ABANDONED TO ADORED

Gracia Betty Edith
Jun 30, 2023
5 min read

“You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,”

- Psalms 30:11 NIV

Previously On Rock Bottom to Sky High,

Joseph the father’s favorite was betrayed, enslaved, and imprisoned in strange land. In the end, God made him the Prime Minister of Egypt. He stood with God and God with Him. His story proclaimed you can be pushed to plenty from your prison experience.

Life is like that sometimes; it will throw you into unexpected heartbreaks or the doom of hopelessness. It may feel like no one will understand you even if you keenly explain.

I think my girl Ruth in the bible can relate to you. Who is Ruth? I thought you never ask, Scroll on…to find out.

The Pilot – Ruth? Who?

The Curtains open to Elimelech, Naomi, and their two sons emigrating out of Jerusalem to survive a Famine. They settled in the land of Moab which was an old nemesis of the Israelites. Naomi’s sons married two young Moabites, Orpah, and Ruth. Yup, Ruth was one of the two daughters-in-law of Naomi. She was brought up in an entirely different culture, including worshiping idols with contradicting food habits and belief systems.

Albeit she was a virtuous woman. She loved and cared for her husband’s family. After they lived in Moab for 10 years the tables have turned so swiftly, ruining this beautiful idea of a perfect family. The women lose their husbands leaving them widowed. Not a perfect way to open a motivational story Huh? but hey, Don’t Despise the small beginnings.

After the heartache and agony she just experienced, Naomi decided to go back to her homeland and urges Ruth and Orpah to return to their parents. Like any rational woman, Orpah complies to go back to what is familiar to her and what seems like an assuring future, but Ruth??? She weighs the choices in front of her.

The In-Between – Impossible Choices

Ruth - a young widow, who would have dreamt about building a family with her husband, now stands all hope abandoned. She has an open door to go back to her people and find a new man for herself. Anyone in her place would definitely want to get back to what she already knows and seems promising.

However, she did the opposite, she chose a life of emptiness over a life of fulfillment. She chose the God of Israel as her own and stepped into the uncertainty. And that is when the miracle began. (Ruth 1:15-18)

So, no matter how chaotic your life is, choose God over the alternatives. Regardless of how messed up your night was reach out to Him in the mornings. His grace is new every morning.

“Every morning is God’s way of Whispering one more time: Make a difference. Touch a Heart, Encourage a mind. Inspire a Soul. Enjoy the Day“ . - Toby Mac (Speak Life)

The Plot Twist – The Gl(Cl)eaning process

Once Ruth and Naomi returned to Bethlehem, they had nothing. They were broke. Thus, considering their current financial situation Ruth went to glean for leftovers.

I think we can infer a valuable lesson from Ruth’s actions. She did not sit and mop around in her grief. Instead, she Gleaned what led to the greatest Plot twist in her story.

Imagine if Ruth was feeling depressed and stayed at home. She would’ve never met Boaz. Every time we put on our earphones to vibe to sad the song, (you know that song), We miss God sitting next to us and whispering I am here for ya. Henceforth every time you feel, empty, hurt, and stuck in life or feel the urge to scream at God from the top of your lungs – Start gleaning. Meaning, Stop stopping yourself from moving forward. Count the Good things still in your life that once you prayed for.

If you think you have to wait until you feel better to go to church, watch the sermon, or read the blog, you got it wrong. IT actually works in reverse. You got to clean up and glean. Move through your grief. Do your best and God will take care of the rest.

The Finale – Mourning into Dancing

The Field Ruth Gleaned turned out to be Boaz’s who is their Kin’s Redeemer. (The Man who can build back what they lost). Coincidence? I think not. We serve a God who uses coincidence as his Pseudo name. He loooooooooves to work behind the scenes. All you gotta do is prepare your Resume and hit send. God will work in the background and create a new job posting, exclusively for you.

Ruth was always obedient and committed to God's plan (Ruth 3:5). Even at this point she had all the right to want a young man but she obeyed and accepted Boaz. The Bible says that she did not go behind younger men whether rich or poor (Ruth 3:10). Hence God made sure to bless her abundantly. While my Gal was gleaning God had already planned an amazing future not only for her but also for her mother-in-law. He made Ruth find favor in Boaz’s eyes—and redeemed EVERYTHING she lost. Fast forward to the final chapter, Boaz married Ruth and restored their family and generation.

Because Ruth chose God and submitted to his will God chose Ruth to send His Own Son under her lineage, what a blessing is that!!!

A Foreign woman just by submitting to God’s will opened a way for the redeemer of all mankind to enter the world.

" You turn mourning to dancing, You give beauty for ashes

You turn shame into glory, You're the only one who can!!

~ Graves into Garden (Brandon Lake and Elevation Worship) "

Moral of Ruth’s Story is,

We all love happy endings. from the heart-wrenching pain to reaching there, all it takes is the next single step. The first step pleases the father. It does not matter what your past is or where you come from or what you have done – all that matters is choosing God in your life at every intersection. And don’t stop there, keep going. Keep gleaning. Keep praying. Keep believing.

Seek first the Kingdom, then all will be added. In other words, let your passion follow your purpose. You have a gift? use it to spread the good news across the world. Stand up for Him, and Jesus will lift you up in ways you could never imagine.

God can change anything. He changed the bitterness of Naomi to songs of joy. He changed Ruth a no one to the Ancestor of Jesus. In the same way, the moment you submit to Jesus, He will start working for you.

The Story of Ruth in the bible gives Hope to those who feel forsaken & abandoned. It is God’s way of reassuring; you are not abandoned but adored and Perhaps one day you can make history too.

Give your life to Jesus today and rest assured that your sorrow will turn to joy!

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God Bless !