391 - A Life Transformed from Bitterness to Sweetness#
391 - A Life Transformed from Bitterness to Sweetness
(JP Text Group - shalom compilation)
The topic we are sharing is: A Life Transformed from Bitterness to Sweetness
Ruth 1:20-22
20 Naomi said to them, “Do not call me Naomi (which means pleasant); call me Mara (which means bitter), for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went out full, and the Lord has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?” 22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her, returned from the country of Moab. Now they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.
Let us start with a prayer:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You. During this time, we come before You once again seeking the truth. In Your truth, there is life, and there is the strength and help we need. You are the God who blesses, not the God who brings suffering; You are the God of grace. Everything we have is given by You, our blessings come from You. You do not want us to live in suffering, pain, or sickness; You desire for us to witness and glorify You in peace and joy! Through this word, let us be renewed in strength; our lives in Your hands are the most blessed. We completely dedicate the time ahead to You, in the name of the Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen.
Many people encounter suffering, setbacks, and failures in their lives and say that their lives are quite bitter. It is common to hear people around complain about their bitter lives because they often face difficulties but do not know how to escape from them. Since Adam sinned, the world has been filled with suffering. Adam's life was full of setbacks, problems, and suffering, but he was not created this way by God; it was only because he disobeyed God's will that sin entered the world, and sin entered through one man, Adam.
Because Adam sinned, the whole world fell under a curse, and that is why we encounter so many problems. Without Jesus, everything might truly be like this; life would be filled with various sufferings, just as the Old Testament says: if we live to be 80 years old, looking back, it is just labor and sorrow! But if we have Jesus and enter into Christ, everything becomes different. In Christ, there is eternal hope and satisfying joy. Even though there are still many problems in the world, we often have peace and His rest in Christ. Therefore, when you encounter problems, I hope you will turn back promptly, come before Christ, and pray to Him; our God will make a way for you.
Let’s take a look at the context of this passage. Ruth 1:1-4:
1 Now it came to pass, in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem, Judah, went to dwell in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. 2 The name of the man was Elimelech, the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to the country of Moab and remained there. 3 Then Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons. 4 Now they took wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth. And they dwelt there about ten years.
This is the background of the time. The time of the judges was a very chaotic period. This generation is more like the time of the judges, where a key phrase is: “In Israel, there was no king; everyone did what was right in their own eyes.” People today like to live according to their own desires, freely and without restraint, but what people see as freedom is often just doing whatever they want, which naturally leads them to see God's words as constraints, bindings, and burdens. During the time of the judges, there were indeed God's words and a system of sacrifices in Israel, but the people of Israel ignored these things and lived however they wanted.
This kind of rebelliousness did not bring them true freedom and revival; instead, there were constant wars and enemies rising up against them. When they could not bear it anymore, they cried out to God, and God raised up a judge to save them, and there was peace in the land for a time. Then they began to act freely again, despising the prophets, God's laws, and God's words. Before long, their situation reverted to what it was before.
Brothers and sisters, this reflects the faith condition of the Israelites during that time. They faced wars and famine externally, but in reality, there was a spiritual famine. Some may ask: How can there be a spiritual famine? When one does not act according to God's words, it is like a person entering a wilderness; just like Adam at the beginning, how wonderful it was in the Garden of Eden! But he did not want to listen to God's words and was cast out of the garden; outside, it was certainly like a wilderness compared to Eden.
If a person lives apart from Christ, even if they are very wealthy and have more than enough in every aspect, they are still like an orphan; spiritual famine will lead to problems in the material world! Adam sinned, and because of Adam, the land was cursed. The time of the judges was like this; the people of Israel acted freely, and their relationship with God was one of seeking Him only when in trouble, living however they wanted when not in trouble, leading to famine in the land.
When famine arose, what should be the correct solution? They should immediately turn back, come before God, call upon Him, and draw near to Him; this is the ultimate solution. At that time, there was also famine in Bethlehem. Bethlehem, in Hebrew, means "house of bread." Now that even the house of bread has no supply, the people have lost hope; shouldn’t they turn back promptly? But they did not. The result of acting freely is that when they saw things were not working out, they thought it would be better to change places, and they moved further and further away from the house of bread.
