Reset Your Life: Wisdom From the Book of RuthSample

Bitter Honesty

Have you ever experienced a moment when it feels like the whole world is against you? Like life keeps throwing punches, and you’re not sure if you have the strength to keep fighting? Then you probably know some of how Naomi felt. Like her life was beyond saving.

Yesterday, we met two women in a desperate situation. Naomi had left her home with her husband and two sons because of circumstances beyond her control. Sometime later, her husband and sons died, leaving Naomi with only her daughter-in-law Ruth for company.

Naomi’s tragic story leads her to bring Ruth back to her old hometown, Bethlehem. Can you imagine the stir the arrival of these two women would have caused in this quiet Israelite town? Naomi had abandoned Israel to take refuge in a rival nation a decade earlier with her husband and two sons—and now returns with just Ruth, a young Moabite woman.

In her grief, Naomi gives herself a new name. “Naomi” means gentle or pleasant—but now she wants to be called “Mara,” which means bitter.

Remember, this book is incredibly honest. Naomi doesn’t sugarcoat how she feels or share unhelpful cliches like, “Everything happens for a reason!” Instead, she lets us know exactly how her challenges have made her feel—like God has removed every good thing from her life.

Sooner or later, we all face life-changing loss like Naomi, and it’s valid to feel intense emotions in those moments. Maybe you’ve had a moment where you felt like you’d never escape your negative emotions. Or you might be experiencing a moment like that right now—and blame God for what you’re going through.

So, what do we do when we need a reset but we’ve lost all hope for a fresh start?

Lasting Change Takes Time

Well, it would be nice if there were a simple prayer to relieve your pain or a Bible verse to help everything make sense. Instead, we need to follow Naomi’s lead—taking life one step at a time.

Through this story, we see Naomi begin to find hope, healing, and purpose—but it doesn’t happen overnight. Instead, seeing small moments of faithfulness and witnessing the generosity of others changes her heart.

Sometimes God does change everything in a single moment. But more often, life change takes time. No matter what you’re experiencing right now, know that God is in the process of changing your story. So, keep an eye out for big and small ways God might be healing you and changing your life.

Today’s passage ends with a short line about a barley harvest. It might seem odd or irrelevant, but it will be the catalyst of Naomi and Ruth’s reset in life.

Pray: Dear God, help me to find strength in Your presence, especially when life doesn’t make sense. Thank You for working through my story’s highs and lows—help me trust Your plan for my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.