Moab or Bethlehem: Where do you run to?

Ruth 1:1 (NIV Version)

In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab.

Yesterday, our guest speaker, Nouhoum Coulibaly, spoke on Ruth and made an observation that I had never heard before. (Usually Beth does that!):
(taken from Abarim Publications)

the name Bethlehem means House Of Bread, with the strong connotation of House Of Battle.
the name Moab would carry the meaning of Who's Your Daddy? or What's Your Father?

Famine can arise through natural consequences like a shortage of water, or from war, a country under siege, or it can be brought by God Himself. Famine is enclosed in the Christian journey of transformation into His likeness, like it or not.

In Ruth 1:1, when famine arose, Naomi's family went away from the House of Bread to Who's your Daddy.

Well, excuse me, wasn't there a shortage of bread in the House of Bread? Physically, there was, but the Bread of Life had not moved.

How often, do we experience a famine of our own, a time of great need? Because it seems inconsistent with our "God", we run to Moab. We find that God is silent, in fact, to us, He's nowhere to be found! There is no relief.

....For example, we lose our jobs, instead of going to our knees, in panic, we run to others, "pray, please, for us!", or we run to the computer, frantically looking for positions, sending resumes.

....Or our marriage breaks down, we look for 'comfort' in someone else...

....Many possible scenarios, you can fill in your own....

BUT...no relief comes. In fact, like Naomi, we find ourselves saying,
... call me Bitter. The Strong One has dealt me a bitter blow. I left here full of life, and God has brought me back with nothing but the clothes on my back. Why would you call me Naomi? God certainly doesn't. The Strong One ruined me." (Ruth 1:20b-21, The Message)

She realizes that God's Hand was present in her 'ruin'. It has been 10 long years for her. Loss of her husband and sons. No grandchildren.

But then, she hears that God (The Bread of Life) had come to the aid of His people in Bethlehem by providing food for them, so she decides to return to the House of Bread. I have done this countless times. I am a slow learner and God's patience and mercy abound to me. After futile attempts of my own to 'fix' the situation, I must humbly come to my knees to my Father.

In the end, her daughter-in-law, Ruth, sticks by her, goes with her back to Bethlehem in time for the barley harvest, which is followed by the wheat harvest, and then the fruit harvest. Harvest upon harvest after 10 years of 'famine.'

Ruth finds favor with Boaz, marries him, and out of this union is born Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David. From the line of David, comes our Lord Jesus, the Bread of Life.

Let us come back to the Bread of Life as humble, broken vessels. Leave your Moab behind. God may seem absent, but He has never left you or forsaken you, no matter what state you find yourself in. Like Naomi, Ruth, God has a purpose behind the famine, for His glory and that glory splashes on to your life in life-giving power.

John 6:35-38 (The Message)
Jesus said, "I am the Bread of Life. The person who aligns with me hungers no more and thirsts no more, ever. I have told you this explicitly because even though you have seen me in action, you don't really believe me. Every person the Father gives me eventually comes running to me. And once that person is with me, I hold on and don't let go. I came down from heaven not to follow my own whim but to accomplish the will of the One who sent me.

How about you? Shall we go get our Bread? Does the hope of harvest upon harvest appeal to you?

I invite you to come with me in your need today to Jehovah Jireh, "God will provide."