{"id":283793,"date":"2024-07-17T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-07-17T12:32:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/wrestling-with-bitterness-naomi-ruth-nana-dolce\/"},"modified":"2025-06-10T17:16:51","modified_gmt":"2025-06-10T21:16:51","slug":"wrestling-with-bitterness-naomi-ruth-nana-dolce","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/wrestling-with-bitterness-naomi-ruth-nana-dolce\/","title":{"rendered":"Wrestling with Bitterness (Naomi &#038; Ruth): Nana Dolce"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Wrestling with bitterness after loss? Naomi did. But God was at work. Nana Dolce uncovers timeless truths about God from the book of Ruth.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Wrestling with bitterness after loss? Naomi did. But God was at work. Nana Dolce uncovers timeless truths about God from the book of Ruth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":47000,"featured_media":280865,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","episode_type":"audio","audio_file":"https:\/\/traffic.omny.fm\/d\/clips\/cbd16f10-ac60-4f09-b4df-b15400ce35aa\/33aaac7e-3581-4e21-a3df-b154011ba58c\/0398a425-6e70-415b-96b9-b1990117ca23\/audio.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:28:51","filesize":"26.45M","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"2024-07-17 09:00:00","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[2822],"tags":[],"podcast_series":[8777],"cwp_profile":[9843],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-283793","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-growing-in-your-faith","podcast_series-seed-of-the-woman-part-2-nana-dolce","cwp_profile-nana-dolce","series-familylife-today"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/06\/image-scaled.jpg?w=1024","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2023\/02\/image-scaled.jpg","download_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-download\/283793\/wrestling-with-bitterness-naomi-ruth-nana-dolce","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/283793\/wrestling-with-bitterness-naomi-ruth-nana-dolce","audio_player":null,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"light","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303?mt=2&app=podcast","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"youtube":{"key":"youtube","url":"","label":"YouTube","class":"youtube","icon":"youtube.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/feed\/podcast\/familylife-today","embedCode":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"CXXkP2yhta\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/wrestling-with-bitterness-naomi-ruth-nana-dolce\/\">Wrestling with Bitterness (Naomi &#038; Ruth): Nana Dolce<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/wrestling-with-bitterness-naomi-ruth-nana-dolce\/embed\/#?secret=CXXkP2yhta\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;Wrestling with Bitterness (Naomi &#038; Ruth): Nana Dolce&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"CXXkP2yhta\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>\n"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/06\/image-scaled.jpg",1024,1024,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Margaret","author_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/author\/margaret-coylefamilylife-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Wrestling with bitterness after loss? Naomi did. But God was at work. Nana Dolce uncovers timeless truths about God from the book of Ruth.","meta_box":{"show_notes":"<ul>\n<li>Sign up to get the devotional series by Nana Dolce called <a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/content_offer\/unseen\/?cru_source=2407ND&amp;cru_medium=emailseries&amp;cru_campaign=NanaDolceAcq&amp;utm_source=NanaDolceEmail&amp;utm_medium=emailseries&amp;utm_campaign=NanaDolceAcq&amp;CampaignCode=&amp;cid=em-familylife-helpandhope-dm971143-v-20240714&amp;grmpid=ebfe24ba-0ba9-11e9-9020-1228c4aab4b9&amp;utm_campaign=FL-US-Help-News-In-This-Home&amp;deliveryName=DM971143\">Where is God When Life Doesn't Make Sense?<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Listen to <a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/the-seed-of-the-woman-nana-dolce\/\">The Seed of the Woman Part [Series?] 1<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Learn more about Nana Dolce on her website, <a href=\"https:\/\/nanadolce.org\/\">nanadolce.org<\/a>, or connect with her on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/nanadolce1\/\">Insta<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>And grab her book, <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.familylife.com\/product\/the-seed-of-the-woman\/\">Seed of the Woman<\/a>: 30 Narratives that Point to Jesus\u2014or receive it <a href=\"https:\/\/donate.familylife.com\/july-2024\/the-seed-of-the-woman\/\">free with your donation<\/a> to FamilyLife!<\/li>\n<li>Find resources from this podcast at <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.familylife.com\/product-category\/radio-resources\/\">shop.familylife.com<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shop.familylife.com\/product-category\/past-radio-resources\/\">See resources from our past podcasts.