CG Discussion: Lessons from Naomi

Hi everyone!

When God Leads

Galley Head Light, Co Cork Ire by harris

Yesterday's cell discussion was great! I hope you have been ministered to by the word of God as much as I myself was. As I have shared, I really give thanks to God for being such as wonderful God. I had started the week on a bad note, ending with having to take leave yesterday to just have some time alone. But as I went through the week, I give thanks for everything God has given me and I also started to see how God ministers to me throughout the week through my reading of His word, the devotion at work, a sms sent by a friend, a DVD sermon my dad was playing and even a devotional I have read some time back. Everything just clicked so nicely. As you all would know, I am this meek and quiet person, but I give thanks how God has used me yesterday and things just flowed, from the discussion, to my line of thought and also our prayer.

The Lesson from Naomi
During sermon last week, we learnt about radical obedience from Ruth and Boaz. But as I was reading the book of Ruth this week, somehow I sensed that we also have something to learn from Naomi. I have decided to cover Naomi for various reasons: (i) I somehow had the feeling to cover Naomi and when I read in my bible commentary:

"obviously, Naomi's life was a powerful witness to the reality of God, Ruth was drawn to her - and to the God she worshipped... she (Ruth) became the great-grandmother of David and an ancestor in the line of the Messiah. What a profound impact Naomi's life made!"

I just suddenly felt compelled to cover Naomi, although the sermon's covered Ruth and Boaz as well, (ii) it would tie in with the line of cell discussion so far: two discussion ago it was about choices, then last week was about gifting and so this week about being an impact in others' lives and lastly (iii) it is a timely reminder as we prepare to reach out to people for the upcoming Sy Rogers outreach event. It was a radical choice because nothing much is written about Naomi, Ruth's mother-in-law, except that:

• she had moved away from Bethlehem down to Moab to escape a famine,
  
• she lost her husband and two sons,
  
• lamented that her life is bitter,
  
• was blessed with Ruth (her daughter-in-law, a Moabitess) who decided to stay with her and follow her back to Bethlehem and
  
• later advised Ruth how to go about expressing her love for Boaz

But what we know is that Naomi:

• Had suffered badly because she had moved away from Bethlehem (God's land) for a Moabite land (similar cases also seen in:
• Abraham - he moved down to Egypt to escape a famine [Gen 12:10-20],
  
• Lot - he chose the "greener pastures" when the quarreling beween the herdsmen of Abraham and Lot made it necessary to "go their separate ways". He chose the "greener pastures" which seemed like a good choice, but it was near Sodom and Gomorrah, full of sin, later destroyed by God. Lot also lost his wife [Gen 13 & 19]. And then later, a family tragedy took place when his daughters laid with Lot and became pregnant. Lot eventually became the father of the Moabites
  
• Jonah - who refused to hear God's call to preach the word of God in Nineveh but went the other way, only to be swallowed by a big fish)

• Had been such a powerful witness of the reality of God so much so Ruth decided to follow her and her God.
  
• Does things in love, even the request to her daughters-in-law to leave her when Naomi lost her husband and her two sons.
  
• She later even advised Ruth to express her love to Boaz

Naomi Laments about God & her Life
Yes, sometimes God does seem far away, as lamented by Naomi (Ruth 1:20-21):

20. "Don't call me Naomi, " she told them. "Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter.
21. I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The LORD has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me."

Psalm 9:10 and 112:4 reminds us of God's presence that all who are righteous will have light even in darkness:

Psalm 9:10: 10 Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.
Psalm 112:4: Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man.

Having God in our lives doesn't mean it will be free of trouble but that we have someone Almighty within us when we are in darkness, trusting that He will deliver us in one way or another, just like Job, when he was tested by satan. Sometimes, we turn away from God and God allows trials to help us grow. Leviticus 26:40-45 tells us:

40 " 'But if they will confess their sins and the sins of their fathers—their treachery against me and their hostility toward me, 41 which made me hostile toward them so that I sent them into the land of their enemies—then when their uncircumcised hearts are humbled and they pay for their sin, 42 I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land. 43 For the land will be deserted by them and will enjoy its sabbaths while it lies desolate without them. They will pay for their sins because they rejected my laws and abhorred my decrees. 44 Yet in spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them or abhor them so as to destroy them completely, breaking my covenant with them. I am the LORD their God. 45 But for their sake I will remember the covenant with their ancestors whom I brought out of Egypt in the sight of the nations to be their God. I am the LORD.' "

Ruth further illustrates this point that sometimes God do not deliver in miraculous ways but will sure do, guiding our every day lives.

