Pleasant or Bitter?

 We have a lot of control over our mood. Yes, there are circumstances that make it easy for us to be very happy, while there are also circumstances that can make it easy to be very sad. However, even in the worst of circumstances we, as Christians, should be able to remain positive and have joy from the Lord. That is what God intends for us to understand and to do.

Naomi was a lady from Bethlehem who had to go to Moab with her husband and two sons because of a famine in Israel. While they were there, her husband and married sons all died. She returned to Bethlehem with her daughter-in-law, Ruth. (Ruth 1:20) When she arrived, she told the people not to call her Naomi, but to call her Mara, because the Almighty had dealt very bitterly with her. Let's see what she meant by that.

Naomi means "pleasant." Mara means "bitter." Naomi was saying that she did not feel pleasant or delighted, but she felt some bitterness in her heart. Yes, she was grieving, and she had a right to be sad over the loss of her family, but she could have chosen to trust the Almighty to help her, instead of seeming to blame God for her bad mood. God was not finished with her yet, but it seemed she had almost given up. We must not let that happen to us.

God has the power to bring good out of the worst situations of life. In fact, He has told us that He can work all things together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28) We all need to take God at His Word, and trust that He will do just that as we depend on Him in love. When we do that, we can be pleasant and even upbeat, when things seem to be falling apart. That is my prayer for all of us.

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Tomorrow, I intend to read Ruth 2-4.