r after."

Who is the heroine of this exquisite story? I know that first place is
given to Ruth. And I am in no sense disposed to try to put her in an
inferior position. She cannot be honored too highly. She is so
absolutely lovable. But I am going to give first place to Naomi. I do
not do this because she is more winsome than Ruth. I do it because she
accounts for Ruth. If it had not have been for Naomi, Ruth would have
lived and died a heathen in the land of Moab.

Now, what are some of the lessons that we learn from the beautiful life
of this ancient woman, Naomi? Were we privileged to sit down beside
her in the Father's house to-day, she could teach us many wonderful
lessons. But one truth she would impress upon us would be this: that
life's greatest losses may, through the grace of God, become its
richest gains. She would tell you then of the black despair of those
days when she was being driven from her home by the cruel hand of
poverty. She would not hesitate to say that it was very difficult for
her to keep up faith in God in those dark days. "But the Lord was
sending me then to find Ruth. You know He had to have her. The world
could not keep house without her at all. Yet I would never have found
her but for my terrible poverty."

Then, I think she would tell how she was beginning to feel at home in
Moab. "My life was taking root in that foreign soil. I was about
making up my mind to live my life there. Then death came. One by one
I buried my loved ones till not one of my own flesh and blood was left.
Then it was that I resolved to come back home. It was my bitter loss
that sent me back. I would never have come back but for that. And had
I not come back the marriage of Ruth with its blessed outcome would
never have been possible."

This woman learned the fine art of capitalizing her calamities. In the
midst of all her poverty and heartache she kept firm her faith in God.
And she came thus to realize the sufficiency of His grace. She came to
know, even in that distant day, the truth of Paul's great word, "All
things work together for good to them that love God." There are times,
I know, that it is hard for us to believe this, just as there were
times when it was hard for Naomi to believe it. But there came a day
when she was privileged to know the truth of it in her own experience.
And if you cling to your faith you, too, will come to know, if not
here, then by and by.

Then we le