**from guest-author, Jennifer Rhodes

Have you ever had a season in your life that felt hard and difficult with no end in sight?  Sure!  We all have.  It seems like things just continue to get worse rather than better.  Our first instinct is to do what we can to get away from the situation.  This is exactly what happened in the story from the Bible about Elimelech and Naomi.  The famine they were experiencing in their land led them to move to Moab to provide a better life for themselves and their family.  In essence, they were moving away from the Promised Land and back in the direction of the desert God had already brought His people through years prior.  While their intention was to only stay a short time, they stayed longer than expected leading their sons to take Moabite wives.  These women were from a pagan nation (it’s interesting how the parents bad decision leads to their sons’ bad decisions). 

To add insult to injury, we’re later informed Naomi loses her husband and both sons to death.  Not only is she left with nothing but a broken heart in a foreign country, but she now has two daughters in law she’s unsure what to do with.  She encourages both to return to their parent’s home as she has nothing to offer them.  We’re not informed why but, one of the women, Ruth, decides to stay with Naomi.  Having nowhere else to turn, Naomi returns to her homeland empty and in search of restoration.

When she and Ruth arrive, it’s during the time of harvest.  Ruth asks Naomi for permission to go to the fields and get anything that has been leftover for them sustain themselves.  Eventually, Ruth finds favor with Boaz, the man who owns the field.  Through a turn of events, Boaz goes on to marry Ruth who bore a son they named Obed.  Obed became the father of Jesse, who became the father of David – the future king of God’s people. 

Naomi’s life situation proves to us that hard times do come.  Some of us make mistakes in those seasons attempting to make things better and find ourselves facing a more hopeless situation.  Had we heeded the warning signs we saw along the way, we wouldn’t be in the mess we’ve found ourselves wondering how God could allow such.  

Friend-you’re never too far gone to turn back to Him and allow him to make everything right again.  I challenge you today to believe your setback can propel you into a comeback!  Your latter can be greater than your past!  Only you can choose to make a change in your life and allow God to turn your situation around. 

I assure you, you can trust the Lord.  Stand back and see if he won’t open the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing you cannot contain.  I encourage you to try Him today!