Life is Often Times Just Not Fair

Cumberland Falls-7:00 a.m.

I started reading the book of Ruth in the Bible. In the 2nd chapter near the end, Naomi says, "God hasn't quite walked out on us after all. He still loves us in bad times as well as good!" True. This all sounds so positive, and it is. But the reality is, prior to saying this, Naomi had lost everything and was destitute. She suffered greatly:

1. Had no food or means of income
2. Had to leave her home and travel to a distant country where she knew no one, and had a family to take care of
3. Her husband died while they were there and left her with 2 boys to raise in this foreign country with no family for support
4. Her sons married (as far as we know) unbelieving women
5. She lost her 2 sons when they died in the foreign country
   
6. She was alone with only 2 daughters-in-law from the foreign country
7. Now she had to make decisions on her own and undertake a big move back to her home land
8. Either she had nothing or sold everything to finance the trip, because it was said about her when she got back to Bethlehem, "...have nothing but the clothes on her back." She had lost all finances.
9. She had to depend on a daughter-in-law for any means of income
10. She was bitter and angry at God.

So while we are happy to see this statement about God still loving her, just think about what she experienced and endured before. No small thing! God still says "Don't be afraid." So we read at the end of the book of Ruth how everything turned out well for Naomi and Ruth. But what they had to suffer before getting to this state, especially Naomi, was awful.

I wonder how Naomi felt about it? Also, Naomi's husband and two sons died during this suffering. They didn't get to experience how everything turned out well. So some don't get to experience it. Of course we don't know what God was doing in their lives at that time. But just remember everything doesn't always turn out wonderful in this world. That is why we have to have an eternal perspective and know and understand that eternally it will and trust God.

That is where my focus has to be, not on what my life is like in this world. Whatever happens is temporary, but my life and choices can effect the history of somebody, and that is more important. God is in charge and I can only see what is physically evident right now! All else only God knows. In the last part of Ruth it says, Boaz and Ruth had Obed, Obed had Jesse, Jesse had David a King of Israel and from David came Jesus the Messiah! Who knew? God! Certainly not us.