Straying out of God's boundry - Ruth 1:20-21

Ruth 1:20-21 - Don’t call me Naomi,” she told them. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.”

Failures, problems with spouse, problems with children, trouble at the work place, sickness one after anther. Everything seems to be going the wrong direction. Does that give us a good reason for getting angry/disappointed with God, wanting to do things our own way?. Especially so for a christian. Why talk about God's way when the way in front of me is a mess, even though I am a good christian.

This was what Naomi and her husband faced in Bethlehem. There was a famine in the land and the "House of Bread" was facing a drought with no food to eat. Maybe they were not responsible for the famine. But why punish us, good obedient Jews. With two sons to feed, what choice do they have? "Its my responsibility to take care of my family", Just  few kilometers away is a land of plenty. Why not make the transition, we need to look at the future of our kids. Why suffer here when we could make a little compromise and live in another place but one that meets all our physical needs? The temptation was too great to resist and one that any intelligent person will make

Great suggestion, you may think. But there's one problem. That country was Moab.The descendants of  Moab were a result of a incestuous relationship between Lot and hos daughter.The were a constant threat to the security of Israel. In fact Moab was not paer of the blessing that God gave to Israel. Moab was not part of the promised land. In fact David called Moab in Psalms 60:8 as - Moab is my washbasin. Something lowly, something despicable, not the real blessing, not God's choice

Lessons learnt

Even the elect are not free from "famines".   Israel was God's people, the chosen ones, yet they were hit by a severe famine, so severe that Noami and her family decided to leave it for greener pasture. Of course there are many reasons why famines come but we will save for another time. Noami and her family may not even be responsible for this onslaught.  James 1:2 says - Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters whenever you face trials of many kinds. Peter says in 1 Peter 4:12 - Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. They will come.

Adverse economic or depressing situations cannot be a justification for moving out of God's boundaries. In this case it looks like sound reason to go to the green plains of Moab instead of the suffering famine in Judah. Not so in the eyes of God. A sin is a sin no matter how much we try to justify or rationalize. The second best can never replace the first choice had has for us. Excuses like, "its my weakness, "its the matter of the heart and can't be explained"cannot mitigate the wrong decisions we make. Saul tried that, but God was not impressed.

Even the elect are not exempt from the consequences of their wrong decisions.   Noami meant pleasant or lovely but after the bitter experience in Moab, she calls herself Mara which means bitter. Straying out of God's will left her without her husband and both her sons. She was now bitter with herself and also with God. David's sin had devastating consequences, even though he was a man after God's own hear. Moses act of rebellion cost him the entry to the promised land even though he was one to whom God will speak face to face. 

The consequences of our action can have long effects.   Noami and her husband's decision to flirt with God's commands and plans affect not only themselves but their two sons and their two daughters-in-law. Sarah's "Plan B" had consequences that even reverberate till this day.

There's always a tendency to shift blame for one's misjudgement.   Noami said God had punished her. "The Lord has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.” How convenient. Adam did the same, Eve followed suit. And so do we.It's always God and the rest who are responsible. A genuine inward examination would reveal the real cause, if one is sincere about it. 1 John 1:8-10 - If we claim that we’re free of sin, we’re only fooling ourselves. A claim like that is errant nonsense. On the other hand, if we admit our sins—make a clean breast of them—he won’t let us down; he’ll be true to himself. He’ll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing. If we claim that we’ve never sinned, we out-and-out contradict God—make a liar out of him. A claim like that only shows off our ignorance of God (The Message Bible)

James 1:12 -  Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 

But there can be a reversal of fortunes. The end turned out to be much better than expected.

Unforced depressing circumstances may appear as a good excuse for straying out of God’s will/security and plan. But the consequences are bitter. Weathering the storm, in God’s drawn boundary, always reverses the negative.

To be continued.