Famines

It must have seemed like the darkest of times. Israel was being decimated by a famine. Things were so bad that one Israelite, Elimelech, felt compelled to uproot his family and move to the land of Moab.

This was a drastic change. He was leaving behind everything that was familiar, including their friends and family. They were moving to Moab, where the people had been hostile toward the Israelites. There, his family would be confronted with alien beliefs and a lifestyle inconsistent with their faith.

At first the change might have seemed successful as Elimelech’s two sons married women from Moab, and the family found the food they needed. But then Elimelech and both sons died. His wife, Naomi, and her two daughters-in-law, were left in desolate conditions.

Yet, as the Bible tells the whole story, we see how God used these circumstances to accomplish great things. After Naomi and daughter-in-law Ruth moved to Israel, the Bible tells us how Ruth married Boaz and started a family that one day would include King David, the man who would lead Israel to victory, defeat Goliath and the Philistines, lay the foundations for the Temple, and write much of the Old Testament. And it all started with a famine.

The Bible teaches that God can use the “famines” of our lives to accomplish His purposes. You may face situations that seem dark. But God can use them to move you in directions in which you might not otherwise go. To do amazing things.

No matter what you face, do not give in to despair or fear. Regardless of how things might seem, God can turn even the darkest situation into something great. Stay faithful, trusting Him.