And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years.
Life moves on—or at least, sometimes it looks like it does.
After the death of her husband, the boys took wives. Death is always sad. It is a loss, and it is irreplaceable. But life does go on, and we often find other ways to rejoice. Weddings can do that.
Each of the boys is wed. While Naomi undoubtedly would have loved for her husband to see the weddings, to meet the brides, and to look forward to grandchildren, still she could rejoice in the prospects.
Ten years.
Whether all of these years followed the death of her husband, I am not sure. But I am sure of this—no grandchildren came, and both boys died. Nothing breaks a parent’s heart like their children dying first. It is not supposed to be that way.
She is alone. By this time, she is old. Without her husband. Without her children. Without grandchildren. Her daughters-in-law are from a strange land. Mara—bitter, disappointed, disillusioned, depressed. She sees no future, no hope, no redemption from this life, except to exist until death finally and mercifully ends her despair.
I have attempted to paint the picture in the most depressing terms I possibly could because I have read the end of her book.
While she can see no hope and no resolution for her loss, we—who have read the end of her story—know that this is the most hopeful conclusion humanity can imagine. Out of her bitterness springs the family from which the Saviour of the world will come.
Here is the thing: none of us have read the end of our story. No matter how bad it may seem, no matter how hopeless things may appear, no matter how great the loss—we do not know how our story ends. It could be that our greatest days spring from our lowest moments.
There is one point I feel we need to see. For Naomi and Ruth, things turned right when Naomi returned to the Promised Land and Ruth embraced the biblical plan.
No matter how low you go, come to the Lord and choose a life of obedience to the Scriptures. I cannot tell you how your story ends—but I can tell you it will end better if it ends there.
#HopeInHardTimes #GodWritesTheEnding #FaithThroughLoss #RuthAndNaomi #GodsGraceInDarkness
Life Breaks, God Builds: The Road Back Changed Everything
📖 Looking for real Bible answers in a broken world? Naomi couldn’t see the end of her story—but God was already writing redemption through her pain. If you’re walking through loss, confusion, or a season of bitterness, the Word of God still gives clear hope, solid truth, and lasting direction.
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