Lay It on Me

30 / L AY I T ON M E

Abraham obeyed, not knowing where he was going (Hebrews 11:8). When he got there, however, he knew he was in the right place. God would speak to Abraham and say, "This is the place; stay here for awhile." Then, as God led him, he would pull up stakes and the tent caravan would be on the move again. They stopped only when God commanded them to. There are times when we, too, go out in faith with no idea what the future holds! When Naomi arrived at Bethlehem, she was a wounded woman. Ten years of famine, death and loneliness were etched in her face. The entire city must have been moved when they saw her (Ruth 1:19). Although no one knew her true story, gossip had fueled rumors for years. "Have you heard about Naomi? She backslid and went to Moab. Someone said she and her husband were having trouble." Friends from her past began to interrogate her about her 10-year absence. Brokenly, she replied, Don't call me Naomi, but call me Mara (Ruth 1:20). Her reply reveals she had lost touch with her previous identity. Naomi's heart cried, "I went out [from Bethlehem] full, and the Lord has brought me home again empty" (Ruth 1:20). She was not the same woman her former neighbors knew. Life had been cruel to her. Ten years before, most people remained to endure the famine, but Naomi and her family left. Likewise, people leave a church when things get rough. Seldom is it because the Lord really tells them to go. They leave because they are offended,