From Destruction to Destiny

Sometimes life hits us hard. Sometimes bad things happen to good people. Sometimes we cannot make sense of what is happening and we feel hopeless in the face of destruction. Life's circumstances can be bitter, but we don't have to become bitter. The beautiful story of Ruth and Naomi is a story of hope that shows how God can bring us from destruction to destiny. The God who gives beauty for ashes and the garments of praise for a spirit of heaviness, can work together all things for our good. What certain people intend for evil, God can turn into something good. The key to Ruth's destiny was her dedication. The story from destruction to destiny is a story of hope!

Introduction

The story of Ruth and Naomi is one of hope in the midst of despair. These two bereaved but brave women had lost everything except each other and the God they believed in. Their husbands died, their assets were lost, yet God restored good things back to them. It is a story of hope that shows us how people with dedication to one another and to God can have their lives turn from destruction to destiny. The evil people do or the overwhelming circumstances we face at times, can be turned into something good by the God who holds our destiny in His hand. The key to moving from destruction to destiny is dedication.

The story of Ruth and Naomi is set in the times of the biblical judges. God's people were in a downward spiral of moral and economic decay. After the powerful leadership of Joshua when God's people entered the Land of Promise, there arose a generation who didn't know the God who had given them an inheritance (Judges 2:10). They abandoned the legacy of Abraham, Moses and Joshua. God had given His promise through Abraham, His Word through Moses and Israel's inheritance through Joshua, yet despite all of that God's people chose a wrong path. They forgot about the promise of God, rejected the Law of God and failed to be responsible in the Promised Land. The consequences were dramatic. Disaster struck and destruction set in. Israel was in a downward spiral, going from bad to worse, and it was of their own doing. Although judges rose up and fought off Israel's enemies to usher in temporary peace, the people would soon fall back into the evil deeds that brought more death and destruction on them. They had no dedication to God, hence destruction was the result of their action. We reap what we sow—it's a universal principle and no one can escape it. Israel's destiny was all but lost.

Yet in the midst of these desperate times, there were still good people. Not all hope was lost, even when things looked hopeless. Ruth would become the great grandmother of Israel's most beloved king—David. Her offspring was the very king who turned Israel from a poor anarchy into a powerful kingdom. We may not always experience 'better days,' but we can all make a contribution that later generations will enjoy better days. We cannot choose the circumstances into which we are born, but we can make the right choices that will make things better, not worse. Life is what you make of it. No matter how hard things get, we still have the power of choice—how we respond to what happened. There is a way to move from destruction to destiny, and the key is dedication.

1 Destruction

She said to them, "Do not call me Naomi [i.e., pleasant]; call me Mara [i.e., bitter], for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, but the LORD [Yahweh] has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has witnessed against me and the Almighty has afflicted me?" —Ruth 1:20-21 NASB

Names in the Bible matter as they often carry significant meanings. They matter in our understanding of God's Word and the meaning of the stories and teachings in Scripture. The name 'Naomi' means 'pleasant.' Life is supposed to be pleasant, yet often it is not. But even in difficult circumstances we can choose to be pleasant and not become bitter, resentful and angry. By choosing to become neagtive in a bad or painful situation, we make things worse, not better. How you handle suffering speaks volumes of your character. You can suffer in dignity and keep a good attitude, or you can heap up misery by frustration and revenge. We can become victims of our suffering and lose all hope, or we can remain grateful for the good things in life we still have despite the loss and hardship we face. We can remain positive by trusting God. It's a choice, though a very tough one at times. Many people prefer to become resentful and blame others, rather than staying pleasant and taking responsibility in order to turn destruction into destiny. A psychiatrist noted that the basic needs of human beings are oxygen, nourishment (water and food), and someone to blame! It's easier to blame others than to take responsibility, yet it is not a good strategy for life and its challenges. Taking responsibility and making the best with what you've got, or got left, is the way to a meaningful life. Your suffering can be redemptive for others!

