Redeemed

There's this story in the bible about a woman named Naomi.

Actually, it's more about her daughter-in-law, Ruth, but I like Naomi's side of the story, so I am going to focus on her instead.

The story begins in Ruth:1
1 In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. 2 The man's name was Elimelech, his wife's name Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there.

3 Now Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, 5 both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.

If the story ended there, I would be pretty disappointed. After all, here is a woman who lost everything of value to her when her husband and sons died. And aside from her faithful daughter-in-law, who left her homeland in Moab to return to Bethlehem with Naomi, she held very little hope for herself and her future. In fact, she even asked to be called Mara, meaning bitter, as she was convinced that God had caused this great injustice to happen to her.

Hopeless.

Bitter.

I can't imagine a more depressing way to live than to spend ones life that way. And I think it's safe to say that God would agree. That has never been His plan for our lives.

It wasn't until Naomi and Ruth returned to Bethlehem that Naomi was able to see the story for what God intended it to be. A story spun from deep longing and personal heartache made whole through a kinsman redeemer named Boaz.

Ruth 4
9 Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, "Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelech, Kilion and Mahlon. 10 I have also acquired Ruth the Moabitess, Mahlon's widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from the town records. Today you are witnesses!"

11 Then the elders and all those at the gate said, "We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. 12 Through the offspring the LORD gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah."

13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. Then he went to her, and the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. 14 The women said to Naomi: "Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! 15 He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth."

16 Then Naomi took the child, laid him in her lap and cared for him.

Beloved. Redeemed. Naomi.

God continues to weave a story of redemption into each of our lives, and today we finally get to see the face of another child redeemed by Him.

Introducing: Naomi Elaina Snyder (aka: Lyudmila)