Your Famine Will Turn to Blessings and Joy

Famine in the bible drove many people from one place to another. In Genesis 12, Abram moved due to famine in the land. In Genesis 26, Isaac traveled away from the famine. In Genesis 42-45, famine drove the brothers of Joseph to Egypt.. Then we see in the beginning of the book of Ruth that Naomi, her husband and 2 sons left Bethlehem due to famine and moved to Moab.

In the instances of Abram and Isaac, they each became wealthy after their relocation and were greatly blessed with an abundance. In the example Joseph’s brothers, they were reconciled to Joseph in Egypt and blessed with land and provisions.

What about Naomi? During her relocation, she lost her husband and both of her sons. How could anything good come out of such heartache and devastation? Our Lord is our Redeemer and he promises to turn any heartache to rejoicing. We read in ‭Jeremiah 31:13,

"I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow."

David shares in ‭Psalms 30:11,

"You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy."

And Jesus tells his disciples in ‭John 16:20,

"I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn over what is going to happen to me, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy."

The same applies to us today and it applied to Naomi.

When Naomi heard that the famine had ended in her hometown of Bethlehem, she journeyed back and her daughter-in-law, Ruth, committed to joining her. Ruth was Naomi’s first blessing. She gleaned the fields to provide them both with food. And her companionship would have provided Naomi with great comfort.

Ruth's humble nature and commitment to Naomi, drew the attention of the field's owner, Boaz who just happened to be a relative of Naomi. Boaz was Naomi’s second blessing as he would fulfill the role of a Kinsman-Redeemer to Ruth and marry her.

Out of the union of Ruth and Boaz, came a son, Obed, who would be Naomi’s third blessing.

We read in Ruth 4:14-17,

"The women of the town said to Naomi, “Praise the Lord, who has now provided a redeemer for your family! May this child be famous in Israel. May he restore your youth and care for you in your old age. For he is the son of your daughter-in-law who loves you and has been better to you than seven sons!”

Naomi took the baby and cuddled him to her breast. And she cared for him as if he were her own. The neighbor women said, “Now at last Naomi has a son again!” And they named him Obed. He became the father of Jesse and the grandfather of David."

Naomi’s sadness and mourning was indeed turned to wonderful joy! And that joy would carry on to millions of people as this union of Jew and Gentile carried on the lineage culminating in the birth of Jesus Christ, the Savior for all mankind.

All of this began with a famine in the land. A famine which drove a small Jewish family from their home, from their friends, and from their livelihood to a foreign land of Gentiles. In which Naomi experienced another devastating famine with the loss of her husband and sons. But God turned all this hardship around and the blessings came one after another with Ruth, then Boaz and then a grandson who would be like a son to Naomi.

When we face any kind of famine in our lives, we can draw encouragement, hope and strength from the example of Naomi’s journey. God was with her through it all. He guided her and those around her to bring about comfort, provisions, and family. And to bring the world Jesus who provides everything we need during our season of famine.

Jesus tells us in ‭John 6:35,

“I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."

So keep pressing through, keep persevering, keep seeking the "bread of life" and keep believing in Jesus through your famine, because there's great blessings and wonderful joy waiting on the other side of it.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The mission of Daily God Gems is to share God's word and be a source of encouragement, peace, love and unity in Messiah. Visit us at www.facebook.com/dailygodgems and www.dailygodgems.com