In Bethlehem, there was a man who took his wife and two sons and moved the whole family to the land of Moab. In the Old Testament, God had very clear regulations for the people of Israel: do not go to the Gentiles and follow their customs, and do not marry foreign women. This man named Elimelech took his wife Naomi and his two sons to the land of Moab and lived there.
Brothers and sisters, they lived there for ten years! Moreover, their situation was not very good there; they did not gain anything even in worldly terms. Because later, Naomi's husband Elimelech died, leaving her and her two sons. In this situation, shouldn’t Naomi have returned? Yet she still lived there and even married her two sons to Moabite women, living there for ten years. During those ten years, all the men in the family died, leaving only three widows.
This ten-year period can be understood as this family having left God and struggling in bitterness. One might wonder, if they were uncomfortable living in a foreign land, why didn’t they return to their hometown? Should they wait to die in a foreign land? Many people's problems lie here. Leaving God is itself a mistake; when they encounter suffering, they think it is God's doing, drifting further away from Him, and when faced with difficulties, they still do not know to turn back. As the old saying goes, when you hit a wall, you should turn back, but they think there is no problem with themselves; it is the wall's fault, and they want to break through the wall, ultimately getting hurt.
When many people encounter problems, they always think it is someone else's issue, that God is unfair to them; they never consider adjusting themselves. If Naomi had been able to adjust herself in time and return to Bethlehem with her two sons, I believe their lives would have been in a different state. First, let’s look at Naomi's understanding of God. Naomi had a wrong perception of God; she lived in a foreign land for ten years and only turned back when she truly had no other choice.
Ruth 1:20-21:
20 Naomi said to them, “Do not call me Naomi (which means pleasant); call me Mara (which means bitter), for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went out full, and the Lord has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?”
After Naomi returned to Bethlehem, the people of her hometown said: “Is this not Naomi?” When she saw how her neighbors greeted her, her inner complaints immediately surfaced, saying, “Do not call me Naomi (which means pleasant); call me Mara (which means bitter).” Why did she want to rename herself Mara? Because she felt that all of this was given by God; the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.
Brothers and sisters, have you noticed that many believers, when they encounter suffering and problems, think this way: God has placed all these diseases and problems before me; they never consider that they might be on the wrong path. It is not God who led them to dwell in Moab; God's words are very clear: do not go to the Gentiles, and do not marry the women of that land; it is very obvious!
Just like we often tell brothers and sisters that there are some things you should never do; they are of no benefit! For example, various loans and gambling-related things online, or many schemes and virtual currencies, should never be touched! Yet many people do not believe.
Why can we give such advice? The book of Proverbs states very clearly that getting rich overnight is a snare of the enemy! Naomi did not take God's words seriously but attributed all the sources of her suffering to God.
Ruth 1:21, “I went out full,”
What does this indicate? Although there was famine in Bethlehem at that time, it did not mean they had to leave home; they were just facing a famine. They were not without food; they had plenty of things, so they went out with many things. What was it like when they returned? “The Lord has brought me home again empty.” She used this term interestingly; the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. She believed that God is Almighty, capable of accomplishing anything, and that what You have given me has filled me with various sufferings; this is Your blessing to me.
“The Lord has brought me home again empty.” What does “the Lord” mean? In Hebrew, it means the God who makes covenants with us. She was actually complaining to God, saying, “It is said that we have a covenant with God, and this covenant has taken everything from me.” She later said, “The Lord has afflicted me; I have a covenant with God; why has He brought this calamity upon me?”
Many people often ask: “I also believe in the Lord and believe He is a God of blessing and healing, but why hasn’t this happened to me? Why do negative things always happen to me?” Isn’t this similar to what Naomi is saying? Such people find it hard to see God's grace because their hearts are filled with bitterness, believing that God is the one who brings calamity. They cannot resist God's power and authority; they believe that God is the one causing their suffering; this is Naomi's faith.
