This morning, in honor of the women and mother’s in our church, I want us to highlight one of the women found in the Bible. Her life started off so beautiful with a husband, two sons, and eventually after two weddings, two daughter’s-in-law. However, her beautiful life became filled with brokenness and bitterness until the Kinsman Redeemer stepped in and blew away all of her expectations. The woman that we will consider is Naomi. Her name means “my pleasantness” but she would experience some of the most unpleasant things in life. With enduring faith, her emptiness would turn to fullness and from the ashes of her life would spring up something beautiful as she saw the hand of God move mightily in her life. Proverbs 31:30 says, “Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.” This morning, I want to exhort us all to fear the Lord, wrestle well in the trials of life, and fight for the joy of God in all thing. This Lord will not disappoint. The title of today’s message will be “Beauty for Ashes: The Life of Naomi.” We will consider the following from her life 1) Naomi’s Widowhood 2) Naomi’s Wealthy Kinsman 3) Naomi’s Worships God as a “nanny”. |