“So Naomi returned from Moab, accompanied by Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning.” Ruth 1:22
Read Ruth 1:20. “Don’t call me Naomi,” she told them. “Call me Mara, because the Almightyhas made my life very bitter.
Naomi’s anguish was so great, she wanted to change her name. Naomi means ‘pleasant’. Mara means ‘bitter’. Of course, her life had been rather pleasant overall, and then, after the terrible loss of her husband and two sons, her life felt very bitter.
Often, when we endure difficult trials, we feel forgotten, abandoned, even unloved. But God has not forgotten us, just as He did not forget Naomi. He watched her moment by difficult moment, cradling her in the palm of his hand.
Several years ago I did a Bible Study where the author made an excellent point: if X happens, then my God will take care of me.
Any disaster could take the place of ‘X’. Anything. And the outcome will always be the same: my God will take care of me.
I don’t blame Naomi for her sorrow. Being a believer doesn’t keep you from being bullied.
I admire her upfront honesty about her deep pain and sorrow. She so much wore her heart on her sleeve that she wanted to change her name.
Maybe you have never thought about changing your name, but I bet you’ve been there, in pain like she experienced.
After you push through the first wave of emotions of a painful event, remind yourself, no matter what, my God will take care of me.
Reflections:
1) How can I better respond to pain in this life?
2) Can I truly trust that God will take care of me, no matter what?