Ruth 1:1-5 New International Version (NIV)
Naomi Loses Her Husband and Sons
1 In the days when the judges ruled,[a] there was a famine in the land. So 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 Elimelek, his wife’s name was 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 Elimelek, 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. Mon. October 26 Instead of placing his hope in God, who has already proven to be faithful (Exodus), Elimelech created his own plan. Yet, his hopes and dreams fail miserably. The famine back home did not get him, but death followed him to Moab. We like to blame everything and everyone else for our problems and then make plans to escape to a new place. After a while, new problems arise with just as much stress and anxiety as before. We might even repeat this process several times. To use a mathematical term, the “common denominator” is “me.” I am the problem, not everyone else. You might not pick up and move to a new town, but you might try to “make a plan” by finding a new job or cut ties with “toxic” friends and family members. Don’t misunderstand. Other people can be terrible! But we will never outrun pain, suffering, and even death in this life. Like Elimelech, you can try, but you will be found! Instead, Jesus calls us to trust that he is with us and that our Heavenly Father will take care of us. Pain, suffering, and death will find us, but God will save us.