Our Daily Homily

Devotional For

August 18

      Call me not Naomi, call me Mara. Ruth 1:20
      
      So she spoke, as many have spoken since, not knowing that God's ways are ways of pleasantness and all His paths peace, when they are not isolated from the plan of our life, but considered as parts of the whole. We cannot pronounce on any part of God's dealing with us until the entire plan has been allowed to work itself out. How grieved God's Spirit must be, who is lovingly doing His best, when He hears these words of murmuring and complaint! Let us lift the vail, and notice the pleasant things in Naomi's life.
      
      True, her husband and sons were dead; but their deaths in a foreign land had left her free to come back to her people and her God; to nestle again under the wings of Jehovah; and to share the advantages of the Tabernacle.
      
      True, Orpah had gone back. Mahlon and Chilion were both buried in Moab; but she had Ruth, who was better to her than seven sons.
      
      True, she had no male child to perpetuate her name; but the little Obed would, within a few months, be nestling in her aged arms, and laughing into her withered face.
      
      True, she was very poor; but it was through her poverty that Ruth was brought first into contact with that good man, Boaz; and, beside, there was yet a little patrimony which pertained to her.
      
      Yes, Naomi, like thousands more, thou must take back thy words. Thou didst deal bitterly with thine own happiness in leaving the Land of Promise for Moab; but God dealt pleasantly with thee in thy return and latter end. "Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear Him, upon them that hope in His mercy."