How to Get Back Home

How to Remedy a Bad Situation “Then Naomi heard in Moab that the LORD had blessed his people in Judah by giving them good crops again. So Naomi and her daughters-in-law got ready to leave Moab to return to her homeland. 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. 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. May the LORD bless you with the security of another marriage.” Then she kissed them good-bye, and they all broke down and wept. “No,” they said. “We want to go with you to your people.” 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? 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? 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.” And again they wept together, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye. But Ruth clung tightly to Naomi. “Look,” Naomi said to her, “your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. You should do the same.” 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. 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!” When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said nothing more. 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. “Don’t call me Naomi,” she responded. “Instead, call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me. 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?” 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.” Ruth 1:622 I. How to get out of a bad situation. – “Then Naomi heard in Moab that the LORD had blessed his people in Judah by giving them good crops again. So Naomi and her daughters-in-law got ready to leave Moab to return to her homeland. 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.” A. We must recognize that we are not where we need to be. – “Then Naomi heard in Moab that the LORD had blessed his people in Judah by giving them good crops again.” 1. This is not a complicated process. – A hungry 2 year old could have made the right decision here. a. Most choices are like this when it comes to right and wrong. b. The choice itself is simple. It’s our emotions about the choice that are complicated. 2. In order to make this choice, we have to accept responsibility for getting out of the mess we’re in. a. Notice I did not say, we are necessarily responsible for the mess itself. b. It wasn’t Naomi’s fault that she ended up in Moab. (Ruth 1:1-5) i. Once her husband decided to go she had no say in the matter. ii. But he’s dead now and she is responsible for whether or not she stays in Moab. B. We must take action to get where we need to go. – “So Naomi and her daughters-in-law got ready to leave Moab to return to her homeland. 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.” 1. We have to get up off our conjunction and take action. a. This sounds redundant but it’s important. b. If Naomi had been like a lot of people in a bad situation, she would have sat at dinner with her two daughters and bad mouth the person who get her there instead of leaving Moab. c. So many times, we just sit and blow smoke instead of taking action to remedy the problem. d. Complaining may make us feel better but it doesn’t solve anything. 2. If we really hate where we’re at, we need to stop placing blame and accept that we are going to have to be the one to fix things. a. It may not be fair, but it is what it is. b. If we refuse to make the choice, God can’t make the change. II. How to stay on the right path. – “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. May the LORD bless you with the security of another marriage.” Then she kissed them good-bye, and they all broke down and wept. “No,” they said. “We want to go with you to your people.” 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? 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? 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.” And again they wept together, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye. But Ruth clung tightly to Naomi. “Look,” Naomi said to her, “your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. You should do the same.” 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. 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!” When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said nothing more. So the two of them continued on their journey.” A. We must be careful who we listen to. 1. Someone can be sincere and still be sincerely wrong. a. It’s clear Naomi meant well. - 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. May the LORD bless you with the security of another marriage.” i. She doesn’t want to burden these two young women. ii. She wants them to be well and happy. b. But she’s making the same mistake her husband made when he choose to go to Moab. i. She’s being guided by circumstances and not by God. - Why should you go on with me? Can I still give birth to other sons who could grow up to be your husbands? 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? Would you wait for them to grow up and refuse to marry someone else? No, of course not, my daughters!” ii. She’s basing her advice on her emotions instead of believing the truth. – “Things are far more bitter for me than for you, because the LORD himself has raised his fist against me.” i. Yes, she was suffering the consequences of a bad choice, but she needed to repent not wallow in her mistakes. – She’s depressed. ii. She assumes that her mistakes mean that God will always be angry with her and anyone who follows her. c. It is possible for someone to mean well and give bad advice. Be careful who you listen to! i. Orpah listened. ii. Ruth knew better than to listen. B. We must choose to stay on the right path. – “But Ruth clung tightly to Naomi. “Look,” Naomi said to her, “your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. You should do the same.” 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. 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!” 1. It’s a choice to cling to what is good. – “But Ruth clung tightly to Naomi.” 2. It’s choice to let others know where we stand. – “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back.” 3. It’s a choice to follow a new leader. – “Wherever you go, I will go;” 4. It’s a choice to make a new life. – “wherever you live, I will live.” 5. It’s a choice to be a part of a new family. – “Your people will be my people” 6. It’s a choice to worship God and God alone. – “your God will be my God.” 7. It’s a lifelong choice. – “Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried.” 8. It’s a choice to make yourself accountable. – “May the LORD punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!” C. We must leave the past and move on into the future. - “When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said nothing more. So the two of them continued on their journey.” III. How we ought to receive someone who returns to the right path. – “When they came to Bethlehem, the entire town was excited by their arrival. “Is it really Naomi?” the women asked. “Don’t call me Naomi,” she responded. “Instead, call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me. 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?” So Naomi returned from Moab, accompanied by her daughter-inlaw Ruth, the young Moabite woman. They arrived in Bethlehem in late spring, at the beginning of the barley harvest.” A. The return of a wayward brother or sister should be cause for rejoicing. – ““When they came to Bethlehem, the entire town was excited by their arrival. “Is it really Naomi?” B. Restore them in love. - “Is it really Naomi?” the women asked. “Don’t call me Naomi,” she responded. “Instead, call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me. 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?” 1. They are broken and in need of restoration. – “Don’t call me Naomi,” she responded. “Instead, call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me.” 2. They have already accepted responsibility for what they’ve done. – “I went away full, but the LORD has brought me home empty.” 3. They need to know they are still precious to God and to us. – “Why call me Naomi when the LORD has caused me to suffer and the Almighty has sent such tragedy upon me?” C. Allow them to be a part of the church as if nothing ever happened. – “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.”