moses made a bronze snake on a pole. There was the time Miriam, Moses’ sister, got leprosy and had to live outside the camp for a week. I never understood why that happened.

Then we finally came to the Jordan River. Moses had died and Joshua was the leader. It was time to enter the “Promised Land”. It didn’t seem possible. Always that had been just a distant dream. Joshua told the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant to step into the River. Then the waters stopped flowing! All of us crossed the riverbed without getting our feet wet. I still get shivers thinking of that day. It was like the stories told of Moses separating the waters in Egypt so the Children of Israel could escape.

The strangest thing was walking around the city of Jericho in complete silence for seven days. When we finally shouted and attacked, we defeated the defenders of the city. We were free to settle in the lands given to each tribe.

Elimelech and I came to Ephrath, his ancestral hometown. We discovered it had been re-named Beyt-Lehem in honor of a local god. All the Children of Israel continued to call it Ephrath. Although now, some are saying that the name is Bethlehem (meaning House of Bread) rather than Beyt-Lehem for the god. It doesn’t matter to me.

When the Great Famine came, Elimelech thought we should move to Moab. We resettled there and were happy enough. When he died, my sons took care of me. They married Orpah and Ruth, local girls. We were content, even though I missed my husband.

My sons were killed, and that was the end of happiness. The townsfolk said it was raiders who burned our crops and murdered Mahlon and Chilion. They never knew that I overheard some speculation that it was really a couple of locals who hated us for being foreigners.

Gradually my dowry dwindled, starvation loomed, and I decided to return to this place. I can at least die among my own people, I thought. My daughter-in-law, Ruth, refused to let me go alone. She has been a great comfort. The people here have welcomed her for my sake. I think they have come to honor her devotion.

In fact, I noticed that Boaz, son of Salmon and Rahab, was interested in Ruth. I encouraged her to seduce him at the threshing floor. Even though I wasn’t sure it would work, I knew it would be the best solution and give her the security of a husband.

And God is gracious, Boaz married her! I am glad that she will be cared for. She has just given birth to a son. He will be named Obed. As the neighboring women say, “The Living God has not left you without next-of-kin. This child shall be a blessing, and your daughter-in-law, who loves you, has given birth to him.”

I think the best years of my life are ahead.



Naomi had a difficult life of travel and tragedy. Yet, God is present through it all. Can you see God’s hand in some difficult time in your life?

Naomi was an Evangelist even if she didn’t know that word. Her life and actions pointed others to God, even in her darkest times. How do you think you are an evangelist?

© Cynthia Davis 2020

 The story found in the Book of Ruth is one I told in my book Naomi’s Joy. A study guide for that book is now available for free download, or you can request a print copy ($5 to cover shipping). The study looks at the biblical record on which Naomi’s Joy is based and guides you in making a Tree of Faith as you consider the story of Naomi and Ruth in light of Jeremiah 17:8. (They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.) 
As you think about your life’s faith journey, and ‘grow’ a tree to represent it, I hope you’ll gain a deeper understanding of the work of God in your life. This might be a study aide for Lent since there are 6 parts to the study. 
On this blog during Lent, we'll be looking at ways God calls us Again and Again. We RE-Pent, RE-Member, RE-New and so on. If you are in NM or SW TX, you could also attend the Women's Ministry Retreat with that same topic. Info and registration can be found on the Women's Ministry website.  

Ruth: Foreign No More

There is a lot of talk these days about ‘aliens’ and ‘foreigners’. The concern is not new. In the Old Testament, there are many citations about treatment of the foreigner, along with reminders that the Children of Israel were “strangers in the land of Egypt”. (Exodus 22:21, Deuteronomy 10:19, Deuteronomy 23:7)

Leviticus 19 further says, “When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. The stranger who resided with you shall be as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 19:33-34)

The New Testament builds on this base. Jesus says that all will be judged by their response to the needy, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” (Matthew 25:25-36) Of course the story of the Good Samaritan is, on one level, a condemnation of the religious and a commendation of the foreigner, who acted with greater mercy than the priest and lawyer. (Luke 10: 25-37)

There were rules in the Old Testament, making provision for the aliens, along with widows and orphans. Psalm 146:9 says, “The LORD protects the strangers; He supports the fatherless and the widow,” The stranger gets the same level of care as the orphans and widows. The law in Leviticus 19:9-10 is especially applicable to the woman we are meeting today. We read, “When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner.”

Today we see that God provides for those who are ‘foreigners,’ just as much as God provides for the Children of Israel. Ruth was a foreigner, without a doubt. She was born in Moab and raised in Moab, She was wed in Moab to a Hebrew man. This is not the first instance in the Bible of foreign women becoming wives of Hebrew men. Judah, son of Jacob, married a Canaanite woman. Joseph, while in Egypt, married Asenath, daughter of a priest of On. Moses himself was married to a Midianite woman-Zipporah.

Ruth, we learn loved and clung to her mother-in-law even after her husband died. (Ruth 1:6-19) She returned to Bethlehem with Naomi. In my book Naomi’s Joy, it is Ruth who helps Naomi understand that she is not cursed by God. In my story, when the miller will not grind the grain Ruth has gleaned in Boaz’ field, the young woman is devastated. As she comforts her friend, Naomi realizes God loves her, and has provided for her all her life:

It was a subdued meal. I was distracted by the idea that Boaz bar Salma was developing an interest in my daughter-in-law. Ruth stared at the basket of grain as if she detested the sight.

“My mother, forgive me for bringing such shame to his house,” when she spoke, I realized that she thought my preoccupation was from anger.

“Oh, my child, no!” A wave of sympathy swept over me. “You have done nothing wrong. I was thinking about something. My daughter, truly without you I would not care to live.”

Tears welled and slipped down her smooth cheeks.

“I am a foreigner,” through sobs she spoke. “The ga-al you spoke of will not want to have the burden of two women. Why would anyone be concerned with what happens to a Moabite?”

“Ruth, my daughter,” compassion had me scrambling to her side.

I took the slender frame in my arms. Sobs shook her body. I held my friend tight.

