"When Naomi saw that [Ruth] was determined to go with her, she said no more. So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem" Ruth 1:18-19.
A famine caused a woman named Naomi and her family to leave their Bethlehem home and travel to a place call Moab in search of food. While in Moab, her husband and their 2 sons died.
Living in Moab brought Naomi deep sorrow and loneliness, as we would expect. Return to her home in Bethlehem seemed out of the question. Listen to her own words, "Do not call me Naomi [which means "pleasant']; call me Mara [which means "bitter"] (Ruth 1:20). But her daughter-in-law, Ruth (who lost her husband -one of Naomi's sons- as well), was an extraordinary person and dedicated her life to Naomi. Such friendship is a sterling example of friendship! Under the Lord's guidance, they both made it back home to Bethlehem.
Maybe some of us can relate to Naomi's pain. The pain is so deep that we would like to change our name and escape/hide from it all. Fear, bitterness, terrible events, loss of a loved one, failure at work or school devastates us. Friends may be little help. We need a true friend like Ruth. Where do we find such a friend?
We expect a true friend to be faithful no matter what has happened. True friends stay with us, even if we've brought this misery upon ourselves.
The friendship of Jesus goes beyond our expectations, or what we deserve. In Jesus, God became man to live under His Law for us, to suffer the agony of the curse of sins for us, and to rise to life from the dead for us. He endured all for us, so that we can possess an abundant eternal life! In times of plenty and in times of deep need, Jesus remains our faithful friend. Jesus offers us full forgiveness for all our sin, puts us right with God, and walks with us every step of the way to our home in heaven!
What a friend we have in Jesus!
-Dale
