From Emptiness to Abundance: How God Turned Noomi’s Sorrow into a New Artwork

The story of Noomi and Ruth demonstrates how God can bring forth good from much sorrow and paint a colorful artwork from a dark canvas.

When Noomi arrived in Moab, she hoped to leave the famine in her own land behind. However, with the death of her husband and two sons, she was confronted with even more suffering (Ruth 1:1-5). In a place where she expected abundance, she found emptiness instead.

Moab can be compared to a black canvas: dark and hopeless. Like Noomi, we too can experience periods in which we find ourselves in a barren land filled with darkness, be it through suffering, depression, despair, or grief.

Due to her bleak future in Moab, Noomi set out with Ruth to return to Bethlehem, a place of abundance where the barley harvest was taking place. There was enough food available (Ruth 2:17 + 3:15-17) and the people were kind to her. Although the abundance around Noomi was apparent, her heart still testified to the emptiness she brought from Moab. Her heart was filled with bitterness, and the sorrow weighed heavily upon her (Ruth 1:20-21).

But God took on this black painting. The Creator himself began to work to transform the black emptiness into a colorful masterpiece. With every kind gesture and every full meal that Noomi experienced in her hometown, God painted colorful flowers, which became more and more visible.

Her respected and wealthy relative Boaz married her daughter-in-law Ruth, who gave birth to a son who was considered Noomi’s grandson. (The old system of „kinsman redemption“ ensured that the name of the deceased was continued, and the widow was provided for and protected (Deuteronomy 25:5-10). The first son that the widow Ruth bore with her redeemer Boaz was considered her deceased husband’s son.)

God can bring forth something good from the greatest suffering: Noomi, who had lost everything, was gifted with enough food, a descendant, a task, protection, and a new home.

Piece by piece, God added colors and shapes together, creating a new image where the black background was increasingly covered and forgotten. His creative power led the women from emptiness to abundance so that they could shine like a colorful meadow of flowers once again.

God’s love and faithfulness now hang on the wall in this artwork, visible to all. What began with sorrow and hopelessness ended in joy and a life of abundance.

Even Jesus had a black canvas. God’s love and faithfulness hung suffering on the cross, visible to all for the salvation of all. What began in suffering ended in victory with the resurrection.

God has the ability to take on the suffering of individuals, to work in their lives, and to create something entirely new. And this artwork is not just for the person it was designed for, but serves as a testimony of God’s love for all who hear about it.

Did Noomi ever imagine that her life, recorded in the Bible, would become a testimony of God’s faithfulness for generations to come? 

Did she know that her grandson would be the great-grandfather of the significant King David (Ruth 4:17) and thus an ancestor of Jesus himself (Matthew 1)?

While we only see our black canvas, God reaches for the paintbrush and sees the colorful shapes that he will create in our lives. 

Will we trust him? 

Will we allow him to take our canvas and create something new from it? 

Will we give him the time he needs to shape what he wants to create in our lives?

One thing is certain: the artwork that only the Creator himself can create will not only be a blessing in our own lives but also for the people around us and a testimony for all who see it. Why? Because His plans are greater than ours.

In the next blog post, I will take a look at Ruth and explain practically what she contributed to ensure that her life was also filled with blessings. Subscribe to my blog to be informed when the article is published.

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Waiting on God: Dealing with Waiting Seasons

Trust God

God is strong in our weakness

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