<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Find more content and resources on the <a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/app\/\">FamilyLife's app<\/a>!<\/li>\n<li>Help others find FamilyLife. Leave a review on <a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303\">Apple Podcast<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm?si=d6dfa8d2415f4750\">Spotify<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Check out all the FamilyLife's podcasts on the <a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/familylife-podcast-network\/\">FamilyLife Podcast Network<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylife.com\/fl2024-07-17.pdf","transcript_content":"<p>FamilyLife Today\u00ae National Radio Version (time edited) Transcript<\/p>\n<p>References to conferences, resources, or other special promotions may be obsolete.<\/p>\n<p>Wrestling with Bitterness (Naomi and Ruth)<\/p>\n<p>Guest:Nana Dolce<\/p>\n<p>From the series:Seed of the Woman, Part Two (Day 3 of 4)<\/p>\n<p>Air date:July 17, 2024<\/p>\n<p>Nana: It\u2019s important to me to know, when I\u2019m going through a struggle, that my covenant God is in this, because otherwise, who is stronger than Him in this moment? And so, He\u2019s still faithful, and I have to trust\u2014even if I don\u2019t believe that I feel it in the moment, I have to trust\u2014God\u2019s intentions are good, and He is with us even in calamity.<\/p>\n<p>Shelby: Welcome to FamilyLife Today, where we want to help you pursue the relationships that matter most. I\u2019m Shelby Abbott, and your hosts are Dave and Ann Wilson. You can find us at FamilyLifeToday.com.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: This is FamilyLife\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Today!<\/p>\n<p>Dave: We\u2019re talking about a woman, today, in Scripture\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014that\u2019s going to change our lives.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Oh, you\u2019re projecting this?<\/p>\n<p>Dave: I\u2019m a prophet right now.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Okay.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: I\u2019m prophesying that this study will change our lives.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: I think every story in Scripture can change our lives, but I think this one is going to be fun. We have Nana Dolce back in the studio with us today, and we\u2019ve been talking about her book\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014and by the way, you\u2019re a Bible scholar.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: You are.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Of all the people we have on here, you are a scholar. Any topic, any person, like today, Naomi, we\u2019re just going to dive deep, because you dive deep. Have you always? Are you wired that way?<\/p>\n<p>Nana: When I became a Christian, one of the things that changed instantly was my desire to read the Bible. I actually didn\u2019t understand my Bible for a very long time. I read it out of a duty more so than out of a desire.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Right.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: When I became a Christian, I just wanted to read my Bible. I had a desire, a passion for it, and also seeking to understand it. So, it definitely was not instant [the deep dive]; it wasn\u2019t automatic. It was asking questions; it was studying. I guess I want those listening to know they can do this, too.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Yes, right.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: This isn\u2019t a Nana Dolce thing. You can do this, too.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: And Nana, I think the more I read it, the more fascinated and intrigued I am by it.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Oh.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: It\u2019s so good, isn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n<p>Nana: It\u2019s the best story ever told.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: I want to have you help our listener understand. How do you read the Bible in a way you understand it? Because when you said that, I thought, \u201cA lot of people feel what you felt: \u2018I don\u2019t understand it.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u201cIt\u2019s too deep.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dave: And even Bible helps, and study Bibles, all those kind of things\u2014I didn\u2019t even know they existed.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: I just felt like I read it, and I was supposed to sit there and think, \u201cWhoa. What does this mean?\u201d What are the ways that you discovered how to understand it?<\/p>\n<p>Nana: My first answer will seem like, \u201cOh, of course. That\u2019s the Christian answer. That\u2019s what we\u2019re supposed to say;\u201d but pray! Pray before you read your Bible. There\u2019s a Scripture that says that these are spiritual things, and we understand them through the Spirit.