Why bitterness comes in our lives?
Can the Lord restore ? Yes

Why she wanted to be Called Mara?

Why bitterness comes in our lives? Can the lord restore ? Yes

Ruth 1:20 : " Don't call me Naomi , " she told them. " Call me Mara , because the Almighty has made my life very bitter.

Dear brothers and sisters,

Loving greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Today let us see about the bitter life of Naomi. How it became bitter and how it turned into a sweet and joyful life by the Lord. First of all, let us see What is the reason she is giving for the bitterness in her life? Naomi means dearly one, or beloved. Mara means bitter as in Exo 15:23, When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah) She was so bitter in life that she is asking her friends to call her as Mara not by the old name Naomi as in Ruth 1:20 "Don't call me Naomi, " she told them. "Call me Mara, because the Almighty has m! ade my life very bitter. To her daughter-in-laws also she told earlier the lords hand is against her as in Ruth 1:13, It is more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord's hand has gone out against me!"

Naomi herself gave us a reason here, that while going to Bethlehem she went out with her full family, her husband and two sons but now she has lost all the three and returning to her house empty as in Ruth 1:21, I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The LORD has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me." Tough she blamed God for her misfortune like many of the todays believers used to do, a careful study of the situations will help us to understand the genuine reason for her loss. Let us analyze the reasons for her bitter life. Why Naomis life becomes a bitter one?

First of all, the first mistake of this family was going to Moab (the people of Moab were the descendents of Moab an incestuous son of Lot) for shelter as in Ruth 1:2, The man's name was Elimelech, his wife's name Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there. Moabites were the people who came through the wrong unnatural relationship daughters of Lot as in Gen 19:36 & 37; So both of Lot's daughters became pregnant by their father. Vs.37, The older daughter had a son, and she named him Moab; he is the father of the Moabites of today. They were great in trapping men in sexually related sin and because of that 24,000 men died in Israel as in Num 25:1 While Israel wa! s staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, Num 25:9 but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000. God has given a commandment that they should not come to the Assembly of the Lord for ten generation as in Deu 23:3, No Ammonite or Moabite or any of his descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD, even down to the tenth generation. Even the king Solomon was a victim to the Moabite women because of their beauty.

Secondly, Just to escape the famine we need not to go out of Gods place Bethlehem (means house of food) our Lord Jesus was born in that city as in Mat 2:6 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.'" When Abraham went to the Egypt because of famine he started telling lies in the same way this family when they went to Moab they started losing one by one all the blessings.

• God can keep his people alive in spite of famine so they have to trust God not to go out doubting Him as in Psa 33:19 to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.
• It is a punishment from God Jer 29:17 & 18, yes, this is what the LORD Almighty says: "I will send the sword, famine and plague against them and I will make them like poor figs that are so bad they cannot be eaten. I will pursue them with the sword, famine and plague and will make them abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth and an object of cursing and horror, of scorn and reproach, among all the nations where I drive them.

Thirdly, the punishment of God is coming because of our own mistakes against God so it has to be taken and the people of God must repent at that time and ask God to forgive them. They are coming to correct us not to destroy us but if they try to escape the famine without repenting for their sin, still God can destroy the root of that family by destroying all the male as in Isa.14:30, The poorest of the poor will find pasture, and the needy will lie down in safety. But your root I will destroy by famine; it will slay your survivors. [Though they tried to escape the famine they couldnt escape death. But the people who stayed back they did not lose their root]

Fourthly, If Naomi was very sensitive to the word of God she would have left the place immediately as soon as the husband died as in Ruth 1:3 Now Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died, and she was left with her two sons.

Fifthly, Because of her attachment to the God forbidden place she lost her hairs of the family also. She still liked that place which God hated and settled their sons there among such people Ruth 1:4, They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years because of her this mistake she lost both her sons as in Ruth 1:5 both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.

Sixthly, when we do some thing on our own will we may not have the blessings of God because children are a gift from God. Though they were married for nearly ten years both the sons died without having a child. Ruth 1:4 They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, Ruth 1:5 both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.

Seventhly, When she lost all (husband and sons earning members), she started thinking about her own place Gods inheritance. Some people wont think about Gods will and inheritance in their life until they lose every in life as in Ruth 1:6 When she heard in Moab that the LORD had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, Naomi and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there.

Naomi was little people conscious and she do not want to take her Moabite daughter in laws into the promise land of God her original inheritance because the Moabites women may not gain for her any respect among the Israelites. So she spoke very intelligently at the cross roads and try to send both the daughter in laws as in Ruth 1:7 to 9 ; With her two daughters-in-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah . Vs.8, Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go back, each of you, to your mother's home. May the LORD show kindness to you, as you have shown to your dead and to me. Vs.9, May the LORD grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband." Then she kissed them and they wept aloud one of her daughter in law went back Ruth 1:14, At this they wept again. Then Or! pah kissed her mother-in-law good-by, but Ruth clung to her. But Ruth did not go back as in Ruth 1:16 & 17, But Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Vs.17, Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me."

