Today on the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. followers of Jesus Christ. Above all, we are people of hope. We are people who have a wonderful future. Why?
Because God. is always at work. in our lives for good. Even when his smile It's hidden. Welcome to The Verdict, featuring the Bible teaching of Pastor John Monroe.
Today, we're continuing our study in the Old Testament Book of Ruth with an important lesson about trusting in God's good plan. even when life turns bitter.
Sometimes our circumstances seem bleak and our hopes seem dashed. But even in these moments, when God's smile is hidden, His plan and purposes are still in motion. Here's Pastor John Monroe. to introduce today's message. Yesterday we began to consider one of the most difficult questions in all of life.
as we continue in our study of the Old Testament book of Ruth. Why do terrible things happen? Why does God allow us to suffer? Why does He allow us to experience such hardship and grief and pain in life? As Naomi returns home, she's a different person.
than the Naomi who left. She has weathered enormous personal tragedy in the death of her husband and their sons. but we will see that she has not allowed her circumstances to shake her trust in God. How do you react to the storms of life? Do you allow them to devastate you, to overwhelm you?
Or can you draw strength from the truth that God is actively at work? in your life. Let me ask you, how do you react? When you find yourself in such Tragic circumstances, as some of you have found yourselves, when life seems unfair. When life seems unjust, when life even may seem very cruel.
Is there a God? If there is a God, does He care? Does he really love me? If there is a God, surely He is not really a God who's in control, because if God were in control and if God were all powerful, He would never have allowed this to come into my life and into the life of my family and friends. How could God possibly allow this to happen?
Let's continue this fascinating story and invite you to open your Bibles again to Ruth chapter 1. And we're going to read the last verses of Ruth chapter 1, verses 19 through 22, and learn from this fascinating story about life when God's smile is hidden.
Now, this is not an easy lesson for us. This is not an easy little upbeat message, but it's a very, very important one. It's a heavy message, as it were, but one that all of us need to learn if we want our faith not just to be lived superficially, but our faith to be deep. And this great God. Ruth chapter one then, verse nineteen.
So they both went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came about when they had come to Bethlehem that all the city were stirred because of them. The woman said Is this Naomi? And she said to them, Do not call me Nuome, call me Mara. for the almighty Shadai for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.
I went out full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has witnessed against me and the Almighty has afflicted me?
So Naomi returned. and with her Ruth the Mobites, her daughter-in-law. who returned from the land of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem. At the beginning, of barley.
harvest. I want you to understand this: that hidden behind the tragedies, God. is smiling. On Naomi. And Ruth.
They don't realize that, but God really is smiling on them. Verse 19 says in my translation, the New American Standard Version: all the city was stirred because of them. The place was buzzing. There's no telephones, there's no email, there's no cell phones. You don't need them in Bethlehem.
It's not that big. In a few moments. Everyone in Bethlehem knows Can you imagine this? Naomi. is back And Tyran bought The woman asks, Is this really Naomi?
Ah, you see the years of the heartache. The hard times, the bereavement, the sorrow, the tragedy must have all taken a physical and emotional toll. on the homie. She had left vibrant Her husband and sons at her side. But she returns.
A widow. She returns. Childless. No grandchildren. Her step is slower, it's wearier.
Her face, possibly wrinkled, her hair probably now grey. And the women say, Is this really Naomi?
Now Naomi's reply in verses twenty and twenty one It's a very significant reply. We're going to look at a little detail here. It really has three aspects. First she says, verse twenty, don't call me Naomi, call me Mara. For the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me, or has made my life very Better.
Now, as I said last week, a lot of commentators are very critical of Naomi. But I think we need to distinguish between going through bitter circumstances and being bitter against the Lord. It is true, Naome may well have had some bitterness against the Lord. That would be very understandable, but I, for one, admire this woman's honesty and her authenticity. You know, the Bible is reality Bible.
We hear about reality TV. I'm glad we've got a Bible that is real. and presents People As they really are. And Naomi is a woman of authentic faith. She's real.
