Read: Ruth 2:17-23

The book of Ruth is a wonderful story of how God provides and cares for His children in an amazing manner. While living in a foreign land, Naomi lost her husband and two sons and now returns to Bethlehem with only her daughter-in-law Ruth and a heart full of sorrow. When she arrived, she told her neighbours “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me” (Ruth 1:20). Naomi means ‘pleasant,’ and Mara means ‘bitter.’ Naomi didn’t see any future for her or for her daughter-in-law.

But this was not the end of her sorrow. When the discouraged Naomi saw God’s hand in Ruth’s life by working through Boaz, she said, “Blessed be he of the Lord, who has not forsaken His kindness to the living and the dead!” (Ruth 2:20). What appeared to be a hopeless situation had become a doorway for these two women who had lost so much.

Through Naomi and Ruth, we are reminded that God works in surprising ways to make His love known to us and to accomplish His purposes even during difficult times. We may not know every detail of what is happening or why certain things happen to us. But during the difficult times, we can be assured of the fact that God is working behind the scenes for our ultimate good. He is still the same God who has not stopped showing His kindness to His children. What we see of God’s provisions teaches us to trust Him for what we cannot see of His purposes.