Last updated on June 17, 2015

Two mighty forces are at work in the world today. One force is pulling everything apart, while the other force is seeking to put things back together again. Sin is the destroyer, but Jesus Christ is the builder.

Two mighty forces are at work in the world today. One force is pulling everything apart, while the other force is seeking to put things back together again. Sin is the destroyer, but Jesus Christ is the builder.

So many people need to put their lives together today! Their lives and homes are being pulled apart, and their jobs are in jeopardy. For these people, everything seems to be crashing down around them. They are falling apart physically, mentally, socially, financially and, most of all, spiritually. In the Old Testament book of Ruth, we have a vivid account of two widows—one young and the other old—who were able to put their lives together and find happiness and fulfillment in the will of God.

In chapter 1 of Ruth, everything is falling apart. Naomi and her family made some mistakes. People today are making these same mistakes. Let me survey the first chapter for you, and then we will look at the first mistake that Naomi and her family made and the reasons behind it.

Ruth 1:1-5 reveals the family’s first mistake. They were trying to run away from their problems. Bethlehem-Judah was experiencing a famine. Naomi, her husband and two sons packed up and went to Moab to avoid the famine and other problems. But in Moab they only found more problems!

The second mistake that Naomi made was trying to cover up her disobedience (vv. 6-18). She tried to send her two daughters-in-law back home so they would not come to Bethlehem with her and be evidence that she had disobeyed God. First, she ran away from her problems, and then she tried to cover her sins and hide them.

The third mistake that Naomi made is found in verses 19 through 22. She became bitter against God. Ruth went back to Bethlehem with Naomi, but Naomi was a bitter woman. The name “Naomi” means “pleasant,” but she was not at all pleasant! She said, “Call me not Naomi, call me Mara; for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me” (v. 20). The name “Mara” means “bitter.” It comes from the same word as myrrh, the bitter perfume that was used for embalming.

If you want to destroy your life, then make these same three mistakes: try to run away from your problems, try to cover up your disobedience, and become bitter against God. I guarantee that if you will take these three steps, your life will begin to fall apart.

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