“Ruth, you must forget what Ahaz said. He is wrong. You are a daughter of Israel.” Comforting words flowed easily. 

I felt the negative motion of her head on my shoulder.

“Yes,” I insisted, “Your faith is greater than mine. I have turned away from the God of Israel in despair and anger.”

My own words convicted me. I stopped with a gasp. It felt as if all my breath had been kicked from my lungs. Ruth drew back to look at me when I stopped speaking. I stared past my companion trying to draw air past the great lump that felt lodged in my throat.

“Mother Naomi?” I barely heard the question.

I lowered my head in despair. Tears welled in my eyes. Suddenly I was sobbing. Whimpers of animal anguish wrenched from my lips.

“God, God,” it was all I could say. I rocked back and forth holding my knees as the truth rolled over me.

“My mother,” Ruth tried to take me in her arms.

She had to be satisfied with patting my shoulder as I continued to rock and weep. A lifetime of pent up sorrow and grief flooded out in my tears.

“It is true.” I spoke more to myself than Ruth. “God did not reject me I turned away from the Holy One. I would not let I AM comfort me.”

“I did not know,” the girl stroked my hair.

“I needed to blame the Almighty for my grief. I told myself that God took what I loved because I had done something wrong or because I was not thankful enough. All my life I hated I AM. I never dared trust that I would be cared for. If I failed in any way I was certain that I would be punished. When Elimelech died I knew I was right. I told myself that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob turned away when we left the Promised Land. After Adah’s death I was sure that the Holy One hated me because I allowed her to marry a foreigner.” I panted as the confession poured out through my sobs. “I hated my life enough to die.”

“Mother Naomi,” the young woman held me tight unable to respond to my words.

“I was wrong. The Living Lord did not desert me.” I spoke low as comprehension burst into my heart. Tears I could not stop rolled down my face. “You once said that the Holy One of Israel provides healing even for death and pain. Ever since my father died from the bite of the serpent I have been angry with God. Everything that went wrong was another reason to blame the Lord of Life. All I saw were the many laws that had to be followed. When I AM brought the people from slavery it was not to blindly follow laws.”

“Really?” Ruth was trying to understand me. “All the gods have rules to follow.”

“That is not the way of the One God. Sarai once tried to explain to me that the Law is a guide built on love not a whip for punishment.” I raised my head and took my friend’s hands in my own. “It is in relationship with one another and with God we can all live in freedom no matter what our circumstances. Your loyalty and steadfast faith in God are all that kept me alive even when I have refused to be free. All my life I preferred rage. The Almighty never stopped providing help and comfort. Even in the depths of my despair, a way was opened to return to Bethlehem. We have come here to the land of promise.”

“Your God may yet be gracious,” hesitantly the young woman offered.

“Yes,” I took a deep shaky breath. My tears dried on my cheeks as I moved my head in assent. With my newborn faith I asserted. “I AM will provide.”

Ruth tilted her head to study me. In an awestruck voice she whispered, “You really do believe the God of Israel will help us.”

“I do not know what will happen now that we have returned to Bethlehem.” Tears began again. They were joyful. Confidence enfolded me. I held Ruth’s hands between mine. “Already we are being provided for. God is with us. I know that the God of Israel will yet bless you, bless us.”

In writing this part of the book, I was reminded of the times in my life when God provided for me and my family. Sometimes it was actual money in just the right amount and at the right time. At others it was the direction toward a new job or new opportunity. God has always been there for me. God is there for all of us, all the time. There is a saying: "God is good all the time." and the response to that is "All the time, God is good!"

In the New Testament letters, the early Christians were called aliens and foreigners. the First Letter of Peter notes “Dear friends, I urge you as aliens and exiles to keep on abstaining from the desires of the flesh that wage war against the soul.” (I Peter 2:11) Paul tells the Gentile congregation in Ephesus “remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world." (Ephesians 2:12). However, he continues, “you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of his household,” (Ephesians 2:19)

Have you ever known that God has provided for you?

Since God doesn't make any distinction between loving you and loving a ‘stranger’ or ‘foreigner’, shouldn’t we treat everyone the same?

(Image: Cover, Naomi’s Joy, (c) 2005)

(c) Cynthia Davis 2017 

Naomi Loses Hope

When we left Naomi last time, it seemed that all was going well in the new home in Moab. Elimelech took his family and left their newly settled homeland of Israel because of a famine. Remember, the Children of Israel returning from Egypt had not been in their new homeland very long. We can sometimes forget, because it’s an entirely different book in the Bible, that the time frame between Exodus and Judges and Ruth is not really that long. In fact, in my novel, Naomi was a child during the time of the Exodus.

We know that Elimelech took his wife and sons to Moab, where the sons grew up and were married to Moabite girls. But he died there, and “when they had lived there for about ten years, both Mahlon and Chilion also died, so that the woman was left without her two sons or her husband.” (Ruth 1:4-5)

Naomi is now a widow in a foreign land. There is no man to provide protection or financial security. She is in a precarious position. Her daughters-in-law could return to their families, but Naomi really had very few options.

Tragedy and grief can cause you to doubt God’s love and goodness. When you are confronted with the pain of loss, it can be easy to blame God. If you feel that there is no hope, you can easily despair. In the times when it looks like all doors are closed and there is nothing good, you can become angry.

Have you ever had a time when you were angry at God because life seemed to have taken a turn for the worse and you couldn’t see how it could be made right again? Maybe it was grief, or perhaps it was losing a job, maybe you felt like you had lost your identity along with your job.

That is what happened to me when I was asked to step down from the Director of Religious Education position. My identity had been wrapped up in being a ‘super’ Sunday School leader, and I found myself both at loose ends and rather angry with God. I felt like God had pulled the rug out from under my feet; or at least had allowed it to be jerked away.

There is a current Christian song Thy Will by Hillary Scott which states my thoughts during that time in my life. She sings “I'm so confused I know I heard you loud and clear. So, I followed through Somehow I ended up here. I don't wanna think I may never understand That my broken heart is a part of your plan. When I try to pray All I've got is hurt and these four words: Thy will be done…Just trying to make sense Of all your promises Sometimes I gotta stop Remember that you're God And I am not..” 