Her husband's faith was probably similar to hers because although this family verbally acknowledged that the Lord was their God, in their lives, it seemed they did not see God's workings. If you, who are listening today, are encountering similar situations, I suggest you do not follow Naomi's example of drifting further from God. Many people pray when they encounter problems, and when God does not answer, they say, “I will not go to meetings anymore! I will not listen to sermons or pray!” In fact, this is equivalent to Naomi's family leaving Bethlehem when they encountered a little famine; they moved further away from God, which only leads to greater losses!
What is even worse is that after drifting further from God and failing in their own efforts, they believe that it is God who has brought calamity upon them, even wanting to rename themselves Mara. Just think, if you really changed your name to Mara, and others called you Mara every day, would that feel good? God never changes a sweet name to a bitter one; it means that when you believe in Jesus, God can only transform you from sickness, curses, and weakness into blessings and joy! Amen. Our God does not turn you from sweetness to bitterness, from life to death; that is not what our God does.
Looking back, first, God did not lead them to go out, drifting further from Him; second, when they first encountered suffering, why did they not choose to return? Why wait until they had nothing before coming back? It was not God who stopped them; it was their unwillingness; finally, they had a wrong understanding of God, believing that the suffering was sent by Him. All of this relates to the core issue, which is the correct understanding of God! Therefore, we must correctly understand the Lord and affirm that our God no longer brings calamity upon you, nor remembers your sins, because Jesus shed His blood and sacrificed Himself for our sins on the cross, and after three days resurrected from the dead; God has completely accepted you. Amen!
No matter how others around you believe, do not imitate them. Although some say to adhere to the law of Moses, just look at their lives. Some say they have received grace, but their lives still have not changed; do not give up. Please ignore the voices of suffering around you and the voices of others calling you Mara; resist them! At all times, hold fast to God's words, and you will see God's blessings upon you. Amen!
Jeremiah 29:11-13:
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
Jeremiah was a prophet who prophesied that if the people did not turn back, there would be many problems, including famine, enemies rising up, and becoming slaves; these things eventually happened. But in this process, God, through Jeremiah, prophesied to the people that God does not have thoughts of calamity! We must firmly remember this: the Lord says, the Lord means the God who makes covenants with you; today this word is still effective. The God who made a covenant with you, the moment you believed in Jesus, you made a covenant with the Heavenly Father; this God is your God!
This God who made a covenant with you says to you that His thoughts toward you are thoughts of peace. At all times, our God is willing to give us His peace. Jesus came into this world to give us His peace; His peace is true peace, allowing us to have hope and a way out in any environment.
God does not have thoughts of calamity; if God truly wanted to bring calamity and hoped for our death, He could have not sent Jesus, and people would certainly have destroyed themselves. We see in history that God has sent Jesus; why did He come? To give you a future and a hope. We have already seen this hope in our lives; whenever you feel that your days are numbered, that life is at an end, our God is your hope!
What is concerning is that many people always think they are fine; clearly, their physical ailments are terrible, yet they say they are fine; clearly, life is very bitter, and when you ask them, they say they are fine. Then they will never want to turn back to seek God unless this person raises their hands and surrenders to God, saying, “Lord, I cannot do it anymore; I have no way out; I want to seek You!” God will always be their hope. How much our God longs for us to turn back! Just as God hoped the people of Israel would turn back.
Jeremiah 29:12: “Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.”
It is as if a powerful God is saying to this group of people: “How I long for you to call upon Me! Why do you not call? How I hope you will pray to Me! Why do you not open your mouths?” As long as you call upon Me and pray to Me, I will listen to you; I will let you find Me and make a way for you! Unfortunately, the people of Israel at that time preferred to suffer rather than pray to God and call upon Him.
Some may say, “Why does such a powerful God wait for us to call before answering us? Why can’t He save us directly?” Sorry, but this is not God's style. Our God is the God who makes covenants with us; whenever your heart is willing to open up and call upon Him, He can help you. Otherwise, God does not force you to do anything. This is the difference between the Holy Spirit and evil spirits; evil spirits want to control people, just like in this last generation, many want to control others, but the Holy Spirit always moves people to willingly follow Him.
