重回故國
路得記一章19至22節
19於是二人同行，來到伯利恆。他們到了伯利恆，合城的人就都驚訝。婦女們說：這是拿俄米嗎？
20拿俄米對他們說：不要叫我拿俄米（就是甜的意思），要叫我瑪拉（就是苦的意思），因為全能者使我受了大苦。
21我滿滿地出去，耶和華使我空空地回來。耶和華降禍與我，全能者使我受苦。既是這樣，你們為何還叫我拿俄米呢？
22拿俄米和他兒婦摩押女子路得，從摩押地回來到伯利恆，正是動手割大麥的時候。
信息分享
第19節給我們描繪了一幅美麗的景象：「「於是二人同行，來到伯利恆」。伯利恆，也就是日後的大衛王和我們救主耶穌的出生地。
小鎮的居民見拿俄米久別重臨，無不感到驚訝，可是，過往認識她的鄉親卻難辨她的樣貌。除了是歲月催人老之外，拿俄米的坎坷經歷也當然使她更見衰老。我們今天也是一樣。一個離棄主而在世界打滾浮沉的人，必歷盡人生的滄桑，在心靈與外貌上都留下不能磨滅的烙印。
拿俄米說神使她受苦，然而，她所受的苦，究竟是從神而來，還是因為她與丈夫的決定造成？他們離開神為祂子民所預備的地方，因而深受其苦。
在耶穌比喻中的那個浪子，當到了山窮水盡，要去替人看豬的悽涼境況，究竟是誰的責任？當然是他自己而不是他父親的責任了。唯有他回到父的家裡，他才能再次蒙受祝福。
拿俄米和路得回到伯利恆的時候，正值大麥收割的季節，所以她們便能夠因著神律法的規定去拾取打捆剩下的麥穗來充飢。由如可見，神總是預備了祝福，去賜予回到祂身邊的人。
反思：
我們又豈能將自己本該承擔的責任，去歸咎於神？
COMING HOME AGAIN
Ruth 1:19-22
19 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?”
20 But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.
21 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?”
22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. Now they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.
Message
When Naomi, the mother-in-law, saw that Ruth had made up her mind to leave Moab for ever and go with her to Bethlehem, she said no more but resumed her journey toward Israel. The test was over. One girl had gone back, the other went on.
Verse 19 gives us a beautiful picture. 'So they went both of them together to Bethlehem.' It later became the birthplace of both David the king and Jesus our Saviour.
The people of the town were stirred to see Naomi return after so long a time but they had great difficulty in recognising her. Naomi had changed because of the passing of time and because of the experiences she had passed through. It is the same with people today. Experiences in a far country, away from the Lord and his people leave their mark on the life and heart and sometimes on the physical condition of the person concerned.
Naomi said that God had dealt very bitterly with her. Was it God who had done it? Or was it her own family that had caused the problems? They had left the place God had said should be the home of his people and they had suffered because of doing so.
Who was the blame for the prodigal son being in the pigsty? Surely not the father, but rather the son himself. It was only when he returned to his father's house that he was blessed once more.
Naomi and Ruth came back to Bethlehem just in time to share in the blessings and provision of the barley harvest. God always has his blessings waiting for those who return to him and to the place of his will.
A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
'Don't blame God if our own actions are really the cause of our problems. '