"God, please bless our family with abundance."
[Ruth 1:1-22]
One of the prayer topics that we should pray for throughout our lives is for the family that God has graciously given us. Each of us likely has prayer requests for our own families. Of course, we pray for our spouses, but we probably cannot avoid praying for our children every day. There are many reasons for this, but if I were to sum it up in one phrase, it is because our parents' hearts are filled with love for their children. That is why we think of our beloved children and pray to our Heavenly Father every moment of every day, even if it is just in our hearts. Among these prayer topics, today I have a new prayer request based on the message from Ruth 1. That prayer request is: "God, please bless our family with abundance."
After meditating on the passage from Ruth 1:1-22 on Thursday morning, I wrote a brief reflection and shared it here and there. Then, while reflecting again on Friday afternoon, I became particularly interested in the words "famine" in verse 1 and "abundance" in verse 6 of the Korean Modern Bible. As I meditated on the whole chapter of Ruth 1, I realized that even though it starts with "famine" in the land of Judah (v. 1), after about 10 years (v. 4), God blesses His people, bringing "abundance" to the land of Judah (v. 6, Korean Modern Bible). I began to apply this to our own families. I thought about how, just like the seasons of famine and abundance in the story, our families might also experience times of "famine" and "abundance." For example, the word "famine" is defined in Naver Dictionary as "a year in which crops do not do well compared to previous years, leading to hunger." Reflecting on our own families, I thought that a "famine" in the family might refer to times when the growth of children, or the nurturing of the family, is not progressing as it should, especially compared to when the children were younger. Moreover, even when material needs such as food are abundant, there can still be "famine" in the family if the children do not receive enough of God's love from the parents, leading to an emotional hunger. This could be what we refer to as "affection deprivation," which is defined as "not receiving sufficient affection from parents in childhood and failing to form close relationships with others, resulting in emotional instability" (Naver Dictionary). However, what we should long for is the "abundance" of the family. For instance, the word "abundance" is defined as "a year in which crops grow well and yield more than usual" (Naver Dictionary). The "abundance" we should long for and pray for in our families is that our children grow well in both physical and spiritual ways, flourishing in the Lord, and bearing precious fruit for the glory of God. Furthermore, "abundance" in the family could mean a family that bears more and more fruit of God's love each year. Do you not long for such a family? Therefore, I want to make "God, please bless our family with abundance" a prayer topic for us today. As I meditated on the passage from Ruth 1, I reflected on the "famine" and "abundance" in the life of Naomi. I wish to receive the grace and lessons God has for each of us through this passage. In particular, as I reflect on how God reversed the "famine" in Naomi's family into "abundance," I pray that we, too, will receive the grace and lessons He has for us, and that we will be people who humbly ask God to bless our families.
First, I would like to reflect on the famine in the family of Naomi, the woman mentioned in today’s passage.
The passage from Ruth 1:1 reads: "In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab." This verse mentions that there was a "famine in the land" (v. 1, Korean Modern Bible), and this "land" refers to "the land of Judah" as mentioned in verse 7. The famine occurred during the period when "the judges ruled" (v. 1). For reference, during the time when "the judges ruled" (v. 1), "there was no king in Israel, and everyone did as they saw fit" (Judges 17:6; 21:25). At that time, "a man from Bethlehem in Judah" (Ruth 1:1), named Elimelech, took his wife Naomi and their two sons, Mahlon and Kilion, and left their hometown to live in Moab. The Korean Modern Bible reads, "Elimelech, along with his wife Naomi and their two sons Mahlon and Kilion, left their hometown and went to live in the land of Moab" (v. 2). As I reflect on this passage, I was reminded of the stories in the Bible where famine led people to migrate. A prime example of this is found in Genesis, where Jacob and his descendants migrated to Egypt due to a severe famine in the land of Canaan (Genesis 41:56-57; 43:1), and eventually settled there (Genesis 46). In today's passage from Ruth, the famine in the land of Judah caused Elimelech to leave his hometown with his wife Naomi and their two sons Mahlon and Kilion, and they migrated to the land of Moab, where they lived. One of the possible reasons for their migration from their hometown of Judah to the foreign land of Moab was to protect their wealth and property. How can we know this? We can see it in Ruth 1:21: "I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty ...." So, what happened to the family of Elimelech, who left their homeland of Judah and moved to Moab due to the famine?
