His Presence in Blame

But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the LORD has brought me home again empty.” Ruth 1:20-21 NKJV

God’s fault.

Of course.

Or maybe not.

Anyone who named her two sons Sickly and Puny might have had some personal issues. Just possibly.

Anyway, another way to read the story is that after being in Moab long enough to have two boys, grow them to marriageable age and watch them die, it might have been God who put the urge in her heart to go home AT THAT TIME.

God might also have put it in Ruth’s heart to go. God might possibly have timed it for the barley harvest. God might even have sent Ruth to Boaz’ field. God might have cause Boaz to look with favor on her.

Possibly, anyway.

So the generally accepted storyline is that she messed up her own life (What was she doing in Moab anyway?), and God set about restoring her, while she was blaming Him for the results of her choices.

(Unfortunately, she developed an email template that is still being used today. Widely. In the SLG Tribe.)

Anyway . . . I think it is just an amazing portrait of the bigness of God. Bluntly, I am not as gracious as God. Emails full of blame shifting and ingratitude cause you to get a very short, crisp email from me.

But God allowed her to spit in His face, while He continued micromanaging the restoration of her life.

Immense.

And just like the email template that is still around, His big heart is still in operation today, as I watch Him restoring people who can’t see it yet, because they are still in the pity-party and the blame portion of their journey.

Summary: God doesn’t have to be seen, acknowledged or embraced for Him to be VERY present in our painful journey.

Copyright by Arthur Burk
April 2024

Rest for God's Spirit

Patina of Shame