Eventually I was able, like Scott to say, “I know you see me I know you hear me, Lord Your plans are for me Goodness you have in store…Good news you have in store So, thy will be done…”

Sometimes it can take a long time to come to terms with the death of dreams, or the death of a beloved husband and sons like Naomi. In my book, Naomi’s Joy we see her turn even against God as she loses hope.

My heart was empty of anything except hatred for the God who stole all I cared for. Even grief did not touch me…Bit by bit the dowry I was so proud of as a girl vanished. The necklace Elimelech brought me from Ai was first to go. It turned into flour and cheap barley beer and cheese. Even though we practiced great economy the coins disappeared gradually.

[One] night I walked out of our house. My footsteps took me in the direction of the graves of Elimelech and my sons.

“What am I to do?” I asked the barren ground. With my teeth gritted I looked up at the starry sky. “God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob have I not been chastised enough? I obey all your commands, even in this foreign land. You take from me all that I love and now you make me abandon those I love as daughters. In order to spare them death from poverty, I must leave so they will look for new husbands to care for them. Do you offer no hope?”

There was only silence in the night. Far away a dog barked. My heart was empty. I did not have the courage to walk away from my home into the barren desert even to spare Ruth and Orpah. With plodding steps I turned from the graves. At the edge of town I paused. A trader’s camp was set up ready for the morning business.

A tiny hope flickered in me. “I will do it.”

For the rest of the night I sat outside our small house. My jaw was set. There were no tears, only a cold resolve fueled by anger at the God who abandoned me. My course was set.

We may think that situations like Naomi’s have no place in the ‘modern’ world where women have rights and are not dependent on husbands for security. We may think this is true in America. However, there are families and children who go to school hungry, who sleep in cars, who struggle from day to day.

Around the world, the situation is even graver in some places due to war, drought, famine, and insensitivity. There are women and children at risk and dependent on the hospitality of others for life itself. Our God calls us to look around and respond in ‘loving our neighbor as ourselves’. 

What can just one person do? There are organizations like Heifer Project and Episcopal Relief and Development, Unicef and Bread for the World, to name just a few who work to make these situations less dire. Communities have food banks and organizations, too.

Each of these is an opportunity to give hope to someone who has lost it. Each is a chance to be the hand and feet of God, and perhaps restore someone’s faith. Is there something you can do right now to offer hope?

Naomi's Sons Marry in Moab

In our journey through the Book of Ruth, we come to the pivotal move to Moab. On January 16, we saw that “there was a famine in the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons.” Now we learn a little more, “The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion; they were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. These took Moabite wives; the name of one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth.” (Ruth 1:2-4)

In what we may think is our familiarity with the story of Ruth-how she was faithful and left her homeland of Moab to come to Bethlehem with Naomi-we might skip over the surprising, perhaps even shocking implications of Elimelech’s decision to uproot his family and move to Moab. If you look at an Old Testament map, you will see that Moab is located on the east side of the Dead Sea (or Salt Sea as it was called in ancient times). To get to Moab from Bethlehem would have been at least a 30-mile trek to the Jordan and then a river crossing. Once in Moab, this Hebrew man and his family would have needed to find a place to live. We are not told what town in Moab Elimelich settled in, so we don’t know how far into this foreign country they went. 

It can be difficult to determine how to live in the midst of a culture that is not like you are accustomed to. While it does not compare to moving to a foreign country, I moved many times as a child. Each new home was a chance not only for new friends, but also to experience a slightly different lifestyle. The big city school and friends gave way to a small-town grade school where it was hard to make new friends because everyone knew everyone already. By the time I entered High School, 3 schools later, I had to make the conscious effort to be outgoing and try to meet new friends. I’m glad I did because one of those new friends had a brother, who I later married.

Changes in our life circumstances can affect our faith and relationship with God. In my book Naomi’s Joy, Naomi is concerned that they are sinning by leaving Bethlehem. Eventually she becomes content with the new life she and her family have found in Moab. It is strange in some ways, but the longer they live there the more familiar it becomes. The family works hard to maintain the ways taught by Moses. There is real soul searching when her sons want to marry Moabite girls. Elimelech struggles with the reality of their new life far from other Jews.

“Naomi, I must think,” the man held up a hand before I spoke. “I have to consider the future of my sons and my heritage. Our possessions have multiplied. Mahlon is right to say that unless he marries a Moabite the lineage of Elimelech will die.”

“The god of Jacob has blessed us. You have said that is proof of blessing.” I sought to ease the torment by reminding the man of his own words.

“Dare I disobey the word of Moses?” A big hand ran through his hair until it stood up in front instead of lying in neat square bangs similar to all the men of Moab.

“My husband,” kneeling beside the man I tried to smooth the hair. He pushed me away. “Ruth wants to know more of our ways and leave the gods of this land.”

“Do you know that?” Hopeful eyes looked at me across the short distance.

“Yes,” I did not know if he could see my nod in the meager light of the sliver of a moon rising in the east.

The man made no reply.

“She has prayed to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” I hoped the girl would forgive any breach of confidence. “It was Ruth who helped with the Passover. She hung on every word of the story.”

“I will think on it,” still my husband did not sound convinced.

“Moses himself wed a foreigner,” I whispered softly as a final argument.

“Be silent,” Elimelech flung himself onto the pallet with his back to me.

As we know from the Biblical citation, the sons of Naomi and Elimelech do marry Moabite girls. In my novel, Naomi prays that they will bear children.

“Truly we are the chosen of God,” I marveled, at peace with the Holy One. “I see that you do bless us here. You heard my prayers and have brought wives into my sons’ homes. My daughter will find a husband and I will hold grandchildren in my arms. May Ruth and Orpah be fruitful in your eyes.”

Naomi’s prayer does come true, but certainly not in the way she expected, as we will see as we venture deeper into the story of the family and Ruth’s faithfulness to her mother-in-law.

As you look back over your life and faith journey, are you able to see the Hand of God in the various changes along the way?

Have you ever had to stand up for your faith?

