“And now, Naomi, a Bible character who had been worried, anxious, and fearful for her future, now had everything restored.” – LifeLoveandLittles.com
Years ago when I first started diving into the bible and wanting to learn how to read it without feeling overwhelmed, I sought after a teacher within the church.
I asked, “What is the best way to read the bible?”
His response: “First, always remember each person was a person just like you and me. God used each of these people, families, and generations just like He does now. Secondly, do not read the bible like a textbook but read it as open letters to us. A love letter that exemplifies His love.”
Being a new Christian of just a few months, I went home, took the advice and devoured story after story of how God spoke promises to His people, then how fear would happen to many throughout the stories. Promises suddenly felt far away and would begin to drift away from the minds, but then somewhere, somehow within these open love letters His love was exemplified. His love and promises were always established through every letter.
Just as Naomi and Ruth experienced.
Just like when Elijah ran into the cave feeling alone but yet not alone.
Or how God’s repeatedly told Joshua to not be discouraged or afraid. His repetitiveness was to not be redundant but was to give Joshua assurance there was a victorious outcome coming.
So many times we see the ending of the “Sunday Bible Stories”; How God restored, brought back to life, reconciled the situations, and completed the promises that was given from the beginning but how many times do we read and soak in the in between?
How many times do we study about the hurt, doubts, pain, suffering, wavering, and worry that each of these people and generations of God experienced?
We are NOT alone in being worried!
We are not alone of being anxious about our purposes, children, marriages, callings, ministries, workplaces, families,…..
How do we manage the worry? How do we steer our worry towards a place of worship?
First, it’s continuing in the ……
Hold on, I’m getting ahead of myself.
Leah from Lifeloveandlittles.com gives an eloquent answer to this. I definitely do not want to give the ending to her post away or take away from how important our middle positions are!
I first want to encourage you. You are not alone. Our middle part that feels so alone and full of junk does matter to our story. Where you are right now, feeling like all promises have drifted away is so vital to getting to the answer of how to get from worry to worship. This is part of the process my dear sisters. I know it’s hard to grasp and to understand but hear me out…..
Our middle part is part of God exemplifying His love letters to us. The middle teaches us how to just let God. It is the part right before we see His redemption. His sovereignty, grace, and the purpose of His son, Jesus Christ.
As we know, it all comes back to Christ!
So keep reading the Salt & Light Link Up feature.
Read how to get from the state of worry to the place of worship.
Let’s embrace the middle part by handing our worries over to God and receive the end part which is the worship part.
LifeLoveandLittles.com
From Worry to Worship.
Do you ever feel God has left you?
Are you worried about your future or struggling with anxiety?
Has anything happened in your life, and you just didn’t think there was a way out or a way the Lord could redeem?
I know I have. And it’s crippling.
In my personal quiet time with the Lord, I have been wondering if there were any women in the Word of God who were worried, anxious, or fearful. I stumbled across the beautiful story of Ruth and Naomi. You see, Naomi was a Bible character who worried.
Naomi (from Worry to Worship)A bible character who worried!
A brief summary of Ruth and Naomi:
Ruth and her sister were both widowed. They loved their mother in law, Naomi very, very much. At this particular time in their lives, there was famine throughout, so Naomi told her daughter’s in law to go back to their own family, where they could be prosperous.
“Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the Lord show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me. May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.” Ruth 1:8
And that is when Ruth replied,
Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay.
So Naomi and Ruth were headed towards Bethlehem, where the law of Moses declared that people had to leave the “corners” of their crops/harvest for the widows, orphans, and poor. When they arrived, people were astounded and joyful that Naomi and Ruth were there.
Naomi then said,……
“Don’t call me Naomi,” she told them. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted[e me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.” Ruth 1:20
When having a panic or anxiety attack, it can feel like the Lord has left you. You feel empty and alone, just how Naomi felt.
She even went to so far as to say that the Lord caused this affliction upon her! How many times are we guilty of that! Even the “best Christians” can question and blame God.
Continue Post here.
It’s very good, in times of worry, all we have to do is worship God. We may be alone physically, but spiritually, we are not alone because God is with us. Thank you so much for doing this.
Wow!! Thank you so much for this feature! Made my whole day. Blessings to all!!