He will provide a place to settle

The journey of the delivered Israelites from Egypt to the promised land took a longer time. The journey of eleven days took forty years to complete (Deuteronomy 1:2-3). Their leader, Moses died just before they took possession of the lands across the Jordan. By this time, a whole generation of people who encountered God and yet murmured against Him had perished in the wilderness. Will the people ever get to their destination? Why will God cause His own chosen nation to wander about for forty years for a journey that takes eleven days? Will the Israelites find a place to call home? These and many other questions were probably on the hearts of the people as they journeyed for forty years.

I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. ‭‭(Joshua‬ ‭1:3‬)

Have we not also asked God questions such as these before? We have doubted, almost given up, and sometimes questions the very core of our faith. We have asked questions such as “Does God really care?” in our lowest moments. Imagine beginning the year without a place to call home. What will you do if you are on a very tight budget and rent becomes difficult to pay? In the midst of all this, you have spent a whole lifetime walking with the Lord through the waters, the storms and the wilderness. The Israelites had similar experiences and for them, they had to dwell in tents for forty years. Joshua, the new leader after Moses received these words from the Lord, “I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.‭‭” (Joshua‬ ‭1:3‭-‬6‬).

The Lord promised to settle the people on every place they set their feet. Joshua was encouraged to be strong and courageous, obey the words of the book of the Law, meditate on it, and not to be afraid (Joshua 1: 9). The words of promise did not automatically propel the Israelites into the promised land. They had to fight the settlers on the land, they had to consecrate themselves to obey every instruction from the Lord and whenever they disobeyed, they faced defeat from their enemies. At the end of their journey,  God gave them a place to settle, they found a home but that didn’t come without them listening and obeying the words of the Lord. Obedience was their key to their new home. Fear had to be discarded and they had to be ready for battle. As we look forward to being settled by God this year, we should also desire to obey the words of God, move on His commands and drive away fear from our hearts.

For us, we might not need to engage in physical fights to drive away the enemy but we would have to engage in spiritual battles to get rid of anything that is hindering us from possessing our place of inheritance. Our faith must be demonstrated through our actions. The Lord is going ahead of us but we must be willing and ready to stand in agreement with Him. He will provide a home for us but we need to be strong and courageous. Let’s personalize this promise made to King David:
“And I will provide a place for [my people Israel] and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning.”
1 Chronicles‬ ‭17:9‬ ‭(also in 2 Samuel 2:7)

Naomi: Putting the needs of others first

Navigating life without a helper is very challenging. No matter how rich or poor one is, a helping hand is always needful. We all need someone we can lean on. We have to understand that the blessings of God to humanity, does not fall from the skies (at least the Israelites had manna fall from heaven). For God to bless you, He always relies on human vessels. It doesn’t matter whether the person believes in God or not. When God speaks, even Satan respects His voice. As we continue navigating scripture through the life of Naomi, we are reminded that affliction will not rise up a second time. If we constantly experience pain and sorrow over and over, go back to God and ask Him to restore you. It is not normal. Naomi and her daughters-in-law lost their loved ones, Naomi returned to Bethlehem with Ruth and they started life all over. 

One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, I must find a home for you, where you will be well provided for. (Ruth 3:1)

Naomi lived in a masculine society and two widows staying alone in one house was not safe enough. Ruth found something to do to bring food home. But, Naomi knew that she needed to help Ruth to settle down. Ruth was the perfect helper to Naomi but out of love, Naomi was willing to let Ruth go to where she can become better. Naomi’s focus was not on how she would survive after Ruth finds a better home, she cared for the future of Ruth. The two women had been providing comfort and care for one another but Naomi knew that Ruth had a bigger need. So, “one day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, I must find a home for you, where you will be well provided for.” (Ruth 3:1).

Ruth was already living with Naomi so one might say that ‘Ruth already had a home’. However, Naomi was interested in a marital home for Ruth. She wanted Ruth to get a husband and be catered for by her husband. Naomi placed the needs of Ruth above her own personal needs and initiated a conversation that ultimately led to finding a new home for Ruth. Naomi designed the masterplan to get the attention of the proposed husband (Ruth 3:1-4). Naomi knew that a home for Ruth should come from Elimelek’s family. Naomi was aware of the traditions of the land. She knew that it would be better for Ruth to be married back into the family than to look elsewhere. 

Operation “A home for Ruth” was launched by the intelligence of Naomi. In a few days time, the operation had gained momentum and two important men met at the town gate with witnesses from the town to have a life changing transaction (Ruth 4:1-4). Naomi did not allow Ruth to settle for less. She had a bigger plan for Ruth. Remember, Ruth left everything behind in Moab and followed Naomi to Bethlehem. Ruth knew that, it was possible not to see her mother and father again. Therefore Naomi’s quest to find Ruth a better home was appropriate. 

Putting others’ needs before yours can be quite uncomfortable for many people. For most of us, our desire is for “ME, MYSELF and I” to thrive and succeed. When we look at ourselves alone, we tend to ignore those around us. I am in no way admonishing that you don’t take care of your needs. The argument is, we need to go beyond our needs and look at what we can do to make life better for others. People have different types of needs. For others, their needs are material things like food, clothes, shelter. Some people have spiritual needs and others have emotional needs. Whatever you can provide to help others, do it willingly. Show concern, provide material needs if you can, pray for people (very important), comfort those who mourn, lift those who are down and be a shoulder to lean on. 

Whatever we do in good faith for others, is recognized in heaven as a memorial for us. 

Jesus admonished us with the parable in Matthew 25: 34-30:
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’  “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’  “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” 

In Luke 6:38, Jesus mentions one reward of giving:
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”