How can we remain true to the faith we have been taught and believe when our neighbors do not believe and the world belittles religion?

Next time, we’ll see how Naomi fares when God seems to strike at her heart in the death of those she loves. 

Naomi's Marriage and Sons

We saw last time that Naomi, found in the Bible Book of Ruth, could have grown up during the Exodus wanderings in the wilderness. This isn’t found in the Biblical record so we must use our imagination to figure out the timing and the possible events. In my Biblical novel Naomi’s Joy, I postulate her childhood and how she meets her husband Elimelech.

In my book, she encounters Elimelech after rescuing one of his newborn lambs and the ewe from a flooded wadi. Months later the man approaches Naomi’s brother Isaac and the betrothal and marriage are arranged.

“Finally I found my voice, “Elimelech…me.” The two stammered words were all I could force out.

“Yes, Elimelech spoke to me after the Sabbath prayers,” Isaac could no longer contain the secret…

“The betrothal will be sealed this Sabbath,” Mother interjected. “After the Passover we will hold the marriage feast.”

“So soon?” My sentence was brief when I considered how rapidly my life was changing.

“It is a shorter betrothal than many,” acknowledged the woman. “The man is lonely. He has admired you since before you rescued his sheep.”

She did not acknowledge the thought that immediately came to my mind. As soon as I was wed to Elimelech he would be responsible for my family.

Naomi is wed in the fashion of the people of Israel. In my book, she is 14 years old, a normal age to be wed. Soon she is pregnant and hopes for a son, who is born in due time. This delights her husband. In her marriage, Naomi finds the love she lost when her father died, and even starts to trust in God a little more, but not for long.

“I have a son!” Elimelech entered the tent grinning with delight. “Let me see my son!”

“He has fallen asleep,” I cautioned, holding the newborn carefully so his father could see him.

The man dropped to his knees beside my pallet. One finger stroked the soft cheek. His hand looked huge next to the tiny head.

“You have given me a son,” my reward was a kiss on the forehead.

I was happy. My husband sat beside me. Together we watched the sleeping baby.

“The great God is wonderful,” at last the man spoke. “See how perfectly my son is made. I must offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving. Our son will be blessed.”

Naomi’s son is a sickly child, in fact his name Mahlon means ‘sickly’. Naomi pours her love into the baby and later his brother Chilion. When the new baby is weak, the family fears that they have sinned.

Like Mahlon, at first the infant was slow to thrive. He was lethargic and slept much of the time. Elimelech offered a goat as propitiation.

“It may be that we have sinned somehow,” he pointed out, “and God is punishing us with weak sons.”

I wracked my brain for some trivial or large transgression. The only thing I could identify was my secret jealousy against my sisters.

“God of Israel, I am sorry that I have envied Hephzibah for her beauty and desirability,” it was a private conversation with the clouds on Sinai just before the congregation moved on toward the summer pastures in the north.

“We can no longer claim Chilion is failing. Look how plump he is.” I rejoiced with my husband only a moon turning later. “Mahlon is stronger, too. God has heard me.”

The fear that her failures bring about bad things in her life haunts Naomi for much of her life, in my book. We, too can get caught up in trying to figure out how to appease the ‘angry God’ when things go wrong. In my family, my own mother often felt she had to earn God’s love. She feared that the results of things she did, or didn’t do showed that God was angry with her. Only much later in her life does Naomi learn that God loves her and has not been punishing her at all. My mother, sadly, only had brief times in her life when she felt truly loved.

Have you ever felt that you did something to make God angry when things have gone wrong? What helped you discover that God is love, not vengeance?

For many generations women and girls were constrained by societal mores to plan on being wives and mothers first. In many cases that was the only avenue open to them. They handled household things. Men were responsible for crops and herds and business. Women who stepped outside of the norm were looked at suspiciously and sometimes labeled as harlots or ostracized. That is much less true today, which gives young women many more options. In fact, many women feel the pressure to do both career and home, and to do them perfectly. Now, those women who stay at home to care for children and husband are looked at with suspicion. Some may even be the subject of gossip that says ‘she’s just lazy’ or ‘she has no ambition’. Anyone who has raised children knows that is totally false.

As a child in the 50’s and 60’s, I found myself caught in the whirlpool of the Women’s Rights movement as I came to young adulthood. I found myself torn between the ‘good old’ attitude that being a home-body wife and mother was best, and the ‘new’ understanding that a woman could be anything she wanted. I opted for the traditional role and only gradually eased into the workplace. However, my choice was not without some soul searching and ‘what if’ questions to myself.

Look back at your own teen and young adult years. Were you influenced by societal expectations to marry? Did you have the option to choose career or marriage? Have you felt pressure to do everything to have the approval of family and/or society?

Next time, we will meet Naomi both in the words of the Book of Ruth, and in the novel Naomi’s Joy as she and her family move to Moab. There Mahlon and Chilion will find wives. 

Naomi's Childhood and Faith

Today we are starting a new series. For the season of Epiphany-from now until the end of February, we’ll be studying the Book of Ruth in the Bible. I’ll also be using insights I gained while writing my book Naomi’s Joy.

The Biblical Book of Ruth comes right after the Book of Judges, and is set “in the days when the judges ruled”. We don’t get much ‘back story’ because the Book of Ruth jumps right in to tell us “there was a famine in the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons.” So, for the first couple of weeks, we’ll have to depend on our imaginations to fill in the blanks that the Bible author didn’t think were important.

In my novel, Naomi’s Joy, Naomi’s childhood takes place during the Exodus wanderings. Because the Judges of Israel were the leaders of the people after the Exodus ended with the Conquest of Jericho and Canaan, it seems logical that she would have grown up during the 40 years of travel. She experienced the annual visits to Mt. Sanai and the nomadic life of the people as they moved their flocks and herds from pasture to pasture.

In my story, her father is one of the ones who dies when the people rebel and are bitten by the snakes. (Numbers 21:5-9) Naomi says, “Some were saved by that bronze image. Still, for many more, like my father, it was too late. We left their graves behind when we moved on. Care of my siblings fell to me. My mother was too broken by her grief to tend us. Even though I never dared tell anyone my secret, I knew that the hand of God was against me.”