The reality is that the Lord's hand has gone forth against her. Her life has been very painful. She's experienced famine. migration to a foreign land Poverty and bereavement, not only of her. Husband, but of our two sons.
Can you imagine that? For most of us, it's unthinkable. But the fact that the circumstances of her life Have been bitter doesn't necessarily mean that our heart is bitter against God. Would she have questioned God? Undoubtedly, who wouldn't have?
Would there have been times of self-pity and bitterness? I'm sure. But in our new life, now back at Bethlehem, She wants people to know That the Lord has been at work in her life. through these bidder experiences.
Now, secondly, she says, verse 21, I went out full, but the Lord has brought me back. Empty. And when she left Bethlehem to go to Moab, life seemed full. Uh her husbands and their sons are their sides. She had three men at her side to provide for her, to protect her.
Ah, but she returns. empty. Her husband Their two boys are buried. and mobile graves. She's a widow.
At least middle-aged. No prospects. of remarriage. All of the usual means of support have been stripped from her. What is going to happen to her now that she is back in Bethlehem?
She left full, but she returns empty, but she's not abandoned her faith. She acknowledges that the Lord The Lord has brought me. Back. Third, she says at the end of verse 21, The Lord has witnessed against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me. I find it very wonderful that in all three parts of her reply she mentions The Lord.
Yahweh, the covenant-keeping personal God. It was the Lord who brought her back. Yes, in her emptiness, but he'd brought her back to her home, to her people above all. to our Lord. He is also the Almighty.
He is El Shaddai Almighty, the Almighty God whose power is irresistible. She understands that. That there are circumstances in life which are totally out of our control, but behind them all is El Shaddai. the Almighty God The one whose power none of us is able to resist. God has not let her go.
She knows that the Almighty is using these bitter circumstances of her life. famine, poverty and bereavement. to bring her back to Bethlehem. The House of Bread the place. Of blessing.
And don't fail to note the last sentence in Ruth chapter 1. It is key. And they came to Bethlehem. at the beginning of barley Harvest. Ruth 1 begins with a famine, it ends with a harvest.
It's the first harvest of the year around April and May. A few weeks later, it's going to be followed by the wheat harvest. There's going to be plenty of food in Bethlehem. The Lord is going to bless abundantly these two women of faith, Naomi. And Ruth.
God's smile, although perhaps hidden, is still on them. The Lord is at work. In the lives of Naomi and Ruth. They are moving. From emptiness.
to fullness. as we'll see in the unfolding. of this Brilliant story. Of Ruth.
Some of you, as I say, have gone through. and are going through presently bitter excruciatingly painful circumstances and events in your life. Ill health. problem marriages, unemployment, abandonment Broken relationships, all kinds of painful experiences come into our lives.
Some circumstances are totally out of our control.
Some of the circumstances may be caused. by those close to us, a spouse, a parent, a A child, a friend.
Sometimes we're in difficult circumstances. Because we personally make Foolish. decisions. But here is this morning's lesson. God.
is always at work in your life for your good. Even when his smile is hidden.
Now I realize when his smile is hidden That is difficult. to understand and certainly difficult to experience. But I want to remind you, with all of the authority of Scripture, that God is always at work in your life. For your good Even When his smile is hidden. God is always at work in our lives through the bitter experiences of life.
He is always at work for our good. In the dark, In the tragedy, in the disappointment, in the pain, in the heartache of life, in the bitter circumstances of life, God. Our great God, our almighty God that we've been singing about, God is always there, even when His smile is hidden. He works for good for For those who love him. Therefore, trust him.
Trust him with all of your heart. You see, we believe in a God who is alive and a God who is interested and involved in the details of our life. We don't believe and don't accept this idea of the God of the deist, the remote God. We don't believe that things just happen by chance. As Christians, we don't believe in luck.
We don't believe in blind fate. We also reject the popular mystical pseudo spirituality which says that in the tough times the answer to life lies within, and the problems and difficulties of our lives can be solved if we dig deep within. We reject that. We neither have a fatalistic view of life Nor Do we believe that we as human beings can control our own destinies? No, we believe in the loving God.
who is at work. in our lives For our Good. I recently read the autobiography of Sir Bobby Charlton. I realize not many of you have heard of just heard of Bobby Charlton, but I met an Englishman. Beginning of the service, and I'm sure he's heard of him.
