GOD IS INNOCENT

• Day 145
• FEAR FILE: NAOMI
• SCRIPTURE: RUTH 1:1

“would you wait for them till they were grown? Would you restrain yourselves from having husbands? No, my daughters; for it grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me!” Now the two of them went until they came to Bethlehem. And it happened, when they had come to Bethlehem, that all the city was excited because of them; and the women said, “Is this Naomi?” But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the Lord has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?””

‭‭Ruth‬ ‭1‬:‭13‬, ‭19‬-‭21‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

As we said yesterday the language of self pity is “poor me, look what happened to me, feel sorry for me, give me attention because I’m just coming back from a lot, validate my victim mentality.” And so on. But let’s not forget that there is something to pity before pity is demanded. And for Naomi she had an entire journey of pitiable experiences.

in our text today Naomi has arrived at Judah. Everyone was excited and happy. She didn’t need to worry if they would mock her anymore, clearly they weren’t. She was welcomed with joy and gladness. But Naomi was too focused on her pain to accept their joy. I imagine she thought, You mean, no one is telling me sorry? They clearly didn’t notice that I have suffered, let me remind them. Everyone! from today, call me bitter, I’ve had a bitter life and it is all God’s fault.”

9 out of 10 people I have met with self pity blame others and if they are believers, guess who they blame. Yep! They blame God. They blame Him for the pain, for the hurt, for the misfortune and for the bitterness. I too have blamed God. But is God to be blamed?

Who Gave The Order?

it is in our nature, self pity or not, to hold something or someone responsible for our hurt. Our question is as similar to those of Nigerians after the October 20, toll gate massacre. Who gave the order? Who is responsible? It is someone’s fault and they have to pay. Someone has to be held responsible and it often falls on the man wearing the most influential cap. When there’s no one to blame we blame ourselves for being in the position to be broken in the first place.

But the difference between a regular hurting person and a victimized self pity expert is that they seek to pass blame so that people can pity them, and side with them. They want people validate their feelings and endorse their sufferings and right to wallow in them.

The truth is we cannot blame God for anything, because He is good Righteous and perfect.

Good Hurts

God never orchestrates evil for His children. 

If you have been responsible for anything or you are a mom, you know this fact. No parent can ever, ever set out to hurt their child, even the mentally unstable ones. Every parent wants what is best for their child and we are talking about flawed humans with desperately wicked hearts. How much more God that is the definition of good.

He says His thoughts toward us are good (Jeremiah 29:11). He’s a good Father. But sometimes the process that takes us to the good plan, hurts. It hurt Jesus to die. Just as it hurt Naomi to lose her sons, so that her daughter in-law could be single enough to be in the genealogy of Jesus. Same way it hurt me when my mom took me to cut of my unformed 6 finger because it will look weird and hurt if I grew up with it. If you want the God plan of God, get ready to shed a few tears.

The Perfect Sovereign

God is never wrong. The Bible says He cannot tempt us with evil. If you understand the perfect nature of God you won’t blame him for anything.

Lastly, God is sovereign. This might seem hard for a democratic, 21st century mind to grasp. But that means He does as He pleases. Imagine your shoes, that you bought with your money, decided to blame you for wearing it too much, cleaning it with brush or wearing it less. Ridiculous right? That’s how you sound when you dictate to the one that made you how He should use what He made.

His invitation to a love relationship doesn’t make him your boyfriend that you get to command and switch arguments on. He does not answer to you. Don’t be ridiculous. If I sounded mean and insensitive, forgive me. But we are no longer children that should be pampered with the truth. God is Father, Source, Creator, Sovereign Ruler and Lord of All. You don’t get to decide, He does. (Let that sink in for a moment before you continue)

Trust Love

Does it hurt when life gets bitter, yes! But if you trust the love, goodness and sovereignty of God, you will know that He cannot hurt you.

Beloved, if it is “Bitter Season” right now for you, don’t be afraid, Father is on it. He sends you comfort when it hurts. Comfort may come as the people welcoming Naomi in excitement not mockery or as Ruth being by her side so she’s not lonely. He never lets you go through life’s pain alone. Do Not Be Afraid.