We are formed by our childhoods. In my novel, Naomi is 12 years old when her father dies. After seeing her father’s death, she turns to attempting to earn God’s favor by complete and fear-filled obedience.

Are there things in your childhood that affect how you view God and faith? Some of us have a problem with identifying God as ‘Father’ because of poor or abusive parenting by their own father. Some cannot trust anyone, even God, because of betrayals in their childhood. Others have no difficulty trusting and calling God Father, or Abba or Daddy. They were blessed with a supportive and loving human father.

My own childhood was secure under the control of my father. However, he had issues with church and trust because of his own upbringing. That resulted in very little church attendance as I grew up. My grandmother, however, showered me with Bible story books, so I gained an undergirding of those stories even without Sunday School. I was an avid reader and devoured all the books she sent. Years later when I was asked to teach Sunday School myself, I was fast friends with the characters and stories and easily translated them into flannel board and puppet lessons for the Pre-schoolers. Still later, those same stories became the root of the Biblical novels I write.

Take a little time to remember your own childhood faith experiences, or lack of them. How did God find you and how did you find God as a child, or later? Can you see how your experiences as a child might influence your relationship with God and the church and faith?

Next time, we’ll enter Naomi’s world as she becomes a wife and mother. 

At the End of the Rope-Let Go

We’ve all no doubt heard the saying “when you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.” It’s attributed to Thomas Jefferson who may have more than once in his life felt that he was at the end of his rope. After all he had to deal with the Continental Congress over the wording of the Declaration of Independence. Later, as the third President he had to make political decisions and of course there were his dealings with France over the Louisiana Territory. Although he praised the morality of Jesus’ teachings, he could not accept any supernatural intervention in human lives, and believed that each person had to take care of their own destiny.

Tying a knot in your rope is a solution we work out by ourselves and for ourselves, but may not be the one God has in store. Even if Jefferson maybe couldn't accept it, there are times when God steps in and we have to let go of that rope that feels so safe.

I am reminded of the often told joke of the man walking in the mountains who stepped too close to the edge and started to fall. In desperation he reached out and grabbed a limb of a gnarly old tree hanging onto the side of the cliff. Full of fear he assessed his situation. He was about 100 feet down a shear cliff and about 900 feet from the floor of the canyon below. If he should slip again he'd plummet to his death. Full of fear, he cries out, "Help me!" But there was no answer. Again and again he cried out but to no avail.

Finally he yelled, "Is anybody up there?"
A deep voice replied, "Yes, I'm up here."

"Who is it?"

"It's the Lord"

"Can you help me?"

"Yes, I can help."

"Help me!"

"Let go."

Looking around the man became full of panic. "What?!?!"

"Let go. I will catch you."

"Is anybody else up there?"

There are people in the Bible who felt they had to tie a knot in their rope and hang on. Elijah, fresh from his victory over the priests of Baal, finds himself fleeing from the vengeance of Queen Jezebel. “Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ He answered, ‘I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.’” (I Kings 19:9-10)

Naomi also felt that she was at the end of her rope and that God had treated her harshly. When she returns to Bethlehem, she tells everyone, “Do not call me Naomi, call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the Lord has afflicted me and the Almighty has brought calamity on me?” (Ruth 2:20-21).

Both Elijah and Naomi thought they were at the end of their rope over a very deep canyon. Tying a knot into your rope only works for so long, eventually you have to either let go or start climbing up the rope. There is one other solution. That is the one that Elijah and Naomi discovered. You can let God take over.

Elijah meets God in the still small voice at the cave on Mt. Horeb and was empowered to “anoint Hazael as king over Aram…Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel; and…Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah as prophet in your place.” (I Kings 15-16)

Naomi finds comfort and a new direction to her life with a new family consisting of Ruth, Boaz and their son Obed. In my book Naomi’s Joy, she tells her family, “I have learned that the One God does indeed answer prayers and heal pain. It was a long journey for me. I was so bitter. The hand of God seemed always raised against me. From the time my father died in the desert, I feared that the Holy One would strike me down for some indiscretion. I struggled to do all that was required and never dared believe that God would care about me. Not even the signs and wonders I saw could convince me that the Almighty cherished the Children of Israel. All I saw were the laws to be obeyed. I dreaded the punishment that I was sure would come…I grew up knowing that the God of Sinai was present. What I did not learn was that I AM was not among us for terror but for love.”*

There have been times when I thought I was at the ‘end of my rope,’ too. Each of us can probably relate. Nothing seems to be going right. There’s not enough money to go around. Health issues come up or job loss or unexpected expenses-the list could go on and on. Desperately we tie a knot in our fraying rope and hang on. Or we try to pull ourselves to the top in our own strength. Paradoxically it is in Letting Go of our own efforts that we can allow God to pull us to safety. Sometimes, though, God requires us to do more than quit struggling so God can pull us up. There are times when we have to actually release the rope and fall into the hands of the Loving God.

Letting go is usually the last thing we want to do. However as Naomi and Elijah learned, falling into the hands of the Living, Loving God is often the only way to really save your life. When you are at the end of your rope and tying a knot into it doesn’t help, listen for the voice of God saying ‘Let go, I’ll catch you.” Then trust that God will indeed do that just as God did for Elijah and Naomi. 

Free fall after letting go of your rope-your lifeline can give you the sense of being 'out of control.' There are other times in life when we feel out of control. As we will discover next time, when life is out of control-God is really IN control. 

*Naomi’s Joy by Cynthia Davis © 2005. Available on Amazon.com or CynthiaDavisAuthor.com

Roadblocks

We’ve been looking at the Roads to Home this Lent as we follow Jesus on the way to Jerusalem. When Jesus called his disciples to ‘follow me’ it was a dramatic catalyst in their lives. In fact, it was rather like the tornado that swept Dorothy off to Oz. At first everything seems wonderful. The disciples bask in the reflected glory of their Rabbi and Dorothy steps out into the delightful bright Land of Oz.