In matters of blessing, God is the same. If God could force things to happen, He would have done so long ago. People all over the world might believe in the Lord, but it does not necessarily mean they do so willingly. Unless God reveals His intentions to us, people will willingly turn back, and God will immediately respond; this is God's principle of operation. Therefore, we must believe correctly. Many times, we ask, “Lord, why don’t You directly save me from my difficulties? You clearly know there is a pit ahead; why don’t You stop me?” From God's perspective, He may want to stop you, but can your two legs stop you? How many people have told you not to do it, yet you still did it? This is how it is.
Many times, it is your own willingness to do that thing; just as mentioned at the beginning, when you hit the wall, shouldn’t you turn back? No, it is not my fault; it is the wall's fault. Well, then God can only wait for you to turn back. At this moment, God sees you suffering and feels bad because He loves you and does not want you to suffer. How can we see this? The parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15 fully reveals the heart of the Father. When the younger son was at home, the father provided everything for him; it was such a wonderful and happy life! But did he want it? The son's heart was already far from home, and he had a strong aversion to his father. Finally, he mustered the courage to say, “I want to leave you,” and he left.
The moment he walked out the door, the father already knew he would hit a wall and would have to flee in shame. Was this something the father wanted? Of course not. But who can stop the younger son from leaving the father's heart? No one can stop him. Unless one day the younger son is willing to return on his own, otherwise, even if the father goes to find him, it will only lead to more resentment from the son.
I do not know if, while sharing this, brothers and sisters can understand the heart of the Heavenly Father? Many people encounter suffering and complain to God, “Why didn’t You stop me back then?” God wants to stop you, but is your heart willing? Let’s think about it: when the younger son wanted to leave home, could his father stop him? This is what the Bible says; when the younger son asked for his inheritance, the father said nothing and divided the estate for him, and then he left, going to a far country.
Naomi's family also went to a far country! When the younger son was outside, at first, he was very comfortable because he went out full, wasting his wealth and living extravagantly, without the father's law to discipline him, without God's commands, feeling like a wild horse that had broken free, thinking it was a wonderful and carefree life!
But unfortunately, it was not long before everything was lost. Shouldn’t he return? No, he still wanted to hold on outside until he had nothing left and was forced to feed pigs, unwilling to turn back, until he realized that even being a hired servant in his father's house was better than this!
Naomi only realized after her husband and children had died that it was better to return home! So she came back. Brothers and sisters, are these two situations very similar? In our lives, there are many times like this; we wait until we have nothing, until we have no way out, before we are willing to return to church and come back before God. Why is that necessary? If we hit a wall at the beginning, we should immediately think that we are on the wrong path and turn back. Brothers and sisters, no matter the reason, if the road ahead is difficult, please turn back to God and seek His words, seek His wisdom, and turn to God and call upon Him; He will surely lead you. Amen!
Let’s look at a passage of scripture, Exodus 15:22-26:
22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the wilderness of Shur, and they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. 23 Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore, the name of it was called Marah. 24 And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25 So he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them, 26 and said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you.”
Many people have read this story. The people of Israel, led by Moses, crossed the Red Sea and entered the wilderness of Shur, with the destination being the land of Canaan. After just three days, they were tired and thirsty in the wilderness and arrived at Marah. Why was this place called Marah? It was not that there was no water; it was because the water was bitter and could not be drunk, so the people named it Marah.
The people were extremely thirsty at that time, and when they drank, the water was bitter, so they began to complain. Have you noticed? Their situation is very similar to that of Naomi we are sharing today. Naomi was called Naomi by others, but she said, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara; my life is already bitter enough; just continue to call me bitter!” The people of Israel, after drinking the bitter water, immediately complained, “What are we drinking?” Moses faced the same problem; the brilliance of Moses was that he handled things differently from the people of Israel; when he encountered problems, he called upon the Lord.
As we just mentioned, “You will call upon Me and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.” It is not scary to encounter suffering; you should call upon God, and He will give you a solution. What good is it to keep complaining to Him? Unfortunately, the people of Israel did not learn this lesson in the wilderness for 40 years; they complained whenever they encountered something. Today, many Christians are still like this; they complain when they encounter problems: “I don’t believe anymore; forget it; what good is believing in this Lord? Isn’t it the same under grace and under the law?” In fact, it is different; the difference is huge!