Bobby Charlton. Englishman. famous football player or soccer player as you would call him. formerly played for Manchester United. And also played for England's national team, one of the best ever soccer players.
And he, in his autobiography, as I read it, He describes some of the disappointing and bitter experiences of his life as a professional soccer player. A quote from Bobby Charlton. Not a not a Christian. There's nothing in the book, sadly, about his faith in God. But he says this.
Something I learned beyond all else after the first shock had been absorbed. He's talking about tragedy that came into his life. Whatever happens to you, he says, whatever hurt you sustain And however it is measured, you always have at least two options. One is to submit to the impact of such a catastrophe, the other is to draw strength from those around you and go on.
Now I understand what he's saying as an unbeliever. He's saying when when catastrophes come, you can either be devastated by it or you can go on. In his case, he says, you draw strength from the people around you. We would say as the people of God. while it's wonderful and tragedies to have people around us who love us and pray for us and encourage us, the real strength and the real hope comes not from ourselves or from those around us, but from the living God.
and that we draw our strength. From him. Because this great God is always actively at work. in my life. And yours.
John Flavel, the English Puritan. said that the providence of God is like a Hebrew word. You say, What did he mean?
Well, in Hebrew, unlike English and most languages, you read from right to left. Uh from our viewpoint, you read backwards. And he is saying that to understand the workings of God, We can read it better backwards than at the time and looking forward, and we can understand that. There are some situations that happen to us as we look back, we begin to understand, but there are other circumstances and mysteries of life that we can never understand at all. We leave these mysteries.
In the hand of God. and trust him. for his grace Believing that the events and circumstances of our life, however difficult, however bitter, are not meaningless, are not random. They're not the result of chance, they're not the result of impersonal forces or fate, not at all. May we be like Naomi and recognize that the Lord The Lord is at work.
painful although it is, devastating although it is, she recognizes that the Almighty is not against her for evil, but the Almighty is not only with her, he is for her, and he's working everything for her good. Copa rights, you Fearful saints. Fresh courage take. The clouds you so much dread are big with mercy and will break in blessings on your head. You see these big black clouds above you just now, brother, sister?
Hiding the smile of God. Naomi and Ruth are going to experience in a way they could never possibly imagine. That these clothes are about to burst and break. with unimaginable blessings. on their heads.
Cowper continues to write deep in unfathomable minds of never failing skill, He treasures up his bright designs and works his sovereign will. His purposes will ripen fast. unfolding every hour. The bud may have a bitter taste. But sweet will be the flower.
Naomi is tasting the bad, the bitterness of the bad. But Kaufer is saying, and the Word of God is saying, and the story of Ruth is a wonderful illustration that the flower that she doesn't understand is beginning to unfold. And from that unfolding, she's going to taste of the sweetness. of the grace and a blessing. and the love.
Of God. Judge not. The Lord By feeble sense. Don't judge God. But trust him.
It's hard, isn't it? But this is what you must do. Trust him for his grace. Behind a frowning providence He hides. A smiling That's it.
The hidden smile of God behind a frowning providence, he hides a smiling face. The bud may have a bitter taste, but sweet. will be the flower. God never abandons his people. God never hurts or harms his people.
All of the crises of life, that crisis, brothers and sisters, that you're presently going through is under the watchful Of your Heavenly Father, who is all-powerful, who is El Shaddai, who is also all loving. And He takes all things, even our mistakes, even evil things, and covers them with His grace. working. As only he can. all things for our good.
and for his glory to those who love him. And God is always at his best When we Are at their worst. And this principle That from emptiness comes fullness, from sadness comes joy, from death comes life, is supremely exemplified in the life. and death and glorious resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Listen to his words in John 12, verse 24.