However, what happens just when things seem to be going well? Often something happens that brings you up short and causes you to question whether or not you are really going in the right direction. Roadblocks can be resistance from others, or outright rage directed at you or things just don’t fall into place like you expected and planned.

For Dorothy this happens when she realizes that her house fell on one witch and another witch is angry with her. The disciples learn that not everyone is as fond of Jesus as they are, too, when he is confronted by some scribes in Capernaum. It is a rather dramatic scene.

“When he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door; and he was speaking the word to them. Then some people came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’ Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, ‘Why does this fellow speak in this way? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ At once Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were discussing these questions among themselves; and he said to them, ‘Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven”, or to say, “Stand up and take your mat and walk”? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’—he said to the paralytic— ‘I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home.’ And he stood up, and immediately took the mat and went out before all of them; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this!’” (Mark 2:1-12)

The man’s friends are persistent and desperate to get him help from this Healer. They hoist him up to the roof and dig through the rushes, clay and mud to open a hole in the roof. Then they lower him into the crowd. Have you ever wondered what the thoughts of the man were as he dangles downward into the midst of the gathering? Hope, embarrassment, fear, anticipation…? Jesus knows his real need and tells him “your sins are forgiven.” Notice, this is before he is told to walk. Sins can paralyze us just as much as physical ailments.

Lent is a good time to look at those things that keep us from fully living into our life in Christ. We may not have big, dramatic Sins, but we each nurture the little sins of selfishness, fear, despair, jealousy, etc. that can layer themselves so gradually on our hearts and souls that we don’t even notice them. These roadblocks harden our hearts so that we are not open to the call of God. The man let down through the roof was physically trapped in his body and unable to move because of his sins. Our sins can keep us from stepping out in faith to be all that God wants us to be.

Sin can keep us trapped and unable to move. Resistance to our work and ministry can make us doubt ourselves. We may want to run away and hide. Dorothy decides that Oz is not as wonderful as she thought and she tells Glinda that she wants to go home.

Naomi decides that, bad as things were in Bethlehem, they were better than living in a foreign land as a widow with no sons. In my book Naomi’s Joy, Naomi is a sad woman, burdened by the deaths of her husband and sons. Then she makes a decision, that frees her from the inertia of dwelling on the bad things in her life and provides the impetus for her to find her faith again. She thinks she is going home to Bethlehem to die and believes she is giving up. God however, sees the opportunity in her turning toward home and is ready to met her. God meets us when we turn to him, too.

That night I walked out of our house. My footsteps took me in the direction of the graves of Elimelech and my sons.

“What am I to do?” I asked the barren ground. With my teeth gritted I looked up at the starry sky. “God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob have I not been chastised enough? I obey all your commands, even in this foreign land. You take from me all that I love and now you make me abandon those I love as daughters. In order to spare them death from poverty, I must leave so they will look for new husbands to care for them. Do you offer no hope?”

There was only silence in the night. Far away a dog barked. My heart was empty. I did not have the courage to walk away from my home into the barren desert even to spare Ruth and Orpah. With plodding steps I turned from the graves. At the edge of town I paused. A trader’s camp was set up ready for the morning business.

A tiny hope flickered in me. “I will do it.”

For the rest of the night I sat outside our small house. My jaw was set. There were no tears, only a cold resolve fueled by anger at the God who abandoned me. My course was set.

For Naomi and Dorothy, and for the disciples, the real road is just beginning. They have a long journey ahead of them filled with dangers and opportunities. Tempting though it is to run away when the ‘going gets tough’, a better solution is to look to “Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” for strength and guidance. The rest of that Hebrews 12:2 citation reminds us that Jesus’ way wasn’t easy, but “who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Can you look at the looming ‘roadblocks’ in your life as opportunities from God for new growth, new ministry, and new strength? Can you see God is all the ‘problems’ you encounter, be they witches or confrontational scribes or loneliness or sins?

God does not leave us to face trials and tribulations alone. It is in community, with friends, that we find encouragement to step out on the more difficult journeys of our lives. Next time we'll look at the community each of our travelers found.

Ordinary Time Excursion-Naomi

This week we meet Naomi. She is a main character in the Book of Ruth. It is easy to think of her as a tragic figure. As a childless widow in a foreign country (Moab), Naomi was indeed destitute, even though her daughters-in-law offer to stay with her. Naomi gallantly tells the young women to return to their fathers’ homes. Ruth refuses with the famous lines often used at weddings, “where you go I will go and where you lodge I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God.” (Ruth 2:16)

Together the two women travel to Bethlehem and are welcomed with surprise. In her anger against God, Naomi changes her name and turns her back on the Lord. She tells everyone, “Do not call me Naomi , call me Mara , for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty…the Lord has afflicted me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me.” [Naomi means Pleasant, while Mara means Bitter]

When bad things happen we automatically blame God or assume that God is punishing us. I’ve done it myself. However, in hindsight, I see that God has been walking right beside me—grieving, hurting, despairing, suffering with me. Naomi was hurting and angry because her sons and husband had died in a foreign country, leaving her alone and impoverished. Coming home to Bethlehem, at first, did not seem to have improved her situation.

The laws of Israel provide that the edges of the fields are to be left for the widows and orphans to glean. Ruth offers to go glean so that she and Naomi will have food. Coincidentally, the field belongs to Boaz, a relative of Naomi’s. Someone has said that coincidences are God acting anonymously and that is what happens in this story.

Naomi notices that Boaz is interested in Ruth and advises her how to ‘force his hand’. “Wash…and anoint yourself…go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking…observe the place where he lies…uncover his feet and lie down; and he will tell you what to do.” (Ruth 3:3-4)

Even while manipulating the situation, Naomi begins to understand that Psalm 34, verses 16-17 is right. “Better is a little that the righteous person has than the abundance of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous.” She starts to understand God’s providence in the events that follow.

Boaz does marry Ruth and she bears a son. Naomi is comforted for her losses by her grandson and the neighbors tell her, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without next of kin…he shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has born him.” (Ruth 4:14-15).