Here is Ruth 1:3-5: "Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband." In the end, after about ten years of living in Moab, it wasn’t just Elimelech who died, but her two sons, Mahlon and Kilion, also died, and Naomi was left alone, having lost her husband and both of her children. I see this as Naomi’s "family famine." In other words, her family’s famine wasn’t just the loss of money (wealth) but the loss of three beloved family members. I believe that in every family, there can be such a "family famine." I would describe it in one word: "loss." Of course, in Naomi's case, she lost her husband, both sons, and her wealth. When I reflect on this, the character of Job from the Bible comes to mind. Job didn’t just lose his possessions (Job 1:12-17), but he also lost all ten of his children (v. 18). Furthermore, Job lost his health, and "from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, he was covered with painful sores" (2:7, Korean Modern Bible), and "he took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes" (v. 8). What about our families today? Are we perhaps losing things like Naomi or Job did? If so, I pray that God will turn the famine in our families into a season of abundance. So, what is "family abundance"? I would like to reflect on three ways in which God turned Naomi's "family famine" into "family abundance" in today’s passage, Ruth 1, and apply it to our own families as we pray.
First, "family abundance" means that God blesses our families.
In today's passage, Ruth 1:6a from the Korean Modern Bible: "After some time, Naomi heard that the Lord had come to the aid of His people by providing food for them, for He had blessed the land with a bountiful harvest ...." This verse speaks of "after some time," which, as mentioned in verse 5, refers to the period after Naomi's two sons, Mahlon and Kilion, had died, and Naomi was left alone, having lost her husband and children. It marks the time about ten years after Naomi and her family had moved to Moab (v. 4). After this time, Naomi heard the joyful news that God had blessed His people, the people of Judah, by bringing a bountiful harvest to the land (v. 6). How joyous this news must have been for Naomi! After living in Moab for ten years because of the famine in her homeland of Judah, she now heard that God had blessed the land of Judah with a bountiful harvest. I pray that God blesses all our families. May our families experience abundance and joy. I pray that God will send good news to all our homes. Of course, God can bless our families in many ways, bringing us various joyful news, but the greatest joy comes when every member of our family hears the gospel of Jesus Christ and believes in Him. I pray that the amazing blessing of salvation and eternal life through Jesus Christ will be with each of our families.
Second, family abundance means leaving this sinful world and returning to the Lord.
Ruth 1:6b to 7 in the Korean Modern Bible says “… Naomi decided to leave Moab with her two daughters-in-law. As they were on their way back to Judah.” After hearing the news that the Lord had blessed His people and brought a bountiful harvest to Judah, Naomi decided to leave Moab with her two daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth, and return to Judah. As I reflect on this passage, I believe that for Naomi, "abundance" meant returning to her homeland, Judah. This is similar to the Israelites, the descendants of Abraham, who after about 400 years in Egypt, were led by Moses, whom God sent to deliver them from Egypt and guide them through the wilderness. Eventually, Joshua was used by God to bring the second generation of Israelites, along with Caleb, into the Promised Land, Canaan. This parallels the promise in Genesis 15:13-21 (Korean Modern Bible): “At that time, the Lord said to Abram, 'Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated for 400 years. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. As for you, you will go to your ancestors in peace and be buried at a good old age. In the fourth generation, your descendants will return here ….'”
I pray that God grants us this amazing blessing of returning to Him and bringing abundance to our families. Just as the prodigal son in Luke 15 returned to his father’s embrace, I pray that any wandering spouses, children, or descendants in our families may return to the loving arms of God the Father. Furthermore, if we are already believers, but facing a "spiritual famine," where our souls feel dry and hungry like withered grass in the wilderness, I pray that we would return to the Lord, who revives our spirits. Isaiah 55:1-3 says: “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live ….” The hymn "Come, Ye Disconsolate” is also a beautiful reminder of this:
(Verse 1) Come, ye disconsolate, where'er ye languish; Come to the mercy seat, fervently kneel,
Here bring your wounded hearts, here tell you're anguish.
Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal.
(Verse 2) Joy of the desolate, light of the straying Hope of the penitent, fadeless and pure,
Here speaks the comforter, tenderly saying, "Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot cure.
