Who would think the first few verses in the book of Ruth would have me thinking all day long? But they did ….
In the days when the judges ruled in Israel, a severe famine came upon the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah left his home and went to live in the country of Moab, taking his wife and two sons with him. (Ruth 1:1, NLT).
In a nutshell, we learn in this verse that a man, Elimelech, leaves Bethlehem (ska The House of Bread) due to a famine which is hitting the land. He takes his wife and two sons to live in Moab (which can also be called, The Garbage Can). In Psalm 108:10, the psalmist refers to Moab as God’s washbasin.
The man’s name was Elimelech and his wife was Naomi. Their two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. (verse 2).
Interesting that Elimelech takes his family from The House of Bread to the Garbage can. His two sons Mahlon, which means unhealthy and Kilion, which means puny, went with him. In the town where misfortune follows them, both sons die ten years after their father dies, leaving Naomi alone with her daughter-in-laws. There is a wonderful play on words going on which stood out to me.
Here is the lesson I took note of this morning:
- When we are in the very place where God would have us to be we will find bread, nourishment for our souls. God will feed us with the finest of wheat (Psalm 91:16), satisfying our thirst and filling the hungry with good things (Psalm 107:9).
- All other places will come up empty.
- If we remain “unhealthy” or “puny” spiritually, we will die spiritually as well.
Naomi hears that God is blessing his people and returns to the House of Bread to find nourishment for her soul. And in so doing, she regains her life as well. May we, too, come to His table, the very one He Himself prepares for us and find the nourishing we need. May our souls grow healthy and strong as we remain with Him, Who is the Bread of Life.
Today I am joining with …. Playdates With God and Soli Deo Gloria and Unite and Titus 2 Tues. and Titus 2sday and Teaching What Is Good and Tell Me A Story and Testimony Tues. .
I saw the picture and thought, I have taken pictures similar using my tea set and some bread I had baked! So that drew me in and of course the Ruth study…
Beautiful post Joanne!
Thank you, Gypsy. You are far more talented than I – homemade bread, your own tea set & taking your own photos. Mine were all borrowed from a website 🙂 So grateful for your friendship!
Love this, Joanne! Feeling empty myself because in the busy and hurry I’ve neglected the Bread too much recently. Thanks for the encouragement to return to His house. Much love!
It is so true. Busyness can so mask our own need for quiet and stillness before Him. So enjoy being a part of the linkup.
Joanne,
This is beautiful and wonderful thoughts. I never thought about that when I read the story of Ruth. This would make an excellent article for a magazine.
Blessings,
Janis http://www.janiscox.com
Thank you so much for your encouragement, Janis.
I found you through the Unite link up. First off, this is lovely and what edifying thoughts. I love the book of Ruth… her faithfulness is inspiring.
Thank you for sharing and inspiring.
Wishing you a blessed day.
xoxo
You might want to check out the Hello Mornings site as they are currently doing a short 6 week study of Ruth. Thank you for stopping & visiting with me!
Oh sweet friend, the lessons you learned really speak to me today. I’ve been feeling empty but I woke up this morning believing God has me right where He wants me to be. I was comforted in a way I really needed. I may not always understand why He has me in a particular place but I pray my eyes always stay focused on Him.
Much love to you.
xoxoxo
I am glad you found comfort here. Beth, may He nourish & fill you with all that you need! Grateful for your friendship!
“When we are in the very place where God would have us to be we will find bread, nourishment for our souls.” I love that you said this. A few years ago I was privileged to teach a Bible Study on the Book of Ruth and I loved the whole concept of the House of Bread. You are so right about when we are in the very place….definitely food for thought.
It is amazing to me that as we are obedient, He teaches us & fills us with exactly what we need at that time in order to grow. So grateful that you shared. Hello Mornings is doing a short study of the book of Ruth at this time which is just wonderful. Have a great Wed.!
Reading the verse from the Book of Ruth and your words describing the opening lines gave me a fresh view on this book which is one of my favorites. I would love to hear you unwrap more of Naomi and of course Ruth. Thank you for this today. Visiting you from Testimony Tuesday. Blessings, Mary!
Thank you so much, Mary. I am doing the Ruth study as part of Hello Mornings. It is a wonderful study. I may continue to share from the study in the days ahead. Thank you for stopping here! Blessings!
Oh, I love these treasures we find in Scripture when we know the full picture– the meaning of words and such. I think what you are saying is true, especially that all other places come up empty!
Thank you so much, Jen. May we always go to the Living Bread & Water for our needs. Blessings!
May we ever stay at the house of bread and not enjoy the bread of life. I loved your beautiful post and the story of Ruth and Naomi is always a joy from beginning to end. Thank you for sharing with us here at “Tell Me a Story.”
Thank you so much, Hazel. It means much that you enjoyed reading it. Always a joy to share at your linkup! Blessings!