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: The Spirit of God helps us. He opens our eyes to see treasures and to see marvelous things. Ask Him to do that! Go to God and ask Him to help you. And then, maybe there\u2019s someone in your church who you know, \u201cOh, they\u2019re just so faithful in studying their Bible. They enjoy it. They love it.\u201d Ask if you can study with them. Ask your pastors.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: That\u2019s good.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: And I have another thing they can do: they can read the Bible, and they can look at certain Scriptures\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Nana: \u2014yes!<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014based on your book. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Oh. I thought you were going to say something else. That\u2019s why I agreed so quickly! [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Ann: The Seed of the Woman, which is a book that you\u2019ve written, talking about Jesus. You\u2019re looking at women of the Bible, but I thought, if you just haven\u2019t been able to get into your Scripture, maybe read about these women that are in your book in the Bible first, and then, read it in your book, too; and you\u2019ll see all these different things come alive.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve already been talking about Esther and the impact that she made on the entire Jewish community by saving them. Ultimately, God was the Savior, and Mordecai, and so many people fasting and praying; but today we\u2019re going to go a different route.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Naomi.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: So, this is in the book of Ruth, and, in many ways, I think the book of Ruth begins and ends with Naomi. This is a woman whose husband, during famine, uproots the entire family and takes them to Moab. They live in Bethlehem, which means \u201cHouse of Bread,\u201d but the house of bread is empty. There\u2019s a famine. There\u2019s nothing to eat. They go to Moab, and things were supposed to be better for them.<\/p>\n<p>There was supposed to be more food, but Naomi is met with another kind of famine, another kind of drought, which is the stripping away of her entire family. So, her husband dies, Elimelech. She has two sons, and they die. Before they died, though, they married these two Moabite women, Ruth and Orpah. Her name, \u201cNaomi,\u201d means \u201csweet or pleasant,\u201d but she grows bitter because of the adversity that she encounters.<\/p>\n<p>And let\u2019s not forget that this is also a society where her well-being and her sustenance depend on the inheritance that belonged to the men.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: So, not only is she, obviously\u2014she\u2019s lost these family members that I\u2019m sure are dear to her, but suddenly, she becomes impoverished. She\u2019s a poor, destitute woman, because her dependency is on the men in her life, and all of them are dead.<\/p>\n<p>One thing I\u2019ll say for Naomi is, when you look at Ruth 1, she hears that the famine is over, and she has decided to move back to Bethlehem. And when she\u2019s appealing to these two women, she is unashamed about invoking the name of Yahweh. She says, \u201cMay the Lord deal kindly with you as you have dealt with me.\u201d So, it tells me that she probably was unashamed in living out her trust in Yahweh before these foreign women.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Which makes me think her faith was still vibrant.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Sure. She reminds me of Job in a lot of ways. In my book, I call her the \u201cfemale Job\u201d in some ways. I think if she and Job met, they would have sat down and had some tea [Laughter], and they would have been understanding friends, because Job loses many family members. He\u2019s stripped of a lot of things; so was Naomi. And they both see God\u2019s hand in their suffering, which is a big one.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: How do you get there, and how did Naomi get there?<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Yes, yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Because when you said, \u201cshe\u2019s bitter,\u201d I think a lot of us have felt that. There may be some listening right now who are bitter and are like, \u201cHow do I dig out of that?\u201d How did she dig out?<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Chapter one of Ruth, I don\u2019t see Naomi being quick to actually dig out of it. She says some pretty strong things. [Laughter] When they go back to Bethlehem, the women gather around her. They are excited to see her, and they say, \u201cOh, Naomi, you\u2019re back.\u201d And she says to them, in verse 20, \u201cDo not call me Naomi, call me \u2018Mara,\u2019 which means \u2018bitter,\u2019 for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She said, \u201cI went away full, and the Lord\u201d\u2014she uses His covenant name\u2014\"has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the Lord has testified against me, and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?