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WisconsinChristianNews.com
Volume 25, Issue 5
Depressed People Of the Bible
Naomi - Experiencing Depressing Grief
By Jeff Zaremsky September 2024
knowledge the people who were there to help her. Sometimes when we are depressed, we complain no one is there for us, while at the same time, we push away the very ones who are trying to help us. Is there anyone you are shut- ting out of your life right now? I was visiting with a person who had recently attempted suicide. He was lamenting there was no one to help him. (What was I? …chopped liver?) I pointed out the ways his wife was try- ing to help him. Without my pointing these things out, he did not see them for himself. Are there people in your life who are there for you, but you are forgetting to acknowledge them? When Naomi and Ruth reached Bethlehem, the people were happy to see Naomi but she was depressed and told them to call her “bitter” and she did not acknowledge Ruth’s presence. To make a great story short, Ruth found a job in the field of Boaz who ended up marrying Ruth. Boaz provided for them, and fathered Obed who became the grandfather of King David, the ancestor of the Messiah. Naomi suddenly snapped out of her depres- sion after she found out that the field Ruth was gleaning in was owned by Boaz. Naomi had hope. Hope made all the difference. You might be experiencing tremendous heartache and grief right now, maybe the bit- terest experience of your life. There is a wonder- ful Bible promise that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28). If Ruth’s husband had not died, Ruth never would have married Boaz, David would never have been born, and it would have changed everything regarding how the Messiah would come to this world. God has a purpose even in death, even if we don’t see it for several genera- tions. God turned Naomi’s horrible experiences into the very things that brought about the Messiah. Maybe “God only knows” what good He is going to bring out of the horrible experi- ence you are going through. Trust in His prom- ises. There is no guarantee we will have a wonder- ful daughter-inlaw like Ruth, or a wonderful relative like Boaz who will provide a wonderful grandchild and financial stability. But we do have a wonderful Relative in the Messiah and He has promised to “ never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6). He has promised to “supply all your need according to His riches in glory…” (Philippians 4:19). All our need in- cludes our social needs for friends and loved ones. Our emotional needs for comfort, strength, and a sound mind. Our financial need — the key word is need. And our physical need — again the key word is need. You might not be seeing any hope for your fu- ture, but God has thousands of ways to meet your needs, all of which are good for you. Learn more about grief, Naomi, and other de- pressed people of the Bible in the book “ De- pressed People of the Bible,” available where most books are sold. Author’s Disclaimer: The information I will be sharing is not intended for diagnosis or treat- ment of depression. It is a biblical reflection on people throughout the Scriptures who dealt with depression and how God carried them through it to healing and purpose.
Naomi had experienced a lot of circumstances that most people would find depressing. There was a famine in Bethlehem, Israel, so her family moved to Moab. Naomi’s husband died there. Her sons married Moabite women, which must have been a disappointment since God tells us not to be unequally yoked with those not of our faith. Then both her sons died. She was left with no family, in a foreign land, with no one to take care of her. She had nothing to give her hope in the present or in the future.
said there is no grief like the loss of a child. A widow or a widower is someone who loses a spouse. An orphan is someone who loses their parents. But we don’t have a word for people who lose their children. It is so griev- ous we can’t name it.
Naomi experienced terrible grief due to the loss of husband and both children. It has been
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Naomi felt abandoned by God say- ing, “…the hand of the Lord has gone out against me!” “…the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. …the Lord has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me.” (Ruth 1:13, 20-21). When Naomi decided to go back to Israel, her daughters-inlaw initially started to go with her, but she en- couraged them to return to their families. Ruth stayed with her and said these memorable lines, “Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you; for wherever you will go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me.” (Ruth 1:16-17). Ruth’s commitment was a lifesaver for Naomi. Right after Ruth proclaimed those words, the Bible says Naomi “stopped speaking to her” (Ruth 1:18). Naomi might have stopped speaking to Ruth because she might have been upset with Ruth for stay- ing with her. Naomi thought it was her responsibility to provide for Ruth, “Are there still sons in my
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womb, that they may be your husbands?” (Ruth 1:11). A friend might want to visit to cheer us up, and we may look at it as a burden to entertain them. Naomi might have stopped speaking to Ruth at that point be- cause she was upset with Ruth for not leav- ing her alone. Naomi might have wanted to crawl in a ball and be left alone. The Bible does not record Ruth saying anything more either. Sometimes it is not words, but just our presence that is needed — even when it is not wanted.
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Naomi did not ac-
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