Transformed By Ruth - Part 3

Ken Williams

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Transformed By Ruth - A New Beginning

Ruth 1:19–22 NLT

19 So the two of them continued on their journey. When they came to Bethlehem, the entire town was excited by their arrival. “Is it really Naomi?” the women asked. 20 “Don’t call me Naomi,” she responded. “Instead, call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me. 21 I went away full, but the Lord has brought me home empty. Why call me Naomi when the Lord has caused me to suffer and the Almighty has sent such tragedy upon me?” 22 So Naomi returned from Moab, accompanied by her daughter-in-law Ruth, the young Moabite woman. They arrived in Bethlehem in late spring, at the beginning of the barley harvest.

Pray

Confession of Faith

I am not moved by what I see or by what I feel. I am moved by what I believe. I believe the WORD of God! The victory is mine! I have it now! I can see it through the eyes of my faith! In Jesus Name

Intro:

Asking God to Bless us - when we are in a position, or in a mindset, or in a predicament where we are Not Bless able! Screams loudly that we must look at our situation, we must look at our thinking, we must look at our decisions and where we are not in line with the word of God, repent and go back to the place of our Blessings

So Naomi is on her way back to Bethlehem and she has her two daughter in laws with her!

The three of them begin their journey back to Bethlehem together and then we find something interesting in the text

Ruth 1:7–13 NLT

7 With her two daughters-in-law she set out from the place where she had been living, and they took the road that would lead them back to Judah. 8 But on the way, Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back to your mothers’ homes. And may the Lord reward you for your kindness to your husbands and to me. 9 May the Lord bless you with the security of another marriage.” Then she kissed them good-bye, and they all broke down and wept. 10 “No,” they said. “We want to go with you to your people.” 11 But Naomi replied, “Why should you go on with me? Can I still give birth to other sons who could grow up to be your husbands? 12 No, my daughters, return to your parents’ homes, for I am too old to marry again. And even if it were possible, and I were to get married tonight and bear sons, then what? 13 Would you wait for them to grow up and refuse to marry someone else? No, of course not, my daughters! Things are far more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord himself has raised his fist against me.”

Naomi on the way back to her blessings tries to convince her daughters in laws to not go with her!

The first time Naomi gave them her testimony - the both said no we are going with you! But then Naomi made it all about her, I can’t give birth to others sons, I can’t get married tonight and have children, Things are worse for me, because God is angry with me! For Naomi it was all about me, me, me, me

But what she didn't realize at that moment, and what we must understand , God can use the strangest times, and the craziest spaces for us to share a testimony about the Goodness of God, This was an opportunity to tell those young ladies about the favor of God, This was a chance to tell those young ladies, about God being an on-time God! He may not come when you want him, but he is always right on time! This was an opportunity to share about the love of God, The forgiveness of God, the righteousness of God!

I have visited people in the hospital and on their death bed, they where sharing the goodness of God! I talked with people - who didn’t have a dime in their pocket, still singing praise to the Lord and staying committed to God! I know a woman who lost her husband and three children in a car accident on the same day in the same accident - still trusting in the Lord!

Out of your tragedy is your testimony - Your testimony to share about what God has done in your life, to Share How Good Jesus is, to share so that someone else wll gain hope

Your testimony is for you to share so someone else will come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ , Your testimony is for you to share so that others might be healed, Your testimony is for you to share so someone else have hope, or for someone may live and not die

She had a captive audience and instead of making it about the blessings of God, all she focused on was her self!

Three times Naomi told Orpah and Ruth to return to go back home!

Ruth 1:8 NKJV

8 And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each to her mother’s house. The Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me.

Ruth 1:11 NKJV

11 But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Are there still sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?

Ruth 1:12 NKJV

12 Turn back, my daughters, go—for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, if I should have a husband tonight and should also bear sons,

Here’s the deal and I’m talking to folks who have been walking with the Lord for a minute, I am talking to Leaders in the Church,

What you say and what you do - has a hughe impact to the people who hear you and see you!

Orpah - finally gave up and returned! I can only imagine after being with Ruth at least 10 years and trusting her as a leader, if she said go back, then I need to listen to my Elders or Listen to my spiritual leaders! So Orpah went back

But what Orpah didn’t know, that she was so close to the kingdom

Mark 12:34 NIV

34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.

Sometimes we are so close to our blessing, so close to our peace, so close to our salvation, so close to receiving from the one true and only wise God, but we must be prayerful in listening to people who are giving advise from a selfish heart!

But Ruth,

Ruth 1:15–18 NLT

15 “Look,” Naomi said to her, “your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. You should do the same.” 16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. 17 Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!” 18 When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said nothing more.

Sometimes you have to have a made up mind! I want Jesus!

I am reminded of Peter in the book of Acts chapter 3 - he encounters a man as he is on his way to the temple! The man is asking for alms, or money and Peter says

Acts 3:6 NKJV

6 Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”

I can’t give you riches, and I can’t tell youy that you will be prosperous, I can’t assure you if you're sick that you will be healed

But what I can give you - Is Jesus!

I can give you the introduction to the one and only who who can heal you, the one and only one who can deliver you, the one and only one who can set you free

Peter said - I can’t give you silver or Gold, but I can give you what I have and that’s Jesus

But Ruth

Ruth said to her mother-in law, you are going somewhere and whereever you’re going that’s where I want to be! Naomi, wouldn’t be going back to where she came from if the blessing wasn’t there!

Ruth said, i don’t care what you’re talking about- you are headed back to the place you came from because there is a God there, that has broug food to a place that was in famine

You are going back to your God, the heals, delivers, and set free, You are going back to your God that can make a way out of noway!

Ruth said - Don’t ask me to leave you, because I’m not leaving!

I can hear Ruth testifying that song from the movie and play Dreamgirls “ That song Jennifer Holiday and Jennifer Hudson sang

And I am telling you - I am not going! - I can hear her saying to Naomi - you are going back to the best thing you've every had! No No No - there is no way - I am leaving!

Ruth said

Ruth 1:16–17 (NCV)

Where you go, I will go. Where you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.

And where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. I ask the Lord to punish me terribly if I do not keep this promise: Not even death will separate us.”

How is it that someone who is foreign to God can have such a commitment to God to the point where she says Your people will be my people and your God will be my God! I don’t care what happens - I want your God and I want to be with you!

When Naomi heard this - there was nothing she could do, but shut-up

Ruth 1:18 NLT

18 When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said nothing more.

Now watch Naomi -

Ruth 1:19–22 NLT

Here is Naomi, true to her character - Woe is me!!

10 years she was gone! People were excited to see her! You got to watch out for that Naomi Spirit! She was so self centered and self focused that when they called her by her names she said don’t call me that call me Mara, because I am a bitter woman now!

We can't control the circumstances of life, but we can control how we respond to them. That's what faith is all about, daring to believe that God is working everything for our good even when we don't feel like it or see it happening. 1 Thes. 5:18

1 Thessalonians 5:18 NKJV

18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

"In everything give thanks" isn't always easy to obey, but obeying this command is the best antidote against a bitter and a critical spirit. " Naomi was imprisoned by selfishness, and she was bitter against God.

Quit Blaming God

Ruth 1:20 NCV

20 Naomi answered the people, “Don’t call me Naomi. Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very sad.

She said God, made her sad! God made her bitter, God did this to her

But I don’t read in the text where God told her to Leave Bethlehem and Go to Moab!

Quit blaming God for you decisions!

She left Bethlehem with the things she needed a husband and two sons and had come home without them. She had gone to Moab possessing the necessities of life, but now she had returned home having nothing. She was a woman with an empty home, and an empty heart.

She was not at peace

Hebrews 12:11 NLT

11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.

In Ruth 1:21

Ruth 1:21 NCV

21 When I left, I had all I wanted, but now, the Lord has brought me home with nothing. Why should you call me Naomi when the Lord has spoken against me and the Almighty has given me so much trouble?”

So Naomi called him God Almighty ! Now it’s one thing to know God’s name, but it altogether different to trust that name and allow God to work in the difficult situations of life

Psalm 9:10 NKJV

10 And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.

We have to watch that Naomi spirit

Naomi really that poor and empty? Or was she simply exaggerating her situation because she was bitter in her soul?

Sometime we have to look at the things we have !

For one thing, she had life; and this in itself is a precious gift from God—a gift we too often take for granted.

Naomi left three graves back in Moab, but God in His goodness had kept her alive and brought her back to Bethlehem.

Naomi thought that life had ended for her, but her trials were really a new beginning.

Naomi's faith and hope were about to die, but God had other plans for her!

Naomi not only had life, but she also had opportunity.

She was surrounded by friends, all of whom wanted the very best for her. At first, her sorrow and bitterness isolated her from the community, but gradually that changed.

Instead of sitting looking gloomily at a wall, she finally decided to look out the window; and then she got up and opened the door!

When the night is the darkest, if we look up, we can still see the stars.

One of Naomi's richest resources was her daughter-in-law Ruth.

In fact, it is Ruth whom God used and blessed throughout the rest of this book; for Ruth was a woman who trusted God and was totally committed to Him.

Naomi soon learned that God's hand of blessing was on this young woman and that He would accomplish great things through her obedience.

But most of all, Naomi still had God!

Romans 8:31 NKJV

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

It;s a season of new beginnings! Naomi, was about to start a new beginning with God! It’s never to late to start over again

My question to you are trusting God for your new beginning

With God at your side, your resources are greater than your burdens

Get up by faith, open the door and start a brand new tomorrow

God Bless You and God keep you is my prayer

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