Naomi has come full circle physically and spiritually. She is back in Bethlehem. She is no longer the destitute widow. She has been restored to faith by God. In my book, Naomi’s Joy, it takes time for Naomi to come to the crisis of faith that brings her back to the comfort of God.

“I needed to blame the Almighty for my grief. I told myself that God took what I loved because I had done something wrong or because I was not thankful enough. All my life I hated I AM. I never dared trust that I would be cared for. If I failed in any way I was certain that I would be punished. When Elimelech died I knew I was right. I told myself that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob turned away when we left the Promised Land. After Adah’s death I was sure that the Holy One hated me because I allowed her to marry a foreigner.” I panted as the confession poured out through my sobs. “I hated my life enough to die.”


“Mother Naomi,” [Ruth] held me tight unable to respond to my words.


“I was wrong. The Living Lord did not desert me.” I spoke low as comprehension burst into my heart. Tears I could not stop rolled down my face. “You once said that the Holy One of Israel provides healing even for death and pain. Ever since my father died from the bite of the serpent I have been angry with God. Everything that went wrong was another reason to blame the Lord of Life…I raised my head and took my friend’s hands in my own. “It is in relationship with one another and with God we can all live in freedom no matter what our circumstances. Your loyalty and steadfast faith in God are all that kept me alive even when I have refused to be free. All my life I preferred rage. The Almighty never stopped providing help and comfort. Even in the depths of my despair, a way was opened to return to Bethlehem…”

Very often it takes me a while to understand why I am struggling against allowing God to love me during some ‘trial’. When I am in the midst of difficult times, God does not leave me. When I accept the reality that I am hurting and/or angry about a situation, I find that I can then let it go and allow God to take over. Only then do I find a resolution, rarely one I would have planned.

Naomi could not have planned for Boaz to fall in love with Ruth when she came back to Bethlehem angry and bitter. God’s plan was better and bigger than leaving the two widows to struggle against poverty for the rest of their lives. God’s plan included a future that led to the Kingdom of David and centuries later to the birth of Jesus Christ.

Is there something you need to admit or accept and let go to God so you can be embraced by God’s loving arms? God patiently waits until we are ready to return. We are always surprised that God is right there all along! Only after Naomi admitted that she used God as an excuse for her anger could she heal. Let go of your own hurts and let God begin to heal your heart.

Next week, we will see what Rachel can teach us about grief.

Ordinary Time Excursion-Naomi

The first person we meet on our Ordinary Time excursion is Naomi. You can find her story in the Old Testament Book of Ruth, esp. the first chapter. To summarize, Naomi is one of the early settlers of Canaan after the Exodus ends. With her husband Abimelech and two sons, Naomi settles in Bethlehem. A few years later a drought drives the family to Moab where her sons and husband all die, leaving her stranded as a widow in a foreign land with no man to support her. Naomi decides to return to Bethlehem, where at least the Law of Moses commanded that widows be cared for. She bids farewell to her daughters-in-law and Orpah returns to her home, but Ruth refuses with the well-known words, “where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God…” (Ruth 1:16).

The rest of the Book of Ruth is taken up with the love story of Boaz and Ruth, although if you read closely you will discover that it is Naomi who moves the romance along by urging Ruth to go to the threshing floor, “uncover his feet and lie down; and he will tell you what to do.” (Ruth 3:1-5)

Naomi was a sad and bitter woman when she returned to Bethlehem. “Do not call me Mara,” she says. “For the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the Lord has afflicted me and the Almighty has brought calamity on me?” (Ruth 1:19-21)

How often do you and I find ourselves railing against what appear to be the bad things that happen to us? For me it is too often. Recently I read a short meditation that brought me up short, though.

“You can begin the journey of holiness by examining your reactions and attitudes to the daily doses of life you are given - for it is the day to day, the minute to minute, the joy and the sorrow, the bitter and the sweet that is the training ground for holiness.” (explorefaith.com)

Like Naomi, my reaction often leads toward angry bitterness. However, Naomi’s story reminds me that no one knows the whole story. God did not forget Naomi. Boaz marries Ruth and they have a son. “Then the women said to Naomi, ‘Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without next of kin; and may his name be renowned in Israel. He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne him.’…They named him Obed; he was the father of Jesse, the father of David.” (Ruth 4:13-17)

Naomi, the destitute widow, became the great-great grandmother of the mighty King David of Israel. God, in love, took her emptiness and transformed it into a heritage for all generations. When she returned to Bethlehem, Naomi wouldn’t have believed that she would be a grandmother. We know the ‘rest of the story’ which she did not—that her descendent would become king of the nation and another descendent would be the savior of the world!

Ruth’s love for Naomi was the first step in her redemption. By loving her mother-in-law, Ruth was a mirror of God’s love to Naomi. Eventually Naomi was able to receive and reciprocate that love and accept the blessings God had for her. When she held Obed in her arms, and remembered her hard-hearted neighbors in Moab, Naomi might have been tempted to echo the first few verses of Psalm 37: “Do not fret because of the wicked; do not be envious of wrongdoers, for they will soon fade like the grass, and wither like the green herb.”

You and I do not know the whole story either. Our life is written a day at a time. God’s love is always there before us, so we should not ‘fret’ or ‘be envious’ no matter what the appearances of our life. God is greater than appearances and we are safe in God’s hands! That is rather extraordinary, don’t you think? From the security of God’s love we, like Ruth, can offer that love to those around us because God’s love is for all, even those who irritate or wrong us. Paul reminds us that “all things work for God for those who love God.” (Romans 8:28)

I’m not saying it’s easy, but Jesus did say, “Love one another, as I have loved you.” Teresa of Avila a 16th century Carmelite nun is credited with the following prayer that reminds me that, like Ruth, I am the mirror of God to those I meet. I am the hands and feet of Christ!

Christ has no body but yours,

No hands, no feet on earth but yours,

Yours are the eyes with which he looks

Compassion on this world,

Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,

Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.

Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,

Yours are the eyes, you are his body.

Christ has no body now but yours,

No hands, no feet on earth but yours,

Yours are the eyes with which he looks

compassion on this world.

Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

See you next week for a further Ordinary Time Excursion—with Rahab of Jericho. She was certainly someone that no one would have expected God to use. See what happened when God’s love transformed her life.

PS-one of my books is Naomi’s Joy. It is a fictionalized account of Naomi’s story from her childhood during the Exodus until Obed’s birth. Check out the My Books tab at the top of the blog for more of my books.

Hunger or Emptiness

For many of us, Lenten discipline is linked to giving up some food in order to cleanse our bodies as well as our souls. Diet is certainly one place we can look to make changes. Too often, and I speak for myself, we are more eager to fill a craving than eat something nutritious. So, it can be good to give up chocolate, or meat, or cola, or some other food that perhaps isn’t healthy for us.

There is another side to that discipline, however, that we often don’t think about or don’t want to consider. Are we filling physical hunger or trying to fill a soul’s emptiness? Is food a substitute for a real relationship with someone or even with God? What am I really craving—chocolate or relationship? As we begin to look at simplifying our lives to become more authentic and complete sons and daughters of God, it's important to look at some of these 'issues', too. Of course, food isn't a problem for everyone, but each of us, if we are honest, has something that we use to fill the emptiness of soul that comes sometimes.

The story of Naomi is that of a woman whose life is consumed with regrets until she finally comes to realize that relationship with others and with God is what she really needs. We don’t know a lot about Naomi, except for snippets in the Book of Ruth. Her plaintive cry is one that many of us could echo when we feel that life and/or God is treating us badly. “Do not call me Naomi, call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the Lord has afflicted me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me.” (Ruth 2:20-21)

In my book, Naomi’s Joy, she spent her life trying to fill an empty soul by attempting to control her sons and live up to what she believed were God's expectations of her. She only learned real peace when she faced God who, she discoved, loved her more than she could imagine. After she and Ruth return to Bethlehem, she is forced to admit her need, first to God and then to the women of the town.

After the young woman left in the morning, I faced south. Somewhere in the far distance lay the holy mountain. I could picture the cloud covered summit in my mind.


“God of Israel, is this your answer?” I held out my empty hands. “I do not have any offering to bring. Do not allow Ruth to be shamed. I pray you, raise up a protector for her. Do not hold my sins against this innocent girl.”


I felt better after my prayer. For the first time since Adah died, I did not feel entirely weighed down by a sense of condemnation. My heart and step were both lighter when I walked to the well. Several women greeted me with smiles and questions.


“What is it like in Moab?”
“I am sorry for your loss.”
“Naomi, how does it feel to be home?”
“I…it…it is good to be back,” with a little surprise I realized that it was true.
“I heard that your daughter-in-law goes to the fields to glean for you.”
“Ruth is a great help,” I nodded.
“You are fortunate to have her.”


“Yes,” readily I agreed. “She has been fortunate in her gleaning. I need to thresh the grain she has gathered.”


I lifted my water jar and hurried away before any further questions were raised. I wished that my old friend Rachel was alive. It would have been comforting to talk to her.


“She died last winter soon after the Feast of Atonement,” Rahab told me when she returned the day after we arrived.


“Oh!” My cry of dismay was sharp.


“Rachel often spoke of you,” the widow told me. “Her sons have cared for the fields of Elimelech along with Boaz and the son of Samson. The heritage of your husband has been preserved.”


“It will do me little good,” the words were out before I thought of my audience.


“The Law of Moses declares that a widow is to be cared for by the nearest kinsman. Someone will step forward as ga-al,” a soft hand covered mine in an attempt at comfort.


“That is why I returned,” I had to swallow my pride to admit the truth.


“The Living Lord will provide for you,” Rahab sounded positive.


“I hope so,” my response was lost in the folds of my veil when I bent my head.


Some of my loneliness and grief eased while I threshed the bounty of grain and ground enough for a loaf of bread as a treat for Ruth.


“Um, that smells wonderful,” the young woman sniffed happily when she entered the house.


“I thought you would like it,” I smiled to see my friend savoring the bread.


It was worth the bangle from my wrist to see her delight as she spread the fresh slices with the goat cheese and olives I purchased with it.


“This is the end of the early barley harvest. Suzanne says that the second harvest will begin after a couple of Sabbaths,” Ruth stated the next afternoon. She arrived earlier than I expected. “Tomorrow I will take what we have to be ground if you want.”*

Even though she has admitted her need and begins to reach out in love, Naomi does not fully comprehend the depth of God’s love for her until her grandson is born. Then she can testify to her family about what she learned.

“God is gracious,” the old woman affirmed exultantly when she finished her recital. “Now I hold the promise for the future in my arms. The Almighty has restored my life and renewed my faith. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has blessed me beyond anything I expected. I was wrong to think that the Holy One turned away when we were in Moab. Even when my husband died and my sons were killed, I was never alone. The Living Lord showed me love in the loyalty of Ruth and in the circumstances that brought me home to Bethlehem.”


“My mother,” Ruth laid her soft hand over the wrinkled one of her mother-in-law. “I promised that wherever you are, I will be. Your God is my God.”*

Naomi learned that her emptiness was a spiritual hunger of her soul for relationship with the Holy God she believed abandoned her. Like Job, God returns to her more than she lost. “Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without next of kin….He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has born him.” (Ruth 4:14-15)

If you gave up some food for Lent, consider looking deeper into the motivation for desiring that food. How does denying yourself, say chocolate, bring you into a closer relationship with God? Sweets are my downfall, I admit, partly because they are comforting when I feel down and far from God or humans. Having a cookie helps me to feel better about myself in some subconscious way. I wonder…would saying a prayer of thanksgiving have the same effect? Worth thinking about isn’t it?

A friend recently gave me a card with an inscription by Ann Ruth Schabader “Each day comes bearing its gifts. Untie the ribbons.” How would our lives change if we welcomed all that God sends with enthusiastic joy like the child (my grandson) in the picture? I wonder if we would need the substitutes delights of our addictions...It certainly would make us more joyful.

See you next week when we meet Abigail, another little known woman in the Bible with a story to tell.


*All quotations are from Naomi’s Joy by Cynthia Davis. Available online from Amazon.com and the author.