\u201d She keeps calling His Name and saying, \u201cHe is in this.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u201cHe did it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nana: \u201cHe is in this.\u201d Initially, when we read this, we\u2019re tempted to say, \u201cOh, Naomi, don\u2019t blame God\u201d or \u201cdon\u2019t accuse God falsely.\u201d And we do want to be careful, obviously, in how we think about God\u2019s hand in our suffering, because we know that God is never the author of evil. But sometimes, we want to defend God; especially if someone is going through something, and you come alongside them, there\u2019s sometimes a temptation to say, \u201cGod hasn\u2019t done this\u201d or \u201cHe\u2019s really good.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>We want to give those platitudes, but the person sitting in that pain, especially if they are like Naomi and Job, and they know that this Sovereign God could have prevented this\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014right.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: \u2014and this Sovereign God\u2019s providence could have made my husband and my sons strong and with me. It\u2019s hard for them to hear our little platitudes, our little\u2014they know that God was able to prevent this, so if this happened, then He\u2019s in it. In chapter one, Naomi is not quick to dig out of it, but as we keep going, I think she will come to see that, even in calamity, even when really bad and hurtful things happen to us, God is in it, and His intention is always good, even if it doesn\u2019t feel good.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: I\u2019m thinking about how sometimes I want people to get out of that.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Maybe too quickly.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Sure.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Like, \u201cOh, come on. God is good.\u201d But do you think, sometimes, they do need to sit in it a little bit more and grieve it?<\/p>\n<p>Nana: I don\u2019t ever want to take the honor of God\u2019s Sovereignty away from Him just because I\u2019m hurting.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: It would be the worst thing for you to tell me, \u201cGod is not in my pain,\u201d because then who is? Who was stronger than God to allow this to happen?<\/p>\n<p>I need to hear that God is in it, because He\u2019s still Yahweh. He\u2019s still our covenant God. She calls Him by His covenant name. She never changes that. Her covenant God is in this, and it\u2019s important for me to know, when I\u2019m going through a struggle, that my covenant God is in this, because otherwise who is stronger than Him in this moment?<\/p>\n<p>So, He\u2019s still faithful, and I have to trust, even if I don\u2019t believe I feel it in the moment, I have to trust that, just as Joseph told his brothers: \u201cYou intended this for evil, but He intended it for good.\u201d His good intention will come. Let me keep living. Let me see how this story works out in the end. God\u2019s intentions are good, and He is with us, even in calamity.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: I remember one of our friends, Jamie Winship, saying [that] when we go through hard times, many of us ask, \u201cWhy, God? Why, God?\u201d He said you seldom hear God answering that question, \u201cWhy?\u201d but he said\u2014this really stuck out to me, especially when I lost my sister when she was in her 40\u2019s, because I did ask those questions. \u201cThis makes no sense, God. I don\u2019t even understand why You would allow this to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But Jamie, our friend, said, \u201cInstead of asking, \u2018Why, God?\u2019 ask God, \u2018What do You want me to know in this situation?\u2019\u201d I remember, when I walked through that, I felt like God just wanted me to know He is with me. He is with me. He is with me. I have a sense that Naomi feels that.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u201cHe is with me, even though I\u2019m wallowing in my bitter, I know that He\u2019s still with me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Yes, so true. It reminds me, as I mentioned: she\u2019s my female Job.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: And Job definitely is asking, \u201cWhy?\u201d And God shows up at the end of Job. He doesn\u2019t answer the direct questions of \u201cWhy?\u201d but He does ask Job questions: \u201cWhere were you when I made this creature Leviathan? This fierce creature. I lead him like you would lead a dog on a leash.\u201d God wants Job to know the Who: \u201cThis is Who I am.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dave: So how did Naomi get there? Keep walking us with her.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: What we\u2019ll see is that she isn\u2019t stripped of everything after all, because there\u2019s this daughter-in-law who says, \u201cI\u2019m clinging to you, Naomi, and where you go, I will go, and your God will be my God.