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Day 12: The Redeemer Who Understands Lament
Scripture:
She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 21 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?”
Ruth 1:20-21
How often have you heard today’s verse used for a devotional? I thought devotionals were supposed to be hopeful and uplifting. Today’s verse seems pretty dark and dreary, doesn’t it? People probably wouldn’t buy too many if you sold them on pillows. It’s hard to imagine how this day will offer much hope.
Naomi finally makes it back to Judah. We aren’t familiar with the custom at this time to welcome those returning home with a city-wide celebration. But as the city is stirred to excitement over Naomi’s return, there is anything but excitement in her heart.
We know what it’s like to meet someone that we haven’t seen in years. We remember that last time we saw them, what they looked like, and what we did with them. It can feel as if time has stopped since that last time, but we know it hasn’t. We see how they’ve changed, how the years have put some age on them. If they had young children, now those children are much older. They are the same, yet different.
No doubt the women of the city felt the same way with Naomi. They remembered her as the one who was called “Lovely.” They thought back to her husband and the day she had left Bethlehem for Moab. Now she’s back, with another woman, much older and sadder. That light of hope in her eyes years ago has been replaced with sorrow and grief. Even though she sounds much the same, there is enough of a difference that the town women wonder if it’s really her.
Grief and sorrow have a way of doing this to us. The sin-fallen world we live in is filled with disappointment and pain. Our faces are filled with extra wrinkles from life’s hardships, and we can wear the hurt we are carrying. The question then is not whether we will experience grief and pain. The question is what we will do with it. As Naomi sees the familiar sights, close friends who have grown old, and the memories of walking with her husband and children, her emotions are stirred and the tears fall.
The irony of her name (meaning pleasant or lovely) hits her deeply, and she snaps, telling them not to call her that anymore. Instead, she scoffingly urges them to call her a more realistic name, Mara, which means “bitter.” She even states that God has made her bitter and is responsible for the condition she is in. Naomi leaves no room for any other cause. The Lord, who is sovereign and in control over all things, has brought this pain and calamity to her life.
Naomi tells of when she left and when she was full. She was able to survive the move and the famine without emptiness. But now, the Lord has put a hole in her cup, and all life has drained out. She is like an empty vessel, without any capacity to enjoy happiness or good anymore. In her mind, it’s not as if she deserved this. She moved away to save her life. She was a loyal and faithful wife and mother. She didn’t blame God for the famine or turn away from Him in it. She wasn’t like the Moabites worshiping other gods, or wicked sinners who wanted nothing to do with Him. No, she tried her best, and this is how the Lord repays her, by emptying her cup and leaving her so broken? What kind of God would cause more hurt than help to widows?
It’s possible that this is your struggle. You likewise have tried your best to obey and serve the Lord. It’s true that you aren’t like so many who want nothing to do with God. You are loyal, serving faithfully. Yet, your cup has been emptied, not because you did something, but because it was part of God’s plan to fill you with greater grace. But it still hurts, and you wonder why God would do this. So, what do you do?
In this case, we see the honesty of Naomi’s lament. Even while she wrongly views the Lord’s plan, she rightly recognizes that it is His plan. She pours her heart out, asking the hard questions but not receiving immediate answers. There is no filter with which Naomi runs her complaints through to soften or correct. She gives what she has, an honest but raw cry of pain to the Lord. Now, even though there doesn’t seem to be much hope in these verses, Naomi unknowingly has taken a step in the right direction.
Naomi’s story shows us that the question of “Who is God?” must carry more weight than “Why has this happened?” Her lament is raw, honest, and unfiltered, yet it is spoken to God, not away from Him. Naomi returns to Bethlehem because she believes the Lord is the only refuge she has left. Even in her bitterness, she knows no substitute can rescue her, reminding us that only the Lord can satisfy the famine of our souls.
Naomi speaks boldly as she says, “The Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.” And God does not silence her, but lets her speak as He listens. And even when we cry out in pain to God in hurt and in confusion, He listens. She does not have to pretend or hide. God includes lament in Scripture to remind you that He welcomes your honest cries.
Naomi is wrong in her interpretation of God’s plan, but she is right in where she brings her pain. She cannot see God’s love in her circumstances, but the entire book of Ruth reveals it. God’s love is often hidden in the moment and revealed in hindsight, as He is doing more than she can see. She cannot see Ruth standing beside her as a gift of grace. She cannot see the harvest God has already prepared. She cannot see Boaz waiting in Bethlehem. And she cannot see the redemption unfolding behind the scenes.
And you cannot see everything God is doing either. But here is the hope, that Jesus understands lament like no one else. He knows what it is to feel abandoned. He knows what it is to cry out in agony. He knows what it is to walk through darkness. He knows what it is to feel the weight of God’s plan without seeing the full picture. He knows the depth of sorrow, the ache of grief, and the cost of obedience.
And because Jesus understands lament, He meets you in yours. He does not shame you for your tears and does not scold you for your questions. He does not withdraw from your bitterness. He does not flinch at your honesty, but sits with you in the ashes. He holds you in the emptiness, listening to your cries and carrying your sorrow. He walks with you through the valley.
And this is why Jesus is better, because He is the Redeemer who not only restores your life, but understands your lament along the way.Pastor Josh Gerber |