Salvation for ALL
Then passages about God's salvation being for all people keep coming out:

• Ruth, who is a Moabite but became part of lineage of Jesus Christ
• Jonah who refused to preach to the people of Nineveh who he thought was evil and worthy of God's salvation, and also
  
• Isaiah 56:3-8

3. Let no foreigner who has bound himself to the LORD say,
"The LORD will surely exclude me from his people."
And let not any eunuch complain,
"I am only a dry tree."

4. For this is what the LORD says:
"To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths,
who choose what pleases me
and hold fast to my covenant-

5. to them I will give within my temple and its walls
a memorial and a name
better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name
that will not be cut off.

6. And foreigners who bind themselves to the LORD
to serve him,
to love the name of the LORD,
and to worship him,
all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it
and who hold fast to my covenant-

7. these I will bring to my holy mountain
and give them joy in my house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house will be called
a house of prayer for all nations."

8. The Sovereign LORD declares—
he who gathers the exiles of Israel:
"I will gather still others to them
besides those already gathered."

Naomi as a Spiritual Impact, What Sets Us Apart as Christians?
Yesterday, we also discussed what sets us apart as Christians from pre-believers? Why do we continue to read His word, go to church, meet for cell group discussions? Yes, God desire for His people to be in communion with Him again, to turn away from sin which has separated us from God. Now that we have salvation, is that the end of the story?

Some mentioned that what distinguishes us is that our eyes are open to God and His grace and we get to enjoy having God in our lives. We also have the choice to tap into God's power. There is also assurance of our "final destination" and our names in the Book of Life.

But yet, some also suggest that we are sometimes no different from pre-believers. We should not let our status as God's children bring us so much pride we feel we are different from "them". After all, do we all not fumble again and again even after accepting Jesus into our lives? But, just as I left home, I heard a message from my dad's sermon DVD that reminds us that, because of our very sinful nature, we are not perfect and does not only go to the altar once. We come to the altar of God again and again to confess our sins and repent, just as Abraham and some of God's people did in the bible.

Naomi has had a profound spiritual impact on Ruth so much so they became part of the lineage of Jesus Christ. And as some have highlighted, she may not even have known the impact she has made but the fact is that, in her own ways, she had been an impact. What about us? What have we been doing/are going to do to become a spiritual impact?

Philippians 2: 14-15
14. Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15. so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe

Mark 4:21:
21He said to them, "Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don't you put it on its stand?

Then I remember a devotional I came across some time back: Let your Light Shine. The devotional reminds us that in order to be good mirrors and an icon, we need to be clean mirrors, focused on the source of light (Jesus) and also in the world. It is also interesting that the discussion yesterday also brought up two interesting points: that a mirror with crack can also still reflect light and how as as a body of Christ, shining as one, we can be an icon to others. As Philippians 2:14-15 above shows us that we can be shining stars in a crooked and depraved world (which is all so evident). But remember Peter Tsukahira's reminder that we ought to be "in the world but not of the world"; that we sometimes need to get out of our comfort zone and bring salvation and hope to all who need it. Our focus, just like our church, should always be on being outreaching, to reconcile more to God and that is what God desires. Be a beautiful water lily growing out of muddy waters, be a torch in the midst of darkness.

On Thursday, our devotion in my office was on Mark 13 and the second coming of Christ. The first word spoken by Jesus is "watch" and guess what is the last word in the chapter, yes, "watch" as well. Are we doing what His word tells us in Mark 13:32-37:

32. "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. 34. It's like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.

35. "Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37. What I say to you, I say to everyone: 'Watch!' "

Then yesterday morning, I was reminded of the parable of the talents (Matthew 15:14-28).

What are we doing with our gifting? Are we letting our light shine and are we behaving in Christ-like manner? Are we joining the ranks of people like Abraham, Noah, Joshua etc?