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Day 9: The Redeemer Who Gives Hope
Scripture:
"Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that the Lord had visited his people and given them food. 7 So she set out from the place where she was with her two daughters-in-law, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah."
Ruth 1:6-7It’s been said that the first step is the hardest one to make. Some of you know this from waking up early to go running. You have to pry yourself out of those cozy warm covers, wipe the sleep out of your eyes, and step out into the freezing cold air, all the while telling yourself that it will be worth it. It’s that first step out of bed that often is the hardest to make.
Naomi now takes the first step back home. It’s not a leap by any stretch of the imagination, and neither is it happy or joyful, but a step is a step. It’s certainly not a celebratory step like our children take when they come out of their rooms on their birthdays. But it’s still a step. Her first step is covered with tears and filled with grief, but as we saw yesterday, the Lord has empowered her to take it. No, it’s not a giant step, but it’s a step that God has empowered her to take.
Some of you have a faith that is burning strong and bright. You are running strong in the faith. Your heart is warm and your prayers are vibrant. But others of you are in a place where your faith is barely alive. It’s just a flicker. You are sad because you think you should be stronger. And now, you feel like a failure because of how weak your faith seems. Like Naomi, you have a hard time imagining that God would want anything to do with such a weak faith.
But what Naomi is about to discover is that Jesus is drawn to her weakness, not repelled by it. He is not going to pull away from Naomi and hope that she finds her way back, but He is going to carry her back. The Jesus Naomi is going to encounter, although she is still unaware and unseeing, is the Jesus who does not pull away from bruised reeds. He does not sigh at smoldering wicks. And He does not wait for the weary to get stronger or the broken pull themselves together before He can work.
Yes, this first step is a small beginning for Naomi. It isn’t flashy or dramatic. It’s painfully small. But Christ doesn’t care. He isn’t looking for fireworks, but only for trust and faith. Naomi doesn’t yet know all the “why’s” behind her pain. But Jesus does. And He knows that before she can grow, she needs to be pruned. And while she wants to be filled, she first must be emptied. Her heart longs for redemption, but the path there must come on the road of loss. But make no mistake, Jesus will not waste any of it.
And maybe that’s where you are today. Life has beaten you down and your hope feels thin. Whatever strength you had is gone. Hope seems like an impossibility, and you feel like you’re taking the smallest, weakest steps, if any at all. But here is the hope that our passage today gives. Jesus is not waiting for you to be strong before He comes. He is coming to you in your weakness.
Even though Naomi has a tiny spark of faith, this spark is still real faith. Christ cherishes and cares for even a spark of faith and isn’t surprised or annoyed by it. Naomi thought that children and a husband would make her world come alive. Jesus is going to show her that only He can do this. Your faith might be just a flicker. But if Jesus lit the flame, be assured that He will finish the flame. He’s never left a half-finished saint. He’s not walked away from a struggling believer yet, and He won’t let you be the first.
Naomi is met with hope in one simple line: “The Lord had visited His people and given them bread.” Even though she is still a long way from the food and from her home, she is still met with food better than bread. And that food is grace. Grace is the food that strengthens her steps. Grace is the hope that keeps her moving. Grace is the kindness that will carry her from emptiness to redemption.
And this is why Jesus is better. He is better than the strength you wish you had or the faith you think you’ve lost. He is better than the future you imagined and the life you hoped for. He is better because He does not demand that you climb your way back to Him. No, He comes to you, lifts you, and walks the road you cannot walk.
Are you ready to have the hope of His grace today?
Pastor Josh Gerber |