\u201d We\u2019re going to see that God can use the unexpected, and when you think you\u2019ve lost everything, God is writing a story. He\u2019s such a good author, and there are plot twists that will show His glory and His care for us, His lovingkindness.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s the theme throughout the book of Ruth: hesed, God\u2019s loving kindness. It continues to show up, and Ruth is definitely an example of that in Naomi\u2019s life, because she says, \u201cI\u2019m going with you, and I\u2019m not leaving you.\u201d She goes with her mother-in-law, and they come to Bethlehem right at the time of the harvest. Again, we see God\u2019s providence in that.<\/p>\n<p>So, Ruth is going to become someone who will glean. She\u2019ll leave Naomi and go into these fields. She\u2019s a foreign woman, and she\u2019ll just go into these fields.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: And looked down upon, I might add, because she is a foreigner.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Oh, absolutely. When you read the book of Ruth, she\u2019s always described as \u201cRuth, the Moabite.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Right.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: \u201cRuth, the Moabite,\u201d highlighting the fact that she\u2019s not an Israelite. She goes into these fields, and this is the time of the Judges, so the very first sentence we read in the book of Ruth is, \u201cIn the days when the Judges ruled, there was a famine in the land.\u201d And if you read the book of Judges, you know that these are terrible times.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Because\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Nana: \u2014oh, everyone is doing right in their own eyes. And when human beings decide to do right in our own eyes, we can do some pretty terrible things, including take advantage of the vulnerable, especially vulnerable women. In the book of Judges, there are women who are raped and who are just absolutely abused. So this foreign woman is going out into these fields. Why? Because she\u2019s committed to caring for Naomi.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: To provide food for her.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Yes, and she puts herself in danger, really. Ruth puts herself in danger in going out into the fields.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: I think Naomi, too; for Ruth to be so committed to her and her God, because doesn\u2019t she say, \u201cAnd your God will be my God?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: So, Naomi did represent this attractiveness of this God of the Israelite people.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: She must have talked about Him. She must have trusted Him for Ruth to be so faithful in her love and care for Naomi, but also risking her own life.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Yes, I believe she did. And the speech that Naomi gives to Ruth and Orpah in chapter one testifies of that, because she\u2019s willing to let them go.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Okay, keep going! [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Dave: I want to hear the rest.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Ruth\u2014there\u2019s a verse that I love, that says that her feet \u201chappened to land\u201d on the field that was Boaz\u2019s field. Her feet \u201chappened to land!\u201d So, even there we see God\u2019s providence, right? He is sovereign right down to our footsteps.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: That\u2019s good.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Yes. She didn\u2019t know where she was going. She didn\u2019t know whose field was which. She happened to come right to the place where she would be protected, where she would be free to glean as much as possible; and she never goes back to her mother-in-law empty-handed. So, remember, in Chapter One, Naomi is stressing how God has stripped her and made her empty.<\/p>\n<p>There is this word, \u201cempty,\u201d that she keeps saying. In Chapter two, we see God beginning to fill Naomi through Ruth\u2019s lovingkindness, right? The woman who just said, \u201cThe Almighty has brought calamity upon me,\u201d at the end of Chapter two, says this: \u201cMay he be blessed by the Lord,\u201d speaking of Boaz, \u201cwhose kindness,\u201d God\u2019s kindness, \u201chas not forsaken the living or the dead.\u201d [Ruth 2:20] So, her words are already changing.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes, they are.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: And she\u2019s beginning to see, \u201cOkay, God stripped me of my husband and of my sons, but, ultimately, He\u2019s going to fill me with Himself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ann: I\u2019m just imagining Ruth, how she filled up so many of those empty places for Naomi.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Even as they talked, and then, Naomi begins to strategize with Ruth.