Moses called upon the Lord when he encountered problems, and God gave him a method, showing him to cast a tree into the water, and the water became sweet. The same problem, yet different conclusions; they both faced suffering, but the outcomes were different. What is the difference? Moses called upon God, and God provided him with a method, giving him a tree. Brothers and sisters, this tree can be understood as our Lord Jesus Christ and the cross of Jesus Christ. Because Jesus Christ and His cross can completely change our lives! Even if your previous life was called Mara, when you meet Jesus, you can become Naomi. Amen.
Many people like to consult fortune tellers, who tell them that their name brings many curses and sufferings, and that changing their name can solve everything. People believe those fortune tellers and change their names, but after changing their names, they still cannot escape various problems. What truly changes a life is not changing a name but meeting Jesus. Just as when Moses called upon God, God showed him the tree, and when he cast the tree into the bitter water, the water became sweet! Even if your name is truly Mara, if you are willing to believe in Jesus Christ and let His cross enter your name, your name will change. Hallelujah.
After Abram accepted the Lord, our God changed his name to Abraham, which actually added something to his name; that word is ת, which is the breath of God. Abram had the ת placed in his name, becoming Abraham, and his life was completely transformed. When you accept Jesus, God also places the Holy Spirit in your life, and your life is no longer the same. Even if you are called Mara, your life is no longer bitter but has become Naomi. Hallelujah!
If you have not met Jesus, even if you are called Naomi, your life is still Mara. Amen. This is the distinction, brothers and sisters; it is not about changing a name for life to change, but believing in Jesus for life to be completely transformed. God instructed Moses to cast that tree into the water, and the water became sweet; a miracle occurred. After this miracle, God hoped their lives would always be sweet, and there He established statutes and ordinances for them. What was the purpose? To let them live according to God's words, so that their lives would not encounter suffering again; even if there were sufferings, they could instantly turn sweet. Hallelujah!
This is a very simple matter, but many people's problems are that after this miracle, the issue of healing was resolved, and they immediately cast God aside, returning to their original state of life. Can’t they remember a little longer? If they leave God, they will continue to encounter Mara; what should they do? Wait until that time to call upon God again? Wouldn’t that return to the state of the time of the judges?
What is a direct and ultimate solution? When you first encounter a problem, call upon God; once the problem is solved, make a determination to live according to God's words for the rest of your life. The diseases and problems of the Egyptians will not appear on you because you have God's words to rely on. Amen! It is as if the water is bitter, but this tree is always with you; whenever you enter this water, it will become sweet. This is the cross of Jesus; let Jesus walk with you every day, and let the words of Christ deal with your problems every day. Even if there are sufferings, the final outcome will be good. Amen. Jesus Christ is the turning point of our lives; believe in Him, and your life will have a significant transformation. If you continue to follow Him, your life will no longer be the same. Hallelujah! It is a life transformed from bitterness to sweetness, every day like this. Amen.
Ruth 1:22: Naomi returned with her daughter-in-law Ruth the Moabitess from the land of Moab, and they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.
What a coincidence! When they returned from the foreign land, they came back empty-handed, not knowing what to eat, but when they returned home, it was the beginning of barley harvest. This indicates that God's provision was always there; it was just that she always speculated that Bethlehem was in famine, but in reality, it was not the case.
Many times, we are like this; when we pray for the first time and God does not answer, we think that God no longer listens to our prayers. That is not the case. Brothers and sisters, at any time, if you are willing to return to Christ, God has preparation and provision for us. In life, if you encounter similar problems, I suggest you understand Him through what He has done and follow Him closely; this is the wise choice.
Luke 5:6-11:
6 And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. 7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” 9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; 10 and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” 11 So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.
This is the account of Peter being called by Jesus to follow Him. What happened when Jesus went to find Peter? Peter had worked hard all night fishing and caught nothing, feeling very frustrated, not knowing how to spend the day. At that moment, Jesus came to find him, used his boat to preach, and finally said to Peter, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch!” In a state of half-belief, Peter obeyed Jesus' words, took the boat into deep water, and caught a great number of fish, so much so that the net was breaking, and he had to signal his partners to come help, filling both boats to the point of sinking.
