The God Who Sees Naomi
Over the next several weeks we are going to look at how God acts as El Roi, The God Who Sees, through four different biblical mommas who experienced grief and sorrow. We will look at the lives of Hagar, Hannah, Naomi and Mary and see for ourselves how God was faithful to meet them in their pain and sorrow. As we study the testimonies of these four Biblical women, our prayer is that you would know in the depths of your heart that you are seen and heard, that you would feel loved and known.
Naomi’s grief journey is intense. A famine in Bethlehem sends her and her family to Moab in search of food. After their move, Naomi’s husband and both of her sons pass away, leaving her to grieve in a new and unfamiliar land. Naomi and her daughter-in-law, Ruth, return to Bethlehem. It is upon Naomi’s arrival in Bethlehem that we get a sense for how distraught she is. “Do not call me ‘Naomi’ (meaning: pleasant), call me ‘Mara’ (meaning: bitter) for the Almighty has dealt bitterly with me.” After the loss of my first baby, I questioned God’s heart for me. I bitterly wondered why He would give life just to take it away. The beauty revealed through the duration of Naomi’s story is that God often acts as El Roi, the God Who Sees, behind the scenes of our life stories.
After the loss of her husband and sons, Naomi was convinced that God was bitter towards her. In Ruth 1:21, Naomi says, “I went out full, and the Lord has brought me home again empty. The Lord has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me.” Perhaps, you can relate to Naomi’s feelings of emptiness in grieving the loss of your baby. There was, perhaps, a time when you felt full. I’m sure many of us understand Naomi’s struggle to feel God’s protection. We struggle to trust that He is true to His name of El Roi, the God of compassion, who sees and hears. As Naomi’s story continues, God reveals that He has always been faithful to His Word and that bringing Naomi back to Bethlehem was an expression of His care for her and her family.
After returning to Bethlehem Naomi’s daughter-in-law, Ruth, meets Boaz. Boaz is a wealthy man of integrity. While harvesting grain, Boaz tells Ruth, “The Lord Yahweh repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.” Yahweh refers to the covenant keeping God who promised to protect and provide for His people. The word “wings” is a common figure of speech describing God’s protective presence. Ruth’s encounter with Boaz is a testament to El Roi as a faithful observer and protector over Naomi’s family. As the story goes, Boaz marries Ruth and becomes the Kinsman-Redeemer for their family. Naomi’s land is returned to her along with her financial means. Ruth gives birth to a son, who provides their family a direct lineage to Jesus.
Ruth 4 is perhaps one of the most beautiful scenes of redemption throughout Scripture. A woman says to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord who has not left you this day without a close relative; and may His name be famous in Israel. And may He be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age.” Then Naomi took the child and rocked him on her chest. Such redemption after a story of great heartache! Naomi’s joy is restored and she is once again filled with life! The key in this passage are the words, “Who has not left you.” God’s eyes never left Naomi. God El Roi, was orchestrating a divine plan to restore the line of her family from the very beginning. Naomi’s testimony provides us as grieving mommas with hope for a future of redemption and restored joy, whatever our stories may hold.
- Brittany
Hope Mom to five precious babies
Brittany and her husband, Jeremy live in Colorado with their three children Mackenzie, Levi, and Evelyn, their Black Lab Boston and a menagerie of bunnies! They have two Hope Babies, Finley Sky and Asher Simeon. Brittany is passionate about encouraging women to live authentically and abundantly. She is a writer at www.littlemountainmomma.com where she shares openly about her journey through postpartum depression and her experiences of pregnancy loss.
Photo credit: Pix-Elated Photography
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