Naomi was so overwhelmed by the loss and destruction she suffered, that she gave up on her name as 'pleasant.' Can we fault her for this? Life wasn't pleasant. She had lost her husband and her two sons. Her heart was broken; she was devastated and destitute. Life hit her very hard. She preferred to be called 'Mara' (bitter), for her life turned very bitter. Overcoming such loss and dealing with such grief is too hard to bear, too difficult to handle. Shattered dreams, failed aspirations... life can be painful. Losing your spouse is devastating; losing your children is destructive. Naomi concluded that her God, Yahweh the Almighty, had dealt very bitterly with her and afflicted her greatly (Ruth 1:20-21). But was it really God who caused this suffering? Was it circumstantial? Was it a wrong decision to leave Israel during the famine and 'try their luck' in Moab? Or was it just a case of 'bad things happen to good people' in a world gone wrong? Whatever the case may be, Naomi's description of herself and her circumstances was expressed in the name 'Mara'—bitter. Life can be bitter, but this doesn't mean we have to become bitter!

The Almighty was actually the One who would turn Naomi's destruction into destiny. She didn't see it at the time, and we can hardly fault her on that. Circumstances can be so hopeless, so overwhelming, that we don't see a way forward. It is tempting to become resentful and blame God, but we shouldn't. We are wise to be humble and trust God for a change in our circumstances, the patience to endure and a better future. In desperate times, all we see are the obstacles, yet fail to see our options and the opportunities we could take. There is a difference between perception—how we see things—and perspective—how we could see things. Sometimes we need to shift our perception by a different perspective. Once we see beyond our obstacles, evaluate our options and take our opportunities, life takes on a whole new meaning. Suddenly, we see light at the end of the tunnel.

The light of hope in Naomi's life was Ruth, her daughter-in-law. Although Naomi claimed that she 'went out full,' yet returned 'empty,' Ruth was the very person that would turn Naomi's destruction into destiny. When life hits you hard, look at what you still have. If we focus only on what we have lost, we might not see what we still have left. We can mourn over our loss (and we should in the right way, as there is healing in it; suppressing emotions can be dangerous), but we must, more importantly, be grateful for what we still have. When we mourn we should do so as those who have hope. What we still have after loss might be little (in comparison to what we have lost), yet what we have is the key to a better future. Ruth dedicated her life to Naomi and together they returned to Israel after hearing that there was bread back home in Bethlehem. The very town where David would be born—Bethlehem—means 'house of bread.' There was famine at the time (Ruth 1:1), yet God would provide bread for His people yet again (v 6).

Apart from still having Ruth by her side, the timing of their return was also in their favour: the beginning of the barley harvest (v 22). The harvest was an opportunity to rebuild their lives and restore what was lost. Ruth was her asset, the harvest was their opportunity. Despite the loss, there was hope. When opportunity comes our way, we must be ready to take it. Blaming others with a victim mentality won't help; it might even hinder us to get up and get going. Staying positive will enable us to see our opportunities and seize them. The ladies remained dedicated to one another and to God—He is faithful and would show it to them. Dedication to God is the key towards destiny.

2 Dedication

But Ruth said, "Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the LORD do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me." —Ruth 1:16-17 NASB

Ruth dedicated her life to Naomi and her God and her people. Ruth had suffered the same loss and grief as Naomi had. Both women lost their husbands; both women were destitute. God brings you together with people who understand your pain and help you find your purpose—this is the way into destiny. We are not alone. Naomi thought, in her despair, that the hand of the LORD had gone against her (Ruth 1:13), yet she would soon learn that it was the hand of God that would work for her. It is the matter of perception vs. perspective. The people God sends into our life are a light in a dark place, healing in suffering and hope in despair. These people are sent by God to move us from pain to purpose, from obstacles to opportunity and from destruction to destiny. Just when everything seemed lost, God started turning events in their favour.

Dedication to God and the right people and the right cause is the key to moving from destruction to destiny. Ruth had dedicated her life to Naomi, her God and her people, yet was also determined to work and use the opportunities given to her. She went to the fields to work (Ruth 2:2-3). She took responsibility for herself and her mother-in-law. She was proactive and smart. When life has robbed you, start rebuilding it! How you respond to hardships will determine your future. After a set-back, prepare for your come-back. The biginning of restoring your life might be difficult and small, but great things can happen with consistency and determination.

The circumstances were favourable for Ruth. Ancient Israel had a brilliant system of allowing poor people to follow the reapers in a harvest to gather corn for themselves. This gave opportunity to poor people, those who didn't own land, to help themselves. Poor people were given the chance to do something for themselves. This prevented poverty from spreading and people turning to crime. It also meant that the wealthy landowners would remain generous and not become greedy. The poor could keep their dignity and the rich would share of their blessings from God.

