Faithful Man: Devotions for Living in Faithless TimesMfano

When Life Has Made You Bitter

The book of Ruth introduces us to Naomi, a woman who suffered loss beyond the reach of words: her husband and both sons died before their time, leaving Naomi homeless and impoverished, alone in a foreign land. She renamed herself Mara, meaning “bitter,” saying, “The Almighty has made my life very bitter… the Almighty has afflicted me.” 

Maybe Naomi’s words echo your heartbeat. You’re here, but your heart’s not in it—you’re just hanging on till the end comes sitting in a pit, neck-deep in the ashes of your old life. Maybe you aren’t yet ready—or able—to climb out of your pit. But, my friend, I pray the day comes when you are ready—ready to come back to life, leaving bitterness where it belongs—down in the pit with the ashes.

How do we let go of bitterness when its claws have sunk into our hearts? Let’s draw some lessons from Naomi.

First, consider viewing your suffering a different way. Naomi’s grief was apparently compounded by the separation she felt from God. If you feel that God Himself has singled you out for suffering—condemned you to loneliness, then abandoned you Himself—what is left but bitterness? But Lamentations 3 tells us, “He does not willingly bring affliction and grief to anyone.” God is not out to hurt you—He is hurting with you.

Second, look for God’s fingerprints. God’s loving fingerprints were all over Naomi’s life, but for a while, she couldn’t see them. God had given Naomi a devoted daughter-in-law, Ruth, to care for her, but at first, Naomi hardly seemed to notice (see Ruth chapter 1). Look around. Do you see evidence of God’s kindness shining through the gloom? Has He given you a Ruth to see you through? Maybe your “Ruth” isn’t a person—maybe it’s a financial mercy or some other physical provision—but what has God provided to keep you from withering in your pit? Has He lowered a rope you can grab hold of?

Once you start looking, I suspect you’ll be staggered by the evidence of God’s work in your life. He is not far away, as you may have feared. He is not aloof, as you may have felt. You may not see His face or even His hands as they perform their secret works, but His fingerprints are all over your life, just as they were all over Naomi’s. Even when she was Mara—even when she was bitter.