How Naomi came out of her bitterness?

Dear Friends, God can help you to regain what you have lost in life so your bitter life can be restored to a happy one. Jesus Christ came to help you to restore what you have lost in life. So with faith let us come to the lord Jesus Christ. The real turning point in this story came when Naomi decided to return to her native place. When a person comes back to God and to his people God also started to do His work. God has chosen on of her gentile daughter in law and made her more attached to her mother in law. It is by God and it is a miracle of miracle.

1. First of all, When Ruth was determined to go with her mother in law to a new land, culture, language and God Naomi could not refuse her as in Ruth 1:18, When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.

2. Secondly, she loved her more than any son can do. God provided her a true friend in the form of a model daughter in law who is more valuable than seven sons Ruth 4:15 He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons. "

3. Thirdly, She made provisions for her. Naomi cannot go out due to all depression and old age she cannot gather the leftovers in the fields but Ruth on her own did that for her Ruth 2:2, And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, "Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor." Naomi said to her, "Go ahead, my daughter."

4. Fourthly, she brought a ray of hope in the life of Naomi by her hard work Ruth 2:7, She went into the field and has worked steadily from morning till now, except for a short rest in the shelter."

5. Fifthly, she did lot of service to her mother is law as if she was her own mother as in Ruth 2:11& 12, Boaz replied, "I've been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband--how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. Ruth 2:12, May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge."

6. Sixthly, she was very humble and polite in nature as in Ruth 2:13 "May I continue to find favor in your eyes, my lord," she said. "You have given me comfort and have spoken kindly to your servant--though I do not have the standing of one of your servant girls."

7. Seventhly, she was a source of comfort to Naomi she always remembered her mother in law who was at home as in Ruth 2:18 She carried it back to town, and her mother-in-law saw how much she had gathered. Ruth also brought out and gave her what she had left over after she had eaten enough.

8. Eight, she did not hide any thing to her mother in law as in Ruth 2:19 Her mother-in-law asked her, "Where did you glean today? Where did you work? Blessed be the man who took notice of you!" Then Ruth told her mother-in-law about the one at whose place she had been working. "The name of the man I worked with today is Boaz," she said.

9. Nine, she made her to confess with all her good work that God is good as in Ruth 2:20, "The LORD bless him!" Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. "He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead." She added, "That man is our close relative; he is one of our kinsman-redeemers." That means through him God can again build the fallen house of Naomi.

10. Ten, through her good words and service Ruth brought a ray of hope in Naomis life so she started thinking now how to rebuild her family through the kinsman-redeemer as in Ruth 3:1 One day Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, should I not try to find a home for you, where you will be well provided for?

11. Eleventh, She did exactly what she told Ruth 3:5 "I will do whatever you say," Ruth answered.

12. Twelfth, God built the house of Naomi through her daughter in law because she had a very good moral and well discipline in life as in Ruth 3:10 & 11, "The LORD bless you, my daughter," he replied. "This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor. Ruth 3:11, And now, my daughter, don't be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All my fellow townsmen know that you are a woman of noble character.

Ruth 4:5 Then Boaz said, "On the day you buy the land from Naomi and from Ruth the Moabitess, you acquire the dead man's widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property." Ruth 4:6 At this, the kinsman-redeemer said, "Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it." Ruth 4:7 (Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactions in Israel.) Ruth 4:10 I have also acquired Ruth the Moabitess, Mahlon's widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from the town records. Today you are witnesses!"

The times of rejoicing is coming in the life of Naomi.

As she planned and worked God answered the efforts of Naomi. God started answering the prayers and Ruth got married as in Ruth 4:13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife . Then he went to her, and the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son .  [She could not have a child for ten long years for her earlier husband the son of Naomi but now immediately God blessed her with a child as in Psa 127:3 Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him.]

Every one thought Naomi is a blessed person now, because God has restored her happiness she is not a curse as in Ruth 4:14 The women said to Naomi: "Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel!

God renewed her old age and made her to raise again a son as in Ruth 4:15 & 16, He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth. Vs.16, Then Naomi took the child, laid him in her lap and cared for him.

Ruth bigoted the son but every one thought it was Naomis son as in Ruth 4:17 The women living there said, "Naomi has a son." And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

Do not grumble when you go through the bitter life?

When we go through the bitterness in life we will grumble against God by grumbling against His servants also as in Exo 15:24,So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, " What are we to drink? " Exo 15:25 Then Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