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: [She says]: \u201cHmm, this is interesting, that Boaz is showing you some favor.\u201d So, take us to the next part.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: She begins to have hope, now, for rest for her and for Ruth through this man, Boaz. And she comes up with this interesting strategy. [Laughter] It\u2019s like that older mama at your church.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes!<\/p>\n<p>Nana: I go to a church in southeast D.C. that is filled with older women. Our church is\u2014I wouldn\u2019t say it\u2019s a very, very large church, but\u2014it\u2019s big enough, and most of the members are 60 and over.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Really?<\/p>\n<p>Nana: So, I\u2019m a baby. I remember when I was turning 30, and I was telling these women, and they said, \u201cGirl, you ain\u2019t nothing but a baby.\u201d [Laughter] I said, \u201cI\u2019m turning 30!\u201d They said, \u201cThirty ain\u2019t nothin\u2019 but a baby.\u201d So, let me give you a sense of when I talk about their age: we recognize birthdays; you have to be 80 and above to get your birthday called out on Sunday.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Come on!<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Octogenarians, yes.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: How does that feel for you, being with these older women?<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Oh, I love it so much! I love it so much. There isn\u2019t one Sunday I can remember where they haven\u2019t called out a birthday. That\u2019s how many older members we have.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Really? That\u2019s what I was going to ask.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Really!<\/p>\n<p>Nana: A lot of them are older members who came from the South during the Great Migration, when people were moving away from the South and coming more to the North, finding jobs in D.C. And all you have to do is sit down with them, and you will hear all these stories of growing up in the South. So, a lot of them I call \u201cMama\u201d this and \u201cMama\u201d that, and they\u2019ve adopted our family.<\/p>\n<p>So, when I look at this advice that Naomi gives to Ruth, it doesn\u2019t sound like one that Ruth would have come up with on her own, right?<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes, yes.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: It was a \u201cMama\u201d somebody saying, \u201cNow, girl, this is what you need to do.\u201d [Laughter] \u201cI need you to bathe, put on that perfume, get fresh, go the field; wait for him to eat and drink, now, and then when he lays over here, go over here and do this and that, and wait for him, to see what he will say.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Boaz was a member of Naomi\u2019s family, so she knew him. She knew him, and I don\u2019t think she would have sent her there if she knew that there was a threat of something happening to Ruth.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Right; she knew he was a good man.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: She knew he was a worthy man\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014yes\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Nana: \u2014which is the word that is consistently used to describe Boaz in this story. She knew that Boaz wouldn\u2019t take advantage of Ruth, but I think she knew that Ruth doing that would put the matter very clearly in Boaz\u2019s court: \u201cOkay, we need you to redeem,\u201d because there was a custom called the \u201cLevirate marriage,\u201d where if a man dies and leaves a widow, especially one without an heir, she\u2019s going to be poor, she\u2019s going to be out of the family.<\/p>\n<p>In order to keep her within the family, and to keep the property of the dead man, and to give him an heir, someone who was related to them would redeem her by marriage. Boaz qualified to do this, and Naomi knew it. So, she sends Ruth to the fields to, really, essentially say, \u201cRedeem us. Redeem us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes. Naomi ain\u2019t no dummy!<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Yes. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Ann: This girl\u2014and I\u2019m thinking, as she\u2019s strategizing and praying and thinking and even recalling who Boaz was, I\u2019m sure she was praying like crazy; but I\u2019m also seeing her hope probably reignited,\u2014Nana: \u2014yes\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014of her future reignited, as she sees her daughter-in-law and wants the best for her daughter-in-law.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Take us to the end of the story.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: I don\u2019t know if we have time.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Well, we\u2019ll get into Ruth tomorrow.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Yes, sure. But Naomi, I think we can end on. We can end with Naomi.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Okay, let\u2019s do it.