Lindsey, may you inspire others as Naomi inspired Ruth. She was such an inspiration to Ruth that Ruth refused to leave her and clung to her. May others see such inspiration in you.
Good morning Heavenly Father. Thank you for the changing weather. Thank you for the warnings that are part of your creation … warning about a change in weather. We say “it feels like it is going to rain” or “it looks like rain”. Thank you for the weather indicators. And thank you for the inspiring story of Naomi for the letter N:
Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the Lord had visited his people in giving them bread. Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters in law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah. And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother’s house: the Lord deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me. The Lord grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept. (Ruth 1:6-9)
AND THEN…
And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her. (Ruth 1:14)
Lord, I’m here again. I’m here to sit with you. I’m here to lift up Lindsey your daughter and to pray for her again today. Lindsey, I pray that as you cling to Jesus along your journey that others may be inspired and want to follow you and the God that you worship. And the glory will go to God. All the glory is his. I pray this in the name of Christ Jesus, King of kings. Amen
Naomi:
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Scriptures – Ruth 1:1-2:3 (KJV / Voice)
| 1 Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons. 2 And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehemjudah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there. 3 And Elimelech Naomi’s husband died; and she was left, and her two sons. 4 And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years. 5 And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband. | 1 A long time ago, when judges still ruled over Israel and the land was dried up with famine, a man from Bethlehem, which ironically means “place of bread,” left his home in Judah to live as a foreigner in the land of Moab. He traveled with his wife and their two sons. 2 His name was Elimelech, and his wife was Naomi; their two sons were called Mahlon and Chilion. They were descendants of Ephraim’s tribe from Bethlehem in Judah. They had settled and made lives for themselves in Moab, 3 but soon after, Elimelech died leaving Naomi in the care of her sons. 4 Each son married a woman from Moab—one was named Orpah, the other Ruth—and they lived together for 10 years 5 before Mahlon and Chilion died also. Naomi was left alone, without her husband and two sons. |
| 6 Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the Lord had visited his people in giving them bread. 7 Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters in law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah. | 6-7 Word had reached Moab that the Eternal One had once again brought life back to the land of Israel and blessed His people with food. Naomi prepared to return with her daughters-in-law. With Orpah and Ruth at her side, she began her journey back to Judah, leaving the place where she had lived. |
| 8 And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother’s house: the Lorddeal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me. 9 The Lord grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. | Naomi (to Orpah and Ruth): 8 You have accompanied me far enough; you must both return to Moab. Go home to your mothers’ care and your people. May the Eternal show His loyal love to you just as you demonstrated it to my dead sons and me. 9 I hope He will bring you new husbands and that you will find the rest you deserve in their homes. |
| Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept. | She drew close, kissed them, and turned to go on her way, alone. But Orpah and Ruth wailed and sobbed, crying out to her. |
| 10 And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people. | Orpah and Ruth: 10 Do not leave us! We insist you take us with you to live with you and your people. |
| 11 And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? 12 Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have an husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have an husband also to night, and should also bear sons; 13 Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye stay for them from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord is gone out against me. | Naomi: 11 Go back to your homes, my daughters. What possible reason would you have for returning with me? Do you think there are more sons inside of me? Will you marry these unborn sons? 12 Listen to me, daughters, and go back. I am too old; I will not marry again because I cannot conceive. But even if I could—if I still believed there was hope for me, or if I had a husband and conceived sons tonight— 13 would you waste a lifetime waiting for them to grow up? Would you let this hope for the future keep you from remarrying now? Of course not, mydear daughters. It is obvious that the Eternal has acted against me. My life is much too bitter for you to share with me. |
| 14 And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her. | 14 At this Orpah and Ruth wailed and wept again. Then Orpah kissed Naomi, said goodbye, and returned the way she had come. Yet Ruth refused to let go of Naomi. |
| 15 And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law. | Naomi: 15 Look at your sister-in-law. She has returned to live with her people and to worship her gods; go and follow her. |
| 16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: 17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me. | Ruth: 16 Stop pushing me away, insisting that I stop following you! Wherever you go, I will go. Wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people. Your God will be my God. 17 Wherever you die, I will also die and be buried there near you. May the Eternal One punish me— and even more so— if anything besides deathcomes between us. |
| 18 When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her. 19 So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. | 18 When Naomi heard this and saw Ruth’s resolve, she stopped trying to talk her out of returning to Judah. 19 The two women went on together to Bethlehem. |
| And it came to pass, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi? | News of their arrival spread throughout Bethlehem. In fact, the whole community was humming with the report, with the women exclaiming, “Could it really be the same Naomi who left us so long ago?” |
| 20 And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went out full and the Lord hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the Lord hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me? | Naomi: 20 Do not call me Naomi ever again, for I am no longer pleasant. Call me Mara instead, for I am filled with bitternes because the Highest One has treated me bitterly. 21I left this place full, in spite of the famine, but the Eternal has brought me back empty from a plentiful land. Why would you call me “Pleasant” when the Eternal has testified against me, and the Highest One has brought disaster upon me? |
| 22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest. | 22 This was how Naomi came into Bethlehem with her daughter-in-law, Ruth, from Moab. It was at the beginning of the barley harvest when they returned to the land. |
