人们回到故乡并非易事。旧时的记忆、过去的错误和当下的期望都会让事情变得复杂。
从摩押回来的拿俄米充满了失望和痛苦。对她来说，搬到摩押得到的是死亡、损失和心痛。她的反应与我们中的许多人一样：她把困难归咎于上帝。有时，当我们面临困境时，很难看到上帝慈爱的手。
然而，当拿俄米回来时，她并不孤单。她的一个儿媳路得选择加入她的行列，她说：“你的国就是我的国，你的神就是我的神。”路得，一个外地人，去伯利恒寻找一个新家——一个她只是从远处了解的地方，这地方的人所认识的神她知道。（见第 15 节）。
正如我们在后面的故事中看到的那样，上帝能够救赎我们走出空无，正如祂可以接受我们带着信心向祂迈出的第一步。虽然此时拿俄米的前景黯淡，但上帝的话语给了她一线希望：丰收即将来临。上帝会让伯利恒成为祝福之地。上帝在那里创造的奇迹将祝福拿俄米和路得——最终祝福整个世界。许多年后，他们家族的一个后代，将成为世界的救主，就是耶稣基督（见马太福音第1章）。上帝应许要祝福所有在耶稣里找到家的人。今天，我们要向祂迈出这一步吗？
主啊，求你帮助我们超越痛苦的挣扎，看到在你里面的应许。奉耶稣的名，阿们。
路得记 1:8-22
8拿俄米对两个儿妇说：“你们各人回娘家去吧！愿耶和华恩待你们，像你们恩待已死的人与我一样。
9愿耶和华使你们各在新夫家中得平安。”于是拿俄米与她们亲嘴，她们就放声而哭，
10说：“不然，我们必与你一同回你本国去。”
11拿俄米说：“我女儿们哪，回去吧！为何要跟我去呢？我还能生子做你们的丈夫吗？
12我女儿们哪，回去吧！我年纪老迈，不能再有丈夫。即或说我还有指望，今夜有丈夫可以生子，
13你们岂能等着他们长大呢？你们岂能等着他们不嫁别人呢？我女儿们哪，不要这样！我为你们的缘故，甚是愁苦，因为耶和华伸手攻击我。”
14两个儿妇又放声而哭，俄珥巴与婆婆亲嘴而别，只是路得舍不得拿俄米。
15拿俄米说：“看哪，你嫂子已经回她本国和她所拜的神那里去了，你也跟着你嫂子回去吧！”
16路得说：“不要催我回去不跟随你！你往哪里去，我也往哪里去；你在哪里住宿，我也在哪里住宿。你的国就是我的国，你的神就是我的神。
17你在哪里死，我也在哪里死，也葬在那里。除非死能使你我相离，不然，愿耶和华重重地降罚于我！”
18拿俄米见路得定意要跟随自己去，就不再劝她了。
19于是二人同行，来到伯利恒。她们到了伯利恒，合城的人就都惊讶。妇女们说：“这是拿俄米吗？”
20拿俄米对她们说：“不要叫我拿俄米，要叫我玛拉，因为全能者使我受了大苦。
21我满满地出去，耶和华使我空空地回来。耶和华降祸于我，全能者使我受苦。既是这样，你们为何还叫我拿俄米呢？”
22拿俄米和她儿妇摩押女子路得从摩押地回来到伯利恒，正是动手割大麦的时候。
"Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning." - Ruth 1:22
It is not always easy for people to return to their hometown. Old memories, past mistakes, and expectations can make things complicated.
Naomi returned from Moab full of disappointment and bitterness. For her, moving to Moab had brought death, loss, and heartache. And she reacted as many of us do: she blamed God for her troubles. Sometimes it's hard to see God's loving hand when we are faced with hardship.
As Naomi returned, however, she was not alone. Ruth, one of her daughters-in-law, had chosen to join her, saying, "Your people will be my people and your God my God." Ruth, an outsider, went to find a new home in Bethlehem—a place among people whose God she had known only from a distance (see v. 15).
As we see later in this story, God can redeem our emptiness just as he can accept our first steps toward him in faith. Though Naomi's outlook is bleak at this point, God's Word offers a glimpse of hope: the harvest is coming. God will make Bethlehem a place of blessing. And the wonders God works there will bless Naomi and Ruth—and eventually the whole world. Many years later, a descendant of their family would become the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ (see Matthew 1). God promises to bring blessing to all who find their home in Jesus. Shall we take that step toward him today?
Lord, help us to see beyond our bitter struggles to the promises we have in you. For Jesus' sake, Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
