KICKING AGAINST THE GOADS
Ruth 1:13c It is more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord’s hand has gone out again
In the time when the judges ruled Israel, there was a famine that made life very difficult for the people living there. One of the families that lived in Bethlehem decided to move to Moab until the famine was over. Once there and settled in they found that life must have been good even though Moab was a enemy of Israel. While living there ten years their two sons married Moabite ladies, and even though the famine must have been over for many years they grew comfortable living there until tragedy hit them once again. The husband of the wife Naomi died, and then her two sons died. Now Naomi found herself living in a foreign land that was historically a hated enemy of her people the Jews, and all she had left to take care of her were the two Moabite daughter-in-laws named Orpah and Ruth. Because of her situation Naomi decided to go back to Bethlehem. At least in Bethlehem she hopefully still had her property, and some relatives that maybe could help in some way. It was certainly a bad time for her, and it is easy to see why she wanted to change her name from Naomi that means pleasant to Mara that means bitter.
Many times when hard times come to people it changes them from the inside out. Where once they were happy and hopeful, tragedy that they faced changes their whole outlook on life and others. The bitterness and sometimes resentment towards God even changes their physical appearance. Their face becomes distraught, with scowls, frowns, angry eyes and a heart that is quick to lash out at the first opportunity. They become recluse and people avoid them too. They wish for death, and sad to say sometimes they bring it on themselves. All the happiness and joy that they once had is forgotten. Like the character in L’il Abner that had the cloud of despair always above his head, so it is with so many.
We see this very thing in Job 9:33-10:3 where Job says, “If only there were someone to arbitrate between us, to lay his hand upon us both, someone to remove God’s rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more. Then I would speak up without fear of him, but as it now stands with me, I cannot. I loathe my very life; therefore I will give free rein to my complaint and speak out in the bitterness of my soul. I will say to God: do not condemn me, but tell me what charges you have against me. Does it please you to oppress me, to spurn the work of your hands, while you smile on the schemes of the wicked?” Just reading this makes our heart go out to Job, but it also goes out to God. It is a sad and empty feeling to think that God has let us down and the love that we thought he had for us must not have been there at all. If we do not have God, who do we have to turn to for this life or the life to come? We have no one!
Most often we don’t think how God must feel in regards to how we have embittered ourselves towards him. Sometimes we act as if this is our only way to hurt God, as we think he has hurt us, but there is never any satisfaction in this. It only makes matters worse! Jesus even points out this very problem regarding John the Baptist in Lk 11:2,3 where it says, “When John heard in prison what Christ was doing , he sent his disciples to ask him, ‘Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?’” In other words John was saying to Jesus that you are not driving out the Romans like I thought you would. Are you going to let us down in this? Jesus sent back the message to John that, “Blessed is the man who does not fall ways on account of me.”
Jesus already had experienced in heaven what John was now starting to do, and this was letting disappoint turn himself away from Jesus. This is what Naomi and Job were doing too, as well as millions of others. Doing this is like what Paul talks about in Acts 26:14. The more we fight against God the more we hurt ourselves. The sad thing is that most people don’t see this. They are so angry or disappointed in God just like John the Baptist, that the very angry directed at God is coming back in increasing measure on them.
Well what is the answer? Is there anything we can say to do to people like Naomi or in the bitterness and anger towards God she calls herself Mara? I believe the only thing is to tell them the truth! This is that God does love them, and that he knows and understands their hurt and what they are going through. They also need to understand that God does not predestine every movement that takes place on earth or in our life even if some preachers or some denominations say that this is the case. If God truly does this then he is unjust for sending anyone to hell for doing what he made them do. God has created all things with a free will and this even applies to the natural elements such as the wind and the like. Even animals have a free will. This is why God says they are accountable. (Gen 9:4,5) Bad things happen to good people just like they do bad people. The difference for the Christian is that we can daily seek God’s help in our life by using our free will to release him to help us. James 4:2 says, “We have not because we ask not.” We can’t blame God for not helping to keep bad things from happening if we do not ask him! And we can’t blame God for not comforting us if we do not ask him too. All we have to do is ask! God is not against us. God loves us and is for us. It is not a matter of what we have done for him. It is a matter of us belonging to him, because he created us. It has always been God’s desire from Adam and Eve to today and forever, and that is to love us and have a personal relationship with him. The responsibility to have this is strictly on us. He has made his will known to us by that inward conformation in everyone's heart. He provided reconciliation through his son Jesus Christ. There is literally nothing else to do for us on God’s part. The only thing left is for us to humble ourselves and crawl up into his lap and embrace him!
The title of our web page that my son Joshua chose is The Pulse Check. It was the perfect name for it! This very title cries out today to all of us. What is the condition of our heart towards God? We can make things better or worse! As Joshua in the Bible said, “As for me and my family, we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:15) Choose Jesus and you choose life!
Prayer: Lord, please help us to never let the sorrows of this life turn our heart and love away from you! Please help us to stand, and stand in you. It’s in Jesus name we ask this.