Naomi had a wealthy relative from her late husband's side. His name was Boaz (Ruth 2:1). He noticed Ruth, showed her care and gave her protection (vv 4-9). Ruth was overwhelmed with his kindness, yet he told her that it was a blessing in return for her kindness to Naomi (vv 10-13). The things Ruth did for Naomi when she thought nobody noticed it were reported to the people. Boaz was a righteous and good man. He was grateful to Ruth and blessed her generously. Sometimes we don't realise how the good things we have done in desperate times will become the key to great blessing in the future. Selfless care and giving to those who can do nothing for you in return shows true moral character and purity of heart. When you think no one saw or noticed, rest assured: God sees all things! What we do in private, God will reward in public.

Boaz was a responsible man and sought to help his relatives. He was also a righteous man who would not take advantage of other people's poverty. He was a good man. He managed to handle all legal matters in a proper way so that he would become owner over what was rightfully Naomi's from her late husband's side, yet did it in order to secure a financial future for them. Ruth noticed this good man's heart. She was not a young woman who would chase after young men, and Boaz noticed that (Ruth 3:10). Eventually, they became fond of each other and Ruth dedicated herself to Boaz—not for his wealth, but because of his goodness. When we pursue the right things in life, other blessings follow along. Ruth was on her path to destiny; her dedication made it possible.

3 Destiny

Then the women said to Naomi, "Blessed is the LORD who has not left you without a redeemer today, and may his name become famous in Israel. May he also be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him." —Ruth 4:14-15 NASB

Boaz took Ruth as his wife and they had a son together (Ruth 4:13). Boaz' love for Ruth became a blessing for Naomi too. She had been robbed of her husband and sons, yet God now restored her with a grandson. The future was bright after a bleak past. The women praised God who turned destruction into destiny. Ruth's love for Naomi was rewarded. Her dedication made the restoration possible. Naomi was a happy grandmother. People proclaimed how, 'A son has been born to Naomi!' (Ruth 4:17).

We should note that Boaz' union with Ruth was controversial and unorthodox. Why? Not because of a considerable age difference or wealth gap, but because Ruth was a Moabitess. In times past, the women of Moab seduced the Israelites into idolatry through sexual sin. Their reputation was a sting on all the women of Moab. But Ruth was not seducing Boaz. Although she was a foreigner (Ruth 2:10), her dedication to the God and people of Israel was real and valid (1:16-17). She was 'a woman of excellence' (3:11), not pursuing the vanities of life (v 10), but being responsible in life. What matters is not where you come from, but what you make of life. And neither was Boaz being seduced by Ruth, nor exploited for his finances. Their union looked controversial and unorthodox on the outside, but it was pure and beautiful on the inside. People may have their opinions, but what counts is your conscience before God. Boaz and Ruth were brought together for destiny. Together they served God's purpose and secured destiny for generations to come. Don't allow circumstances or people's opinions to discourage you. Stay focused on God, pursue His purpose and follow Him into your destiny. It is worth it—for you and your offspring.

Ruth gave birth to Obed, who became the father of Jesse and the grandfather of David, Israel's beloved king. The future was set on destiny. God showed His faithfulness: He turned misery into majesty, pain into purpose and destruction into destiny. David was of the line of Abraham (promise), and a thousand years later the Messiah (salvation) would be born of the line of David (see Matthew 1:1-17). What we do is greater than ourselves. Who would've thought that such greatness would come from Ruth? When they were desperate and destitute in Moab, a foreign land, God set them on course for destiny in their homeland. Make sure you are in the right place for destiny to become a reality. God secured not only descendants for Naomi, but secured the Messianic line for Jesus.

Conclusion: Dedication moves us from Destruction into Destiny

The story of Ruth and Naomi is a story of hope. It is a story of how God can turn destruction into destiny through dedication. What you do for others will not go unnoticed nor unrewarded. God the Almighty sees all things and is working out His purpose. What you do in this life will have lasting effects for the future. Despite a bleak past, there can be a bright future: dedication to God, His purpose and the right people is the key to turn destruction into destiny. When life is bitter, don't become bitter—become better and pursue destiny by dedication to God and His purpose. No matter what was or is, God promised a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11-14), and as you pursue Him wholeheartedly His purpose will become a reality and His destiny will come to pass. Dedication moves us from destruction to destiny.