(Verse 3) Here see the bread of life; see waters flowing Forth from the throne of God, pure from above.
Come to the feast of love; come, ever knowing Earth has no sorrow but heaven can remove.
(Verse 4) All who draw nigh and take, here, of Cod's bounty Shall know a spring of Life, still to increase,
Water of life shall flow up from within them, Ending all thirsting, and never to cease.
Lastly, thirdly, family abundance means being loved with a love stronger than death and receiving from the Lord a "restorer of life" and a "nourisher in old age."
Ruth 4:13-15 says: “So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. The women said to Naomi, 'Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.'” When we look at Ruth 1:7, as Naomi and her two daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth, were on their way back to Judah, Naomi urged them to return to their own families. The reason was that the two daughters-in-law had served their husbands and Naomi with great devotion, and now Naomi wanted them to return to their families and remarry, so they could have a happy life (vv. 7-9). Though Naomi was too old to remarry, she wished for Orpah and Ruth to have new husbands and start happy families, even if she herself would live without a husband (vv. 9, 12). Naomi told Orpah and Ruth that it grieved her heart to be the cause of their suffering and that she felt the pain even more because of the hurt they had to endure (v. 13). From this, we see that Naomi was a mother-in-law who loved her daughters-in-law deeply and wanted only the best for them. Ultimately, Orpah tearfully said goodbye to her mother-in-law, returned to her people (Moab), and to her gods. However, Ruth clung to Naomi and refused to leave her side. Ruth expressed her desire to go to Judah with Naomi and live there, saying that Naomi’s people would become her people and Naomi’s God would become her God. Furthermore, Ruth made a solemn vow to Naomi, saying, "Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me." When Naomi saw Ruth's determination to stay with her, she could not persuade her otherwise (vv. 14-18, Korean Modern Bible).
As I reflect on this passage, I am reminded that Ruth’s love for her mother-in-law is as strong as death (Song of Songs 8:6). In short, Ruth was a daughter-in-law who loved her mother-in-law Naomi with an unyielding love. I believe that a mother-in-law who has such a daughter-in-law is truly blessed by God. Naomi (meaning "my joy") returned to her hometown, Bethlehem, with her daughter-in-law Ruth (1:19), and she said to the women there, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara” (meaning "bitter") (v. 20). The reason was, “The Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, since the Lord has afflicted me, and the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me?” (vv. 19-21, Korean Modern Bible). The decision Naomi made to leave her home in Judah and go to Moab during the famine (vv. 1-2) led to the loss of all she had and her return home empty-handed. As a result, Naomi felt that God had forsaken her and given her much bitterness. However, although Naomi had lost so much (even her husband and two sons), she gained one daughter-in-law, Ruth, a foreign woman. And through Ruth, she would later receive even greater blessings. Ruth married Boaz (remarriage), and God blessed her with a son named Obed (4:13). Obed would later become the father of Jesse, the father of King David (v. 17). The women in the town then said to Naomi, “Your daughter-in-law Ruth is better to you than seven sons. She will restore your life and take care of you in your old age” (v. 15). From a human perspective, Naomi might have thought she had lost more than she gained, considering she lost her husband, Elimelech, and her two sons, Mahlon and Chilion. But from the perspective of faith, Ruth, a single woman, married Boaz and gave birth to Obed, the father of Jesse, who was the father of King David (v. 17). And through King David, the Messiah, Jesus, came into the world (Matthew 1:1-16, especially verses 5-6). What an incredible blessing this family received from God! God turned Naomi’s situation around and brought a rich harvest to her family!
I would like to close with this reflection. Our God is the God who reverses “Mara” (bitterness) into “Naomi” (my joy)! God gave Naomi, who had tasted the bitterness of life (Mara), joy in accordance with the meaning of her name. No longer would Naomi experience famine in her family, but God brought a rich harvest to her household. I pray that God will turn around the famine in our families and bring abundance to them. I pray that God will bless each of our families. I pray that God will lead all of us, and our family members, to turn away from this sinful world and return to the Lord. I pray that God will love us with a love stronger than death and grant us a “Restorer of Life” and a “Nourisher in Old Age.”
Believing in God, who turns around the bitterness of Mara, the famine in our homes, and brings a rich harvest, allowing us to taste the joy of our families,
James Kim
(After praying for my beloved wife and three children on January 14, 2023)