Truly, truly, I say to you. unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies if It remains by itself alone. You take one grain of wheat. And we put it on the stand and we leave it there. Nothing.
is going to happen. But says Jesus, If you take that same Seed of wheat. and put it in the ground so that it dies. Jesus says, But if it dies, It bears Yeah. Much.
Fruit. That's the gospel, isn't it? that our Lord Jesus Christ, when He came, To this world Didn't come as the man of laughter, the man of fun. He came as the man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and took our sins, our grief, our sorrows, our heartaches. and he drank as no man ever could drink.
Other than Our Lord Jesus Christ, he drank of that awful bitter cup. A cup of judgment, a cup of the wrath of God. And he did that on the cross of Calvary. Why? So that from Calvary.
As we just heard so beautifully sung, that from that death that awful death, that unimaginable death of abandonment, of bitterness, of wrath and of judgment, that from that death Calvary's love might flow. And God's grace. And God's forgiveness. Might flow because our Saviour not only died, not only was buried, but gloriously was raised from the dead, so that we. with our sin, with our failure, with our bitterness, as we cry out to the living Christ, He comes.
Not only does He save our sins, but He indwells us. And if you've never opened your heart and your life to Jesus Christ, I invite you to do that. this morning. To trust The Lord Jesus Christ, and if you are a follower, of Christ. And you are going through the bitterness of life.
Will you trust him? Trust them in your darkness. Trust them in your storm. Trust him in your disappointments because followers of Jesus Christ, above all, we are people of hope. We are people who have a wonderful future.
Why? Because God. is always at work. in our lives for good. even when his smile It's hidden.
and that is why our hope Our hope. is always In the Lord. Will you open your heart? and your life to Christ. I encourage you to do that.
And you're here with a heartache, you're here Possibly experiencing the bitterness of life, will you also come? and say that my hope Is in the Lord. And our guide is a guide of hope. And don't be discouraged. Don't be disappointed.
Don't rebel against God. but humbly submit to his will. No angry. That God Mm-hmm. At work in our lives for good, even when his smile.
is hidden. Father, We thank you for the clarity of your word. We thank you for this wonderful portion of Scripture that you give us. from which we can learn And some of us here are struggling with these very things. I pray for those who perhaps have embraced a cultural Christianity but have never embraced Christ.
May they open their hearts and their lives to him. We thank you for a Savior who says, Come unto me, all ye who labor and are heavy laden. And I will give you rest. May each of us find a rest. In Christ.
eternal life and forgiveness of sins, and for those with heartaches. As they go through the bitterness of life, help us to cast our cares on you. and fill our hearts with your grace. Fill our hearts with hope. We ask it in Christ's name.
Amen. You're listening to The Verdict with Pastor John Monroe and a message titled, When God's Smile is Hidden. If you want to revisit any part of our lesson, you can do that by going online to theverdict.org. And to help you go even deeper in our study in the Book of Ruth, we're offering a custom listening guide just for this series. Offering bonus content and exclusive notes from John, this special listening guide will challenge you with engaging questions and inspiring prompts, so that you can review and apply what we're learning in this study to your day to day life.
Just go to our website to download your free copy of the Ruth Listening Guide. You'll find it on our homepage at theverdict.org. And if the verdict ministry has made a positive impact in your life, we encourage you to consider making your own impact in the lives of other listeners and being a part of this gospel work by supporting our ministry with a financial gift of any amount. We've made it quick and easy to give a one-time donation. by visiting our website at the verdict.org.
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It's available on your favorite podcast app, and you can learn more about this special weekly feature by going to our website. Again, that's theverdict.org.
Now, here's Pastor John Monroe.
Well, what's your verdict? In our study of Ruth we have the opportunity to see the bigger picture. What started out as a story of pain and suffering is about to blossom. into one of the most beautiful stories of love and blessing. And the God who is watching over Ruth and Naomi is the same God who's watching over you.
Are you trusting him today?
Next time we'll see how God continues to watch over Ruth in her new home. bringing blessings to those who trust him, in the most difficult of circumstances. Thanks for joining us today on The Verdict. I'm Michelle Davies. Today's program with Pastor John Monroe was produced and sponsored by Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Mm.
