Hope in the midst of despair

    To start this new year, I had decided to write on the theme of hope and as I did some research, I encountered and wrote about various interesting stories in the Bible that exemplify this attribute. To end the month off, I want to look at the book of Ruth where we find the story of Naomi and her daughter-in-law, Ruth. 
    When Naomi and her family are faced with famine in their home town of Bethlehem, they decide to go to Moab in hopes of having a better life. Unfortunately, Naomi’s husband dies there. After his death Naomi’s two sons marry Moabite women but after about ten years, her sons die also. Naomi is left alone with her two daughters-in-law. Upon hearing that the Lord had provided bread for His people in Bethlehem, she returns there. Although she encourages both her daughters-in-law to return to their families in Moab, one of them, Ruth, stubbornly insists on going with her to Bethlehem. She renounces her own people and gods and chooses to embrace the people and God of Naomi. 
    Naomi is bitter upon her return to Bethlehem. Yet, God chooses to favour Naomi and Ruth. Ruth encounters one of her father-in-law’s kinsmen and finds favour with him. They marry and through him, Naomi and Ruth are delivered from a life of destitution and shame.
    I love this story of Ruth and Naomi. It is truly a story of hope and redemption. After the loss of the men in her life through death, Naomi must have felt forsaken and alone. They had come to this country to find relief from their situation and although they may have found it, the loss she endured was greater than any relief her family may have found. And sometimes, that’s the challenge we must face in life. We may make decisions that seem to bring an answer to a desperate situation but in the end we may find that we have lost more than we had hoped to gain. 
    This is probably how Naomi may have felt. Thankfully, hope arose once more when she heard that the famine had ended in Bethlehem. Now she could return home, maybe not the same way she had left, but it was still home. All along the way, Naomi and her family held on to hope. After all, it was what was driving their decisions. They went to Moab in hopes of a better life. They did find it but then tragedy and loss also came. When Naomi heard the famine had ended in her country, she was once again driven by hope that she could return to familiar surroundings, especially after losing her family. She may not have expected much but at least it was home.
    In life, we will be faced with setbacks and disappointments. I don’t think they can be avoided. Yet, in the midst of them, God knows how to provide hope. Even though Naomi could not see it, God was still writing her story and He had a beautiful ending planned. God was still her source of hope. He knew all the tragedy and loss she had faced but He also knew it was not over for her. It’s the same with us. Like Naomi, at times all we may see is the tragedy, the hurt, the disappointment. But, God sees the bigger picture and He knows the good He is going to bring out of those tragic circumstances. He doesn’t stop writing our story when tragedy strikes, but rather continues straight through to the end, the end that He has planned for us. 
    When you think about it, that’s why it’s so important to keep our eyes, our focus on God. It’s difficult to see clearly when problems arise, but God’s vision is not blurred like ours. He knows the beautiful plan and purpose He has for us and that the negative we are going through is temporary. As He continues writing our story, things become more and more clear and we are able to be grateful for both the good and the bad. 
    So, be encouraged today. No matter how hopeless and tragic things may look, like it did for Naomi, the God of hope is still writing your story. He has an ending planned that may be totally unexpected, but it’s the kind of ending that only God could write. God knows how to bring beauty out of ashes, hope in the midst of despair, good out of any bad situation that may come your way.
    If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. God knows how to turn even the most negative situation around for good. When we put our trust in Him, we can expect that He is scripting a story that will bring honour and glory to Him. Be encouraged!

---