Have you ever screwed on the lid to your gas tank so tightly that you have had trouble getting it off? Probably not so much lately--they make them differently these days. But I remember times in high school that the lid was screwed on so tightly I could barely remove it. As I read in the book of Ruth this morning, I started thinking about my gas tank of life. Instead of focusing on the normal story of Ruth and Boaz, the Lord brought my focus to Naomi and what she went through.
Naomi's gas tank was below the "E." She said so herself in Ruth 1:21 "I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty." Who can blame her for feeling this way? Look where she was at in her life. She was an old widow in a foreign land. Already full of sorrow from losing her husband, she suffered what I imagine would be one of the biggest heart pains imaginable -- outliving your child. Yet, Naomi lived this tragedy not once, but twice.
Yes, Naomi's tank was on empty. I see in chapter one that she also had a case of the 'poor me's.' When she returned to Bethlehem, she told her friends to call her Mara, meaning bitter, because the Lord had dealt bitterly with her. Naomi expressed how she felt, but she didn't stay there emotionally. I find it interesting that although Naomi asked to be called Mara, the Bible still refers to her throughout the book as Naomi, which means "my joy" or "pleasant." I think it's important be honest with God. He wants us to come to Him as we are, but as I study this, I'm reminded that I can't let bitterness and disappointment blind me from new opportunities. Naomi didn't.
What kind of woman was Naomi? My first thought to describe her was 'static.' Ruth clung to her and vowed to never let go. "Cling Free" couldn't have separated them. She was loved. Cherished. Wise. She had discernment. She was scheming, perhaps meddling a little. But what I'm impressed with in Naomi this morning is that she didn't let her circumstances keep her down for the count. She was "pressed but not crushed." Why? She didn't screw the lid on her gas tank down so tightly that it was impossible to refill. She was on empty, yet she allowed God to work in her life so that her life could be filled up again with joy replacing the sorrow.
What if.. Naomi didn't go back to Bethlehem? Naomi got so bitter against God she gave up? Naomi hadn't schemed (ahem) I mean had the wisdom to encourage Ruth to go unto Boaz? I don't know the answer, but I do know that the book of Ruth ends with perhaps the ultimate joy. We see in the closing verses that Ruth gave birth to Obed, the father of Jesse, the father of David...and the line of Christ. When little Obed was born, I'm sure he was the pride and joy of his grandma. Naomi's tank was full again.
So today, I'm especially encouraged by Naomi. I want to be like her. She was a supporting actress in the story of Ruth, but truly, she's a heroine. The wives of her children adored her, and not just out of loyalty and obligation. (How many mothers-in-law can say that? I hope I can when my children marry!) She was honest with God, but she didn't let her emotions get the best of her. She kept her lid screwed on lightly so that, although once empty, her tank could be filled once again. She didn't allow her circumstances to control her. Yes, Naomi is an unsung hero in my book, and I can learn a lot from her. Most certainly, I want to never let my circumstances weigh me down to the point that I can't move into God's future plans for me. Fill my tank, Lord!
---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com