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Writer's pictureMonica Kline

The Way Home - Week 3 Recap

 



The God Who Sees


“No, my daughters; for it is much more difficult for me than you, because the Lord’s hand has gone against me.” Ruth 1:13


Here we see Naomi being honest before God. A statement that reveals the way she sees God and how she views herself. She paints a picture of a God “whose hand is against her.” But who could you blame her? She lost her husband and two sons.  By looking at her situation, one could gather God wasn’t for her. So she confesses how she sees God. In her truth telling, God finds her. He beacons her to come back to Bethlehem.  God is providing for His people, so Naomi decides to head back home. 


I cannot imagine the thoughts and emotions Naomi experienced as she retraced her steps back to where she came. She left Bethlehem with her husband and two husband and wives and returning with only one of them. As Naomi is overcome with grief, she doesn’t realize how God is in the details, having Ruth by her side.


As Naomi and Ruth arrive in her home town, the entire town was excited to them. They questioned, is this really Naomi?! However, Naomi tells them to call her Mara, which means bitter. A name that describes the way she sees herself. Not only did Naomi lose her loved ones, she also looses herself. She left Bethleman as Naomi, meaning sweetness, only to return as bitter Mara. 


“Instead, call me Mara for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me. I went away full but the Lord has brought me home empty. Why call me Naomi when the Lord has caused me to suffer and the Almighty has sent such tragedy upon me?" Ruth 1:20-21


The way that we see God greatly impacts the way that we see ourselves. 


In the depths of Naomi shattered heart, she sees God as the author of such tragedy. This is one of satan’s greatest tactics… for us to blame God and have a warped picture of Him.  Our adversary’s goal is for us to always blame God; to question His character and believe that He isn’t for us but rather against us.  When we allow difficulties in life to define God, we get stuck asking why. When we fixate on the why, it requires us to fixate on the crisis rather than God. It is in those moments where lies seems to seep into our hearts and minds. We question God and question His character. We allow our circumstances to dictate who God is rather than telling our circumstances who God is.


“I am” statements are incredibly impactful, whether it be negative or positive. What we think about God, and what we think about ourselves matters.


Take a few moments and look back on your own life.  Think of the last circumstance that was challenging. How did you respond toward God? Were you angry at him? What picture was in your mind about him? Did you feel abandoned, unloved, unwanted, unnoticed? There is no shame in telling the truth. Acknowledging our REAL emotion is important, however we don’t want to stay there. We can get stuck when we start looking for reasons in the pile of the rubble. When we stare at the shattered pieces of our story, it is easy to believe that God has left the building. Subtly we start to allow feelings of unloved, unwanted or unworthy to dictate who we are. Lies are believed and we begin to live as orphans. We do not believe God sees us and therefore we cannot see Him. We forget who we are and who's we are.  Our identity is affected and we begin to live “I am" statements that reflect the lies of being abandoned, unloved and unwanted. 


We cannot change what we don’t acknowledge. We can break the chains of false identities by speaking what is true. Begin with truth telling before God. God will meet you right where you are.  As you call out for Him, you will experience Him. Instead of feeling abandoned, you will begin to understand He was there the whole time.   Our blurred vision comes into focus and we begin to see the Lord as He truly is. We SEE Him and He SEES us. 


Before you know it you realize…… 


Once I was lost but now I am found...

Once I was blind but now I see….

I see because I know…  the God who sees me. 


XO,

K


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