6-17-2020

Good Morning All, 

     Ruth 1:20; “She answered them, “Don’t call me Naomi [Sweet]. Call me Mara [Bitter] because the Almighty has made my life very bitter” 

    Naomi lived a hard life.  She had a husband, two sons, a home, a life that many would call comfortable.  But then a drought forced her and her family to leave Bethlehem and go to the land of Moab.  While there, her sons married two Moabite women; not exactly what a Jewish mother wanted but they were happy.  But then, another turn against her.  Her husband died.  Then both of her sons died.  So now Naomi was left in a foreign land with no husband and no sons.  This meant that she had no means of support.  She was penniless, probably homeless in a foreign land.

    She had enough.  She was heading home.  She told her two daughters-in-law to go to their homes and start over.  One did but one didn’t.  She headed back home a defeated, sad woman.  She was not only sad; she was bitter.  She even changed her name.  She used to go by Naomi which meant “sweet”.  Yet her life, so far as she saw, was far from sweet.  When she came back to Bethlehem and her friends excitedly called out to her, she bitterly said, “My name is Mara”, which means “bitter”

    Many of us have felt that journey.  Maybe a job change has forced you to move from where you grew up, where your family and friends live, and you were forced to move far away to where you do not know anyone.  Maybe some significant relationships in your life are gone now.  Death, divorce, separation, health changes are just a few of the changes that can occur to make our life seem bitter.

     We need to remember that through it all God looks out for us and provide for us.  Even in all of Naomi’s “bitterness” Ruth was with her.  As she returned home, she found someone to redeem her (Get her out of debt and get the land back) and to marry her.  She saw her life as bitter, but God was with her all the way.  He never abandoned her.  He never abandons you.

    There are a lot of times when we may feel bitter about the circumstances of our life, we may even be bitter toward God.  How could God allow this pain to me?  We may never know the answer to that.  We know that in this broken sinful world; pain, sadness, bitterness will occur.  But God promises to stand up for us.  He gives us hope.  We have the hope of the rainbow (Resurrection) after the storm.  We have the certainty of God’s comfort in the many forms it takes.  We have the comfort of his Word, the comfort of His Spirit, the comfort of his holy supper and, sometimes, that comfort comes from unexpected places.  It might be a friend or a colleague, or someone you do not know; God can use anything or anyone to bring you comfort.  It might be created things, created things connected to his Word, and His Spirit preserves us always.

Dearest Father, this sinful world leaves us bitter, but your grace makes us sweet again.  Keep us certain of your love and mercy.  Be with those who are in need of your grace the most.  Be with the lonely and the suffering and give them peace.   In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,           

Pastor Bret