| 2:1 And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband’s, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz. | 2:1 Now Naomi’s deceased husband, Elimelech, had a relative in Bethlehem, an honorable, wealthy man named Boaz. 2 One day Ruth (the foreign woman who returned with Naomi from Moab) approached Naomi with a request. |
| 2 And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter. | Ruth: Let me go out into the field and pick up whatever grain is left behind the harvesters. Maybe someone will be merciful to me.Naomi: Go ahead, my daughter. |
| 3 And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech. | 3 Ruth left and went into the fields to pick up the gleanings, the grain that had been left behind by the harvesters. And so it was that the portion of the field she was working in belonged to Boaz, who was a part of Elimelech’s family. |
Skip ahead to Ruth 2:17-22
| 17 So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley.18 And she took it up, and went into the city: and her mother in law saw what she had gleaned: and she brought forth, and gave to her that she had reserved after she was sufficed. | 17 So Ruth worked in the field all day until the sun had nearly set. When she finished picking up the leftover ears, she beat her gathered barley grains from the stalks with a stick. All that work resulted in over 20 quarts of grain. 18 Then she carried it back to the city where her mother-in-law saw how much she had gleaned. Ruth took out the leftover food from what she could not eat of her midday meal and gave it to Naomi. |
| 19 And her mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. | Naomi (to Ruth): 19 Where did you go to work today? Where did you glean all this from? May God bless the person who gave you this kind of attention. |
| And she shewed her mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man’s name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz. | So Ruth told Naomi the story of all that had happened to her that day and on whose land she had worked.Ruth: The man I worked with today is named Boaz. |
| 20 And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the Lord, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen. | Naomi: 20 May the Eternal bless this man. He has not given up showing His covenant love toward the living and the dead. This man is closely related to us—he is a kinsman-redeemer of our family. |
| 21 And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me also, Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest. | Ruth: 21 That is not all he did. Boaz also instructed me to stay with his young workers for the remainder of his grain harvesting season. |
| 22 And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter in law, It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, that they meet thee not in any other field. | Naomi: 22 It is best that you do as he says. Stay with his young women who bind the sheaves. They will keep you safe from the hostility and danger of working in another’s field. |
Then Naomi has instruction for Ruth – Ruth 3:1-6 (KJV / Voice):
| 1 Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee? 2 And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to night in the threshing floor. 3 Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking. 4 And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do. | Naomi (to Ruth): 1 My child, it is my responsibility to find a husband and place of rest for you—a place where you will find rest and contentment. 2 You have been working alongside the young women who serve Boaz. Is he not a part of our family? Early this evening, during the late afternoon wind, he will be on the threshing floor winnowing the barley.3 Bathe and perfume yourself. Put on your best dress, then go down onto the threshing floor. Be careful, though. Don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking.4 Once he is relaxed, he will lie down to sleep. Make sure you notice where he is. Once he has lain down, go to him. Uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do. |
| 5 And she said unto her, All that thou sayest unto me I will do. | Ruth: 5 I will do everything you have told me to do. |
| 6 And she went down unto the floor, and did according to all that her mother in law bade her. | 6 So she went down to the threshing floor and followed through with everything her mother-in-law told her to do. |
Afterwards Ruth returns home to Naomi – Ruth 3:16-18 (KJV / Voice):
| 16 And when she came to her mother in law, she said, Who art thou, my daughter? And she told her all that the man had done to her. | 16 When Ruth returned to Naomi’s home, her mother-in-law asked her daughter what happened. Ruth related all that Boaz had said and done. |
| 17 And she said, These six measures of barley gave he me; for he said to me, Go not empty unto thy mother in law. | Ruth: 17 He even gave me these six measures of barley grain saying to me, “You can’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.” |
| 18 Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall: for the man will not be in rest, until he have finished the thing this day. | Naomi: 18 Now you must wait, daughter. We must wait and see what happens. Be at peace. That man will not rest today until this is resolved. |
Next Boas becomes their redeemer – Ruth 4:9-10 (KJV / Voice):
| 9 And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, of the hand of Naomi. 10 Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are witnesses this day. | Boaz (to the elders and all the people): 9 Every one of you have witnessed what happened here today. I secured the rights to everything that belonged to Elimelech and his sons, Mahlon and Chilion, from Naomi. 10 I have also taken responsibility for Ruth—the woman from Moab who was married to Mahlon. She will become my wife. I will see to it that his family and this city remember Mahlon. I will raise children who will bear his name and make sure his property stays in the family. You are all witnesses to this today. |
Naomi has a happy ending! Ruth 4:13-17 (KJV / Voice):
| 13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the Lord gave her conception, and she bare a son. | 13 Then Boaz took responsibility of Ruth, and they married. After they came together, Ruth conceived by the Eternal’s provision, and later she gave birth to a son. |
| 14 And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel. 15 And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him. | Women (to Naomi): 14 Praise the Eternal One. He has not abandoned you. He did not leave you without a redeeming guardian. May your offspring become famous all through Israel.15 May this child give you a new life. May he strengthen you and provide for you in your old age. Look at your daughter-in-law, Ruth. She loves you. This one devoted daughter is better to you than seven sons would be. She is the one who gave you this child. |
| 17 And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David. | 16 Then Naomi held the child tightly in her arms and cared for him. 17 All around her, friends cried out, “Naomi has a son!” They named the child Obed because he would provide for his grandmother. Obed grew up and became the father of Jesse. Jesse, too, became a father one day, the father of David. |
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A daughter of God 