Grief, Loyalty, and Restoration: (Why You Should) Always Keep the Faith

If you've ever experienced grief, trials, hopelessness, or uncertainty about God's presence during tough times in your life, this episode is for you.  Learn how being Salty and standing in your truth is OK...but, don't lose sight of God. He always has His hands on you even when you don't think He does. Meet Naomi...

Transcript

“It’s the Salt for me”

Podcast Episode 7

Grief, Loyalty, and Restoration: (Why You Should) Always Keep the Faith

Hey! Welcome to Episode 7 of “It’s the Salt for me, brought to you by The Salty Christian.” I’m your host, Marie. I invite you to subscribe, share and comment. 

I’ve been in kind of a funk lately. This may or may not happen to you too. I think it’s the culmination of a lot of things. Christmas is coming and it always makes me a little melancholy.  I’m getting older, my Grandsons live far away, most of my family lives in different states, my mom is in a memory facility, my dad is no longer here, my father-in-law is gone, and the list goes on. I was becoming more salty than usual. Thinking about the past, present, and future. Salty as all get out! I figured I’d do the one thing that does give me some solace: Try to find ways to help others during this season of giving – which I intend to try and do all throughout the year rather than only in December from now on. I enjoy helping other people. It really lifts my spirits. I also enjoy doing this podcast but as I said, I’ve been in kind of a funk. A little saltier than usual. So, I really couldn’t decide what I wanted to talk about on last week’s podcast while sitting around feeling sorry for myself, so I didn’t produce. I prayed about it for several days, then just kind of let it be. I’m like, ok, God. Whatever. It is what it is. Maybe I wasn’t supposed to do one this week either. I really wasn’t sure. 

Well, after I prayed about it and let it be, every time I would study my bible, the book of John, in particular – God started telling me to read Ruth. As per usual, I chose not to – ‘cause I wanted to continue with John. It wasn’t Ruth’s turn yet. And, of course, God had others plans. It came to be that every time I tried to read anything in the Bible other than Ruth, I lost all concentration. I kept re-reading passages and still not understanding. It was annoying to say the least, and, quite frankly, it was just making me saltier! After a couple days of this madness, I figured I may as well read the book of Ruth and get it out of the way ‘cause God was obviously not going to allow me to move forward with John – or any other book of the Bible until I read Ruth. Side note: I really need to stop being hard-headed when it comes to God telling me what to do. And I mean that with my whole heart because this is what happened when I finally read Ruth:

I got comfortable and opened my Bible. I prayed that I would get whatever message God wanted me to get out of it and understand whatever it was that He wanted me to tell others. So, a little back story on Ruth in case you haven’t read it. 

In the beginning of the Ruth, there was a famine in Bethlehem. Elimelech, his wife Naomi and their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion went to dwell in the country of Moab. Elimelech died and their two sons married Moab women, Orpah and Ruth. They lived there for about ten years. Now Moabites were pagans and they worshiped the god of Chemosh. Clearly not sure if my pronunciation is correct so forgive me if it’s wrong. Anyway, eventually, both Mahlon and Chilion died so it was just Naomi and her two daughters-in-law left. Naomi heard that the Lord had provided food for His back in her hometown. So, girlfriend decided that she was going back to Bethlehem. Naomi and her two daughters-in-law left to go back, and, I don’t know how far they got when Naomi told them, you know what, go back to your mother’s house. She told them in verse 8, “…may the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me.” She continued in verse 9, “The Lord grant that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband.” Basically, I feel like Naomi was unsure of what she was going back to and she wanted to make sure that they were taken care of and maybe marry again. And, you know, they didn’t worship the same god either so they may not have be accepted in Bethlehem. Now, Orpah didn’t wait that long until she said peace out, but Ruth? Ruth was a rider! She said to Naomi in Ruth 1, verse 16:

“Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.”

That gave me chills. Out of loyalty to Naomi, Ruth was willing to change her life. She even made a vow to serve the Lord of Israel. Ruth didn’t know it but that one decision changed her destiny. God had plans for Ruth. I believe that because of her character and loyalty, she had God’s favor on her life. The people in Bethlehem seemed to accept her and admire her for what she had done for Naomi. And, I had mad respect for Ruth…and then I found Naomi. 

Now, let me tell you a little bit about Naomi. When they got to Bethlehem, it appeared that everyone was excited. And they were like, “is this Naomi?” and Naomi said, and I quote (from Ruth 1, verse 20-21):

“…do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?”

That’s the part where I fell out laughing because I finally understood why God wanted me to read Ruth. If you don’t know, Mara (what Naomi wanted to be called) in Hebrew means bitter. Naomi was salty, ya’ll! Naomi was me and I was Naomi! Mind blown!

I felt like Naomi was like I left my home because of a drought then lost my husband and my sons. I am empty. I am tired. I have nothing left. Why bother. Where is God? Why is God punishing me? What are these people going to think of me? …but she never really lost her faith. 

Naomi was salty and she kept it real about how she felt. Naomi wanted to change everything about her – especially her name. I haven’t wanted to do that yet, but, yeah, I am convinced. We are the same person. I have been salty for a long time. Angry with God, disappointed in God, blaming God, but at least I can stand in my truth. I don’t care if people think it’s wrong to be mad at God or feel hurt by God or disappointed. I think at some point in life, we have all felt those things. We have all questioned God when we were going through trials that seemed like they would never end or about unanswered prayers. I think what is most important is our relationship with God. God knows all and sees all so of course He knows when we feel some type of way. Matter of fact, He knows how we’d feel before we know how we’d feel!

The more I kept reading, the more I understood that God’s hand was all up in this. One could say that Naomi was an Israelite, one of God’s chosen people. She did something that God didn’t necessarily choose for her by going to Moab, but she eventually went back, and I think she was blessed for that. But Naomi went through it. She experienced great loss and I think while she may have taken issue with God, she was a Godly woman who lived a Godly life. I think she knew God’s hand was in it for the good and bad but was just in a lot of pain.  Naomi couldn’t see the plans God had for her through her grief.

God took a situation that seemed hopeless and redeemed both Ruth and Naomi. Because of Naomi, Ruth was able to fulfill her destiny and through that God was able to redeem and restore Naomi’s family line. Naomi teaches us that no matter what we are going through, God will redeem and restore us. She went through pain and sorrow like none other, but she never really lost her faith in God and that is weaved throughout the story.  

I feel like Naomi had a complicated relationship with God. Like me, she feels like He brought all this heart-ache on her, but, she also knows who God is and what He can do if you remain faithful – which isn’t always easy but absolutely worth it. So, the next time you are going through it, remember Naomi. Better yet, read the story of Ruth. On top of loss, loyalty and redemption, it’s really quite a love story. 

I hope you’ve enjoyed this episode. And I hope this will help you to understand why, no matter how we feel, should always keep the faith. God is our redeemer. He will restore us ten fold – even when we don’t feel like He will. 

I again invite you to subscribe, share and comment.

I’ll catch you on the next episode of “It’s the Salt for Me.” Until then, be blessed and be a blessing.