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Because Boaz does it! He redeems Ruth, and they have a baby who is legally Naomi\u2019s grandson, because, remember, Levirate marriage means that that boy is recognized as Ruth\u2019s former husband\u2019s child. And they laid this baby on her. Remember, in Chapter one, she says she\u2019s empty. By the end of the story, she has a bouncing baby boy filling her arms. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Again, those same women from Chapter one come, and they surround her; and they name the boy \u201cObed,\u201d which means servant, because they say, \u201cHe will serve his grandmother and nourish her in her old age.\u201d God\u2019s intentions for Naomi were good all along, because this boy will nourish Naomi, but he will also lead to King David, who will ultimately lead to the best King, the Servant King, the Redeeming King.<\/p>\n<p>What God wanted for Naomi was so much bigger than she could even imagine, a redemption that would come all the way down to the Savior, Who has redeemed all of us.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: So, in some ways it comes back to when we are where she was, feeling empty, there\u2019s a God in control.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: There\u2019s a God, like you said earlier\u2014I\u2019ve never heard that: \u201cHer feet ended up\u201d\u2014Who\u2019s in control, even of our little footsteps.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes, and if you\u2019re at that place where you feel absolutely empty, there is a God\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014Who fills\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Nana: \u2014yes\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014Who fills, and your story is not over.<\/p>\n<p>Nana: Yes. He\u2019s amazing.<\/p>\n<p>Shelby: I don\u2019t know about you, but I have certainly felt empty at times in my life. Things are busy with my kids, getting them to all their practices, driving around, juggling activities and dinner and church stuff and work. Sometimes, there\u2019s just an emptiness that looms and lingers in the midst of the craziness of life.<\/p>\n<p>Well, even though I might feel that, and you might feel that, God is still present. He\u2019s present\u2014not far, near, closer than we can know\u2014and He\u2019s revealed Himself to us in the person of Jesus. Remember Christ in those empty moments, and know that He emptied Himself so that we could be filled with the love of God. He made Himself nothing so we could have everything.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m Shelby Abbott, and you\u2019ve been listening to Dave and Ann Wilson with Nana Dolce on FamilyLife Today. If you enjoyed the conversation that you heard today, or you heard the one from the last couple of days and, maybe, you want to learn a little bit more about God\u2019s loving control over all things, you can get this content with Nana Dolce in a unique and special format.<\/p>\n<p>You can sign up for a special email series, which is a four-week video series, with Nana Dolce. All you have to do is head over to FamilyLifeToday.com, and you can find it in our show notes. Just sign up there, and we\u2019ll get you all set up.<\/p>\n<p>And stay tuned for Day Four with Nana Dolce and our series with her coming up tomorrow. Just make sure to go back and listen to any past episodes with Nana Dolce if you loved our time with her today or the last couple of days. She\u2019s been on before, talking about The Seed of the Woman. You can find it in the show notes section on FamilyLifeToday.com.<\/p>\n<p>And Nana has written a book called The Seed of the Woman: 30 Narratives that Point to Jesus. This book is going to be our gift to you when you give to FamilyLife Today. You can get your copy right now, with any donation that you make. by going online to FamilyLifeToday.com and clicking on the \u201cDonate Now\u201d button at the top of the page.<\/p>\n<p>Or just give us a call with your donation at 800-358-6329; again, that number is 800-\u201cF\u201d as in family, \u201cL\u201d as in life, and then the word, \u201cTODAY.\u201d Or feel free to drop your donation in the mail to us if you\u2019d like. Our address is: FamilyLife, 100 Lake Hart Drive, Orlando, Florida 32832.<\/p>\n<p>Now, Nana Dolce is back again tomorrow with Dave and Ann Wilson to discuss themes of redemption and breaking generational curses. That\u2019s coming up tomorrow. We hope you\u2019ll join us.<\/p>\n<p>On behalf of Dave and Ann Wilson, I\u2019m Shelby Abbott. We will see you back next time for another edition of FamilyLife Today.<\/p>\n<p>FamilyLife Today is a donor-supported production of FamilyLife\u00ae, a Cru\u00ae Ministry.<\/p>\n<p>Helping you pursue the relationships that matter most.<\/p>\n<p>We are so happy to provide these transcripts to you. However, there is a cost to produce them for our website. If you\u2019ve benefited from the broadcast transcripts, would you consider donating today to help defray the costs? Copyright \u00a9 2024 FamilyLife. 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