Peter was a very wise man; when he saw the two boats full of fish, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, “Lord, depart from me, for I am a sinful man!” He had previously underestimated Jesus and felt unworthy of such blessings! In reality, he did not truly want Jesus to leave; he genuinely felt unworthy of such grace! Although this miracle was not a big deal for Jesus, it had a tremendous impact on Peter's faith. Not only Peter but also those who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish because it was so much; perhaps they had never caught so many fish before!
When Jesus saw Peter's seeking heart, He said, “Come follow Me; do not be afraid! From now on, you will catch men.” This means simply: Do you believe I can supply your life? Come follow Me; I will make your life as abundant as today! From now on, you will catch many souls, just as you caught so many fish today! That is the meaning. Peter then brought the two boats to land, forsook all, and followed Jesus.
We know Peter and understand him as a spiritual figure; he made a very wise decision at that time. If he had said, “You can go; I have enough catch today,” no one would remember who he was! When you believe in Jesus, your life has already been blessed by God. If you are willing to follow Jesus for life, you will have a life full of blessings. Hallelujah! Although Peter later encountered some problems, Jesus' provision always exceeded the problems! Hallelujah! Our lives should be like this; with Jesus with us, even if there are problems, the final outcome will definitely be sweet and beautiful!
James gives us very good advice. James 1:16-18:
16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. 18 Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.
Do not be deceived; the one who can bless you is not those around you, not your boss, and certainly not your pastor, but Jesus Christ. Every good gift and every perfect gift comes from above, from the Father of lights. Amen! Do not seek gifts, rewards, or blessings in this world; it is hard to find. Even if someone finds them, they are only temporary. The true source is above; therefore, you should look up to the One who blesses, look up to our Heavenly Father, and look up to the grace of Jesus Christ! How to do this? It is very simple; live according to God's words. Whatever Jesus says, we do. If what someone says does not align with what Jesus says, we follow Jesus' words; that is enough. Amen!
The Bible tells us not to do things, so let’s not do them. Don’t ask why they cannot be done. There are always some people who like to ask such questions. Some say, “Under the New Covenant, under grace, why did God not allow the people of Israel to eat those unclean things?” This question is quite simple; it is God's word, so just don’t do it. Some ask, “Why can’t we do it?” It is like when God told Adam not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; he insisted on asking why he couldn’t eat it. “Why is it Yours?” If you keep asking for a reason, it will never end; it is because of unbelief that the questions never stop.
To believe in God means to believe without asking questions. I will say it again: you do not ask for reasons; you just act accordingly; this is belief. Amen! God’s word says not to do this; if He says not to do it, then do not do it; it must be beneficial for us. Only unbelief leads to questions: “Tell me why this cannot be done; explain why it is not allowed…” Even if you answer, they will still have doubts.
True faith is to believe that every good gift and every perfect gift comes from above. What God commands us to do must be beneficial for us; just remember this. In Him, there is no change; today, what God says still applies, and it will still apply 10 years from now and 100 years from now. Do not keep making excuses for yourself or try to change God's words.
Balaam was a greedy prophet; when Balak offered him a large sum of money to curse the people of Israel, he said, “Wait a moment; I will ask God.” God said not to go. After he came out, he said, “You can go back; our God has said this cannot be done; no matter how much you give me, I will not do it.” Balak's messengers went back. After returning, they prepared more gold, silver, and various good conditions, saying, “Just curse the people of Israel for me.” Balaam saw that the temptation was too great and said, “Wait a moment; I will ask God again.” When he asked God, God said, “You can go.”
Some people say, “Didn’t God agree?” Then why did He kill him on the way? What is going on here? From this word, we can understand that God did not change; the first time God said it was not allowed, asking a thousand times later will still not change that! Why did God say it was okay? It was because Balaam's heart was always seeking a conclusion that was permissible.
Today, if you do not agree with him, he will pray tomorrow, and he will keep praying until you agree; isn’t that human selfishness? Many people are eager to do that thing, and finally, they hear a voice saying it is okay to do it, so they do it and end up losing. “Didn’t You agree with me?” In reality, it was never God's intention; God's intention is very clear in the Bible: this thing cannot be done, and it will not be allowed even a thousand years later. Only human reasoning is situational; it is not allowed now but may be allowed later; this is humans constantly changing, but our God does not change.
At all times, we must understand this principle: God brought us forth by the word of truth, and the word of truth does not change. It is impossible to say that after a hundred years, believing in the Lord may not lead to salvation; whenever you believe, you are immediately saved; there is no turning back in between! We are the firstfruits among all of God's creation; what does this mean? It means that you can see the manifestation of Christ's words from you; Christ does not change, and blessings will surely come upon you unless we waver, in which case we will not see God's blessings!
Do not imitate Naomi's family, drifting away from God when encountering difficulties, and not knowing to turn back when faced with problems; that is troublesome. Be like James, firmly relying on God's words to live, and like Paul, always considering Jesus as the most precious; your life will surely be abundant.
Let’s look at the last passage of scripture. Philippians 3:7-8:
7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.
This is very interesting. What was Paul like before? He also liked high positions and pursued fame and fortune under the law. Since he truly met Jesus Christ, he let go of all those things. What does he say? “I count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.” He had been pursuing these things, which resulted in him being hurt and becoming an opponent of the Lord's way. It was only when the great light of Jesus shone upon him that he realized he was wrong. From then on, his life was changed by Jesus, realizing that Jesus Christ is the most precious; gaining Jesus means gaining everything!
Many people shout this slogan but do not understand what it means. Paul truly understood this saying, which is why he could count all things as rubbish. You say you know that everything comes from Jesus, that Jesus is everything, and that having Jesus means having everything… Can you truly count all things as loss? What does it mean to count all things as loss? It means that apart from Jesus, everything else is not important. Many people say, “That won’t work; I have to solve my basic needs; I have to solve my children's issues; I have to solve other problems…” Many problems they cannot let go of. In reality, it is because our understanding of God is still too shallow; we truly feel that Jesus Christ is the treasure, and Jesus will take care of everything for you; there is no need to worry about anything.
Just like the rich young ruler, Jesus said, “If you truly want to gain eternal life, sell all your possessions and give to the poor, and come follow Me!” If he truly recognized that Jesus was the treasure, he would definitely do it. Amen! But he left sorrowfully, indicating that he did not understand that Jesus' value far exceeded everything he had.
We must recognize that Jesus Christ is the treasure. This does not encourage everyone to give up everything to follow Jesus; rather, it is to let Jesus take the first place in your life. Jesus is the most precious; His words are the ones we should obey the most! When human words do not align with God's words, believe in God's words; it will never go wrong. Amen! Even if there are problems, we can easily overcome them in God's words.
What Paul means by gaining Christ is not just about being saved; it refers to overcoming in all things. Indeed, Paul encountered many problems in his life, but through Christ, he ultimately overcame! I wish brothers and sisters to rely on the words of Jesus Christ in life; you are also living a life of Naomi, not the Naomi in the Bible, but a truly sweet life.
Let us pray together.
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You. Thank You for comforting and helping us through such words. We do encounter some problems in our lives, but You have already overcome the world, and in You, there is true peace. As we begin this new week, I want to live according to Your words; You are the God who blesses me, granting me wisdom and strength to understand the affairs of the world.
Jesus Christ is my treasure; by acting according to Your words, not only will it benefit me, but it will also build up those who hear me. Father, thank You for loving me so much, giving me Jesus, leaving His words for me to follow. I am a channel of this blessing; in this week, let me experience You more, and please bless me to be a blessing to those around me. All glory belongs to You; in the name of the Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen.
Finally, let us do a blessing prayer together.
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You. As we begin this new week, we know we are blessed people. We are blessed when we go out and when we come in, not because of what we have done, but because of the authority and power of Christ upon us. I believe that wherever I go, the Holy Spirit is with me, my comfort and help. Even if there are sufferings and problems, God will lead me to overcome easily! I am willing to follow You always.
In this week, let me experience You more; I believe that what I do will surely be blessed by You! Grant me wisdom, give me insight, and let me know You more! Hallelujah, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen.