Don't Let Bitterness, Block Your Blessing

Introduction

The world today celebrates Mother’s Day. A day set aside to recognize the value, uniqueness and sacrifice of mothers from all walks of life.

Happy Mother’s Day!!!

Text

Ruth 1:14–22 NASB95

14 And they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. 15 Then she said, “Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” 16 But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. 17 “Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the Lord do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me.” 18 When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her. 19 So they both went until they came to Bethlehem. And when they had come to Bethlehem, all the city was stirred because of them, and the women said, “Is this Naomi?” 20 She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 21 “I went out full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has witnessed against me and the Almighty has afflicted me?” 22 So Naomi returned, and with her Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, who returned from the land of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.

This story takes place in a time where Israel’s degredation and rebellion is being exposed. It is difficult to find a word from God.

The judges are governing the land and people are going through a cycle of faithfulness and falling away

Yet still we are able to see God’s hand and see God’s working in a woman that does not even belong to Him

Isn’t interesting that God always finds faith from unexpected places

Rahab just heard and she believed in God, which exposed the unbelief of a generation 40 years before her, who saw yet failed to believe

A centurion said to Jesus, you only have say a word, heal my servant long distance, to which Jesus said, “I haven’t found a faith like this in all of Israel”

A Syro-Phoenician woman said to Jesus, if the bread is coming from you just give me the crumbs, Jesus said “O, woman great is thy faith”

Once again, faith shows up in a strange place!

Today we highlight Naomi. A mother who went through a lot. She was in a hot mess. But God is able to use her to send us some powerful messages even today.

Have you ever been in a hot mess?

A “hot mess” describes a situation that is teeming with affliction, it is chaotic, disorderly, things are not the way you would like it and it’s affecting you. . .

It describes a time of brokenness, brokeness, and heart-brokenness where I just cant seem to get over the hump

Things are frustrating, Things in disarray, nothing seems to be going right, A HOT MESS!!!

Sometimes I show up, but I’m not there. I shake your hand and smile but my mind and heart is full of sorrow. I’m in the building trying to focus on God but I’m considering the hell I have to go back to during the week

Sometimes the mess is beyond the normal levels....that’s what makes it a ‘hot mess’

Naomi’s “hot mess”

The Faith was being tried

The time she’s living in is a godless one, it’s the time of the judges. (this may have been a time of peace) - but where they live is an idolatrous nation. Rebellion is rife, faithfulness is few and far in between, Holiness is hard to find, Wickedness is widespread Here, your faith will be tested. - This is her heritage - APPL. it’s challenging when you’re in the faithful few

It’s hard when you’re the only one trying to live right, knowing that if you mess around God will probably make an example out of you

It’s hard trying to do what’s right when folks around me are doing what they want and making it

It’s hard when you’re worshipping, serving, praying, struggling and things don’t seem to be turnign around fast enough

It’s easy to have faith, it’s not so easy to have that faith tested by life

They had history with this nation (Judges 11:17 “then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, “Please let us pass through your land,” but the king of Edom would not listen. And they also sent to the king of Moab, but he would not consent. So Israel remained at Kadesh.” - This is where she lives - She lives in a lan[=They had gone through a cycles of war and oppression . . . times were difficult. - This is her context

The Famine

This casues them to leave where they reside beacuse there was no food

She had to leave everything she knew

Have you ever been so bereft of food that you had to move to a new country?

The Family

On top of all that was already trying her faith, This mother has to bury her husband - Remember her condition, now this!!!

APPL. Have ever had a moment where you say to yourself, “surely things can’t get worse”. . .and then it does

The spouse is turning around, the children are turning around, the job, the boss, the finances - it’s turning around - BUT THEN IT DOESN’T

To lose your husband was to lose [Security, Status, Income]

This mother, some time after, had to bury two (2) sons

These times are hard, but these are the messages from A MOTHER IN A HOT MESS!!!

Message #1

Sometimes your mess prepares your message

Ruth 1:3-5 “Then Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left with her two sons. They took for themselves Moabite women as wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. And they lived there about ten years. Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and the woman was bereft of her two children and her husband.”

APPL. Naomi’s experience made her a perfect canditate to help her daughters-in-law through their experience

Sometimes our trial is to grow us AND someone else

Sometimes God has to bring you through that “hot mess” so He can use you to bring someone else through the same thing.

Sometimes God wants to use you, as a testimony; so that someone looking on can know what God could

Embrace the valley, so you can enjoy the mountain-top

We’ve become to comfortable with a christianity that’s more concerned about looking right than being right

We’ve grown accustomed to a christianity that is reluctant to struggles and discomfort

We’ve grown accustomed to life with God that doesn’t want to sacrifice

“this poor man cried and He heard” - “come taste and see that the Lord is good”

[1 Tim 1:15-16 “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. >>>Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate [His perfect patience as an example for those] who would believe in Him for eternal life.”]

Message #2

Don’t let the mess keep you from going [back] to God

Ruth 1:6-7 “Then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the land of Moab, for she had heard in the land of Moab that the Lord had visited His people in giving them food. So she departed from the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah.”

Naomi was living in a land where her oppresors came from

This was an idolatrous land

This was a land where they did know/worship YHWH

BUT when she heard “bread was in the land”

Sometimes your mess gets really messy, and you think “God can’t handle all of this” (the devil is a liar)

I’ve sinned too much, I’ve messed around too much, I’ve been gone too long, I haven’t gone to worship in months/years - somehow you think God doesn’t you anymore

The day you turn and do what is right you will be saved (Ezk 18:27-28).

APPL. The job of the church is RESTORATION not CONDEMNATION

Mk 5:28 “For she thought, “If I just touch His garments, I will get well.””

Message #3

Your influence can be powerful

[Ruth 1:8-10 “And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May the Lord deal kindly with you as you have dealt with the dead and with me. “May the Lord grant that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband.” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. And they said to her, “No, but we will surely return with you to your people.””

They had a “mother’s house” to go to, but decided against

APPL. You never know if you might pull someone or push someone “mind your influence”]

Message #4

Don’t let your mess define you

Ruth 1:19-20 “So they both went until they came to Bethlehem. And when they had come to Bethlehem, all the city was stirred because of them, and the women said, “Is this Naomi?” She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.”

More faith doesn’t always mean less fire

Sometimes faith brings the fire [not really part of the lesson]

APPL. Sometimes we think because I have been faithful - God owes me

God cannot be manipulated by your faith. God is not held hostage by your faith. My faith needs to always be ready to make way for God’s will

Have you ever called yourself something - “no good”, “worthless”, “so stupid” [drunkard, cussbud, gossip]

Your situation overwhelmed you so much. . .that it shaped what you called yourself

It’s a slump you need to come out of quickly

Ruth 1:21 ““I went out full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has witnessed against me and the Almighty has afflicted me?””

#Bonus - Don’t let people’s mess define them

Acts 9:13-15 “But Ananias answered, “[Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints at Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.]” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel;”

We know they drank, smoked, slept around, lied, cheat, etc. but if God forgave them, give them some grace becasue you were something too!

Message #5

Don’t let your mess blind you from your blessing

Ruth 4:14-15 “Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed is the Lord who has not left you without a redeemer today, and may his name become famous in Israel. “May he also be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.””

Ruth made the baby, but the women address Naomi

Naomi was blessed when she was “emptied” - Sometimes our struggles empty us. . .the GOD fills us up!!!

Philippians 4:19 “19 And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

Ephesians 3:20 “20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,”

Psalm 23:4–6 “4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

She previously said (Ruth 1:21)“God brought me back empty” - but, Ruth 4:15 ““May he also be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and [RUTH] is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.””

She said she was empty, now she’s the great great grandmother of David - in the lineage of Jesus

Sometimes the mess can be so messy, it blinds you from seeing what’s coming on the horizon

Thats’s why the Psalmist said, “though weeping endures for a night, joy comes in the morning”

That’s why Psalm 46:2 “2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea;”

That’s why “they that wait upon the Lord shall mount up on wings like eagles”

That’s James says, “count it all joy, when you fall in to various trials, KNOWING - the trials produce

It’s good to keep your eyes are ahead, and not be blinded by the hardships you face right now

Why? ‘Cause when you look at Jesus “who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross

Which brings us to JESUS!!!

Salvation is on offer right now, Through this mother we are seeing that we can’t let the mess block us from seeing and receiving the blessing.

Restoration is on offer right now, Through this mother we are seeing that we can’t let the mess block us from seeing and receiving the blessing.