May 14, 2023 - Qualities that Empower and Transform Relationships - Pastor Paul Vallee

The Book of Ruth In a sinful, broken world, there is a great need for love to be demonstrated. One of the most moving stories in the Bible is the story of two ordinary women struggling with significant losses. Both of these women had lost their husbands. For Naomi, the mother-in-law of Ruth, the future looked bleak. All she could see was poverty and uncertainty ahead. She had no hope of a future home and family and became embittered by what God had allowed to occur in her life. She felt God had dealt harshly with her. In an alien culture and land, she decided to return to the home of her youth. She remembered with fondness the times of God’s abundance, the love of a husband, and the delightful squeals of her children, but these carefree memories also reminded her of her losses. Death has claimed both her boys and her husband. She had left her home with her family, full of hopes and dreams. Now she returns mourning their loss. She had left full, and now she returns empty. That is the setting for the story of Ruth and Naomi. But God doesn’t leave these two women to fend for themselves. All through the book of Ruth, we see that chance happenings are the hand of God’s gracious provision. It is the story of going from emptiness to fullness, brokenness to wholeness. What fascinates me is that though great losses happen to people, even God’s people, God is working out His purposes. Many times, we cannot discern what He is doing. What seems like a disaster is one of the instruments in God’s hand, shaping our lives and destiny. We find in the drama the moving story of the love and devotion of a daughter-in-law. It is this devotion that is an expression of God’s provision. This relationship is the beginning of God’s restorative process. This relationship reveals that God is gracious and loving. What Naomi does not see in her losses is one of God’s greatest gifts—the gift of relationship.