Pray the word with David Platt is a resource from Radical.net.

And Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, with her, who returned from the country of Moab,

and they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of Barley Harvest.

Oh, there's so much here. I could talk for a long time about these three verses,

but the big picture I want to show you will lead us into praying is Naomi is

obviously hurting in this passage over the last chapter we have seen her husband die,

her son's die. She's now left a widow alone with a Moabite daughter-in-law and Moabites were

despised by the Israelites. So why she says, call me Mera. The word means bitter because the

Almighty has dealt bitterly with me, has brought calamity upon me. So this is a very low, raw,

honest moment for Naomi. And she feels like everything including God in a sense is against her,

but she has no idea that standing right next to her in Ruth is a picture of God's provision

in ways that will shock her imagination. She could have never dreamed what God had planned in Ruth

the Moabite standing next to her as they entered into Bethlehem at the beginning of Barley Harvest.

And I read these verses and want to lead us to pray because I am assuming there are some of you

listening right now who are walking through really hard times and it may even feel like everyone

everything, maybe even God himself, you're wondering, see against me, where is he, why is this happening?

And if you're honest, maybe some bitterness hurt, just sorrow is overwhelming you.

And if you're honest, bitterness, maybe creeping in, discouragement, despair, sorrow can think of so

many different potential emotions. And I just want to remind you based on Ruth chapter 1 verses 20

through 22 that in those moments when God may seem farthest from you, God may actually be setting

the stage for a display of His faithfulness to you that is far beyond what you can ask or imagine.

I want to remind you that God has a track record of turning sorrowful tragedy into surprising triumph.

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