Restored

Restored

Naomi

Read: Ruth 4:13-22

Olivia turned off the Tinkerbell lamp and tiptoed out of the room. Stooping to pick up a stuffed elephant, she smiled as she remembered Grace’s excitement at the zoo that afternoon. I never dreamed I could feel this happy again. When a car accident took her son and daughter-in-law, Olivia felt dead inside. While she began making the funeral arrangements, doctors worked to save her newly delivered granddaughter. Against all odds, little Grace clung fiercely to life. Finally, Grace came home, and when she did, she gradually restored Olivia’s zest for living.

When Naomi returned to her hometown, she must have felt dead inside. She had lost her husband and both sons, and in addition, her means of support and her role in society. But Naomi never lost her faith in God even when it looked as if he had turned against her. She recognized his hand in the meeting between Ruth and Boaz. When Boaz married Ruth and redeemed Elimelech’s family, Naomi no longer had to worry about loneliness or poverty.

After Ruth gave birth to a son, she allowed Naomi to be his nurse and care for him. The townswomen rejoiced with Naomi that God had restored her life through a daughter-in-law’s love, a kinsman-redeemer, and the birth of a grandson. Naomi would have rejoiced even more if she’d known the rest of the story: that little Obed would be the grandfather of the great king David, through whose line the Messiah would come.

Tragedy can drain all the life out of us. We don’t think we’ll ever have a reason to smile again. But we don’t know the rest of the story. If we don’t turn our backs on God, he will bring great blessings even out of tragedy and sorrow. We might not understand why he allows us to suffer, but we can trust that he will provide the grace to restore our lives again.

You have allowed me to suffer much hardship, but you will restore me to life again and lift me up from the depths of the earth. You will restore me to even greater honor and comfort me once again.

Psalm 71:20-21