Daily Bread Comes to Xiamen!

Bill Brown
XICF (outside China) XICF (inside China)

The guest speaker at XICF (Xiamen International Christian Fellowship) yesterday was Albert Lee, International Director of RBC, which puts out, among other things, "Our Daily Bread." RBC is in Xiamen for an international leadership conference. Mr. Lee's message on Naomi and Ruth was quite timely as it touches on the problems we all face today--and our reactions to them. My four pages of notes can't do the message justice, but should give you the gist of it (especially for those who were busy with the youth in AWANA Sunday School).

Albert Lee's Message
Predictability of Humans and Faithfulness of God

Albert UnPlugged: Albert first said he was from Singapore, and speaks Singlish, and then said that his Powerpoint was the Bible, which was neither hi-tech nor low-tech but the right tech.

Ruth 1:1-5. During the days of the judges, there was a famine in Israel, so Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and two sons went to live "for awhile" in the land of Moab. Then Naomi's husband died, her sons married Moabite women, and about ten years after moving to Moab, Naomi's sons died.

DAILY DECISIONS Albert said the problem began with Elimelich's daily decisions (and his greatest decisions are what to eat for breakfast, what to eat for lunch, and what to eat for dinner). When we make decisions, we choose the path of least resistance--the easiest, the best return on our investment. But for Elimelech to emigrate was a difficult decision, especially because he moved AWAY from the promised land to the heathen land of Moab, which was hostile to Jews.

WHY leave the promised land? They did not trust God. The days of the judges were "days of instability, in which each man did as he saw fit in his own eyes." Much like Zimbabwe today. Albert Lee visited, and the plane in was 1/3 full but the plane out was completely full because so many are fleeing famine and problems.

MIDDLE CLASS Elimelech was an Ephrathite, Israel's upper middle class. So even during famine they did not go hungry, but they had more to lose in their minds. They had food, savings, investments, but it was their lifestyle that was affected. It was "not about living, but maintaining their standard of life." So they moved to hostile, heathen, idolatrous Moab--like Fukienese.

Sliding Fujianese. Albert's father moved from Fujian to Singapore because of famine. Fujianese are smart, "sliding" here and "sliding" there as conditions change. Albert said, "We are sojourners, only here for a little while! Don't believe it? Wait a little while!"

Early Death. Elimelech's search for temporal relief led to his early death, much like Jesus' parable of the rich man who decided to built bigger barns to store his wealth, and take it easy and enjoy life. And God said "fool, tonight your soul will be required of you--and then who will enjoy your wealth?"

At a rich man's funeral, a relative was asked, "How much did he leave behind?" And the relative said, "Everything."

A Little While. Elimelich went to Moab "for a little while" but temporary relief became permanent residence. So what was wrong with the move to Moab?

Where was God? The first 5 verses list many names but not God's. God had no part in any of this. Albert quoted Prov. 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."

Elimelich's name meant "My God is King." His parents must have named him this in the hopes that this would be so--but God was obviously not king. The lesson: never factor out God.

No Strong Christians. Albert has been a Christian 44 years, and has learned, "There is no such thing as a strong Christian, only submissive Christians. If they look strong, it is because God is working his purposes out in their lives."

Dead Ends. What do we do when tragedy strikes? Logic says that When we hit a dead end, we turn around. Only after the death of Naomi's two sons did she turn around, and return to Bethlehem. If God loves you, He will not leave you alone. He allows painful things to make use more like Christ, to present us holy and blameless before the Father. We sometimes have pain because we are "thick, not quick."

Go Back Home. Naomi told her two daughter-in-laws, "Both of you go home to Moab." Why tell the two girls to return to the idolatry of Moab? Because Naomi's concern was still earthly--food, prosperity, husband. She had no husband, no more sons for the girls. She had no hope in God, or in herself.

Sneaky Naomi Another motive for discouraging the girls from accompanying her: Naomi did not want the Jews to see her sons had disobeyed her and married foreign women, which was forbidden. Albert said "I'm a sneaky guy. It takes one to recognize another--and she was a sneaky woman." Prov. 28:13 warns that if we cover up our sins we will not prosper.

The best sacrifice to God is a broken heart and a contrite spirit. God uses most those who are broken. The world urges us to have high esteem, but the Bible teaches us to hold God in high esteem and ourselves in RIGHT esteem. Broken people don't get in God's way. But Naomi was not broken but bitter. In Ruth 1:13, she told her daughters that she had a bitter life because God's hand was against her. And in v.16, Ruth replied, "Your people shall be my people, and your God my God."

Three Kinds of Christians
IF Christians (IF God will, then I ...)
BECAUSE Christians (BECAUSE God, I love him).
IN SPITE OF Christians (Love God in spite of...)

The Israelites were surprised to see Naomi return, but she said, in verse 20, Don't call me Naomi (means"pleasant") but Mara ("bitter") because God had made her life bitter. Ironically, she says she left Israel "full" (middle class, remember) and returned "empty" [so why leave!?" Because they feared not famine but a lowered lifestyle].

Naomi's Theology.
1. God exists
2. God is almighty.
3. God afflicted me and made my life bitter.
Psalm 34:19. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers out of all.

Naomi's theology was good but incomplete, because God has his purposes. He is working out his plan. Naomi's God was also the God of Joseph, who said "What you planned for evil God turned to good."

Joseph's Perspective--why was it different from Naomi's? Why did she keep an earthly perspective? Because she still depended upon herself, not God.

V.11, "Turn back, my daughters, why follow me? I have no children in my womb, no husband." It was all about "me me me. I! I! I!" It is all about OUR purposes and OUR plans, but what is most important is God's purposes and God's plans.

Naomi's problem was not "no food" but the fear of no food. She even feared for food in Bethlehem!

CAME BACK EMPTY. Naomi said she returned empty, but she was not empty. She brought back Ruth, who was a great blessing and joy to her, and to all of us as well, because she was a direct ancestor of Jesus. But when everything is "me me me", we do not see God's purpose. When we fear famine, we rush off to some other place. Boaz, whom Ruth married, had also faced famine, but he had not rushed off to a foreign land.

When we have self-focus, and an earthly perspective. we fail to realize that God is at work from the beginning to the end, and if we allow him to, He will work in our lives.

Summary: in the worst of times is the best of times to trust God.
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