I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

Ruth 4. “So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and when he went in to her, the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son. Then the women said to Naomi, ‘Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a close relative; and may his name be famous in Israel!  And may he be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him.’  Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her bosom, and became a nurse to him.  Also the neighbor women gave him 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” (Verses 13-17). When Naomi came back home after losing her husband and sons, she told those around her, not to call her Naomi, which means pleasant, instead they were to call her Mara, which means bitter. Why? She believed that God had dealt bitterly with her. However, now she is holding her grandchild and the great grandfather of king David. Life does not always run the course we think it should. When the lemons come, we don’t always see the lemonade. God had a plan, He was creating the path for His Son, the one who would save us from our sins, redeem us and bring us into right relationship with God. God did NOT deal with Naomi bitterly, that was just her perspective because she couldn’t see His plan, she was too focused on her situation. There are days it feels like God is dealing bitterly with us, we see only the lemon, but don’t see the lemonade. He has a plan, a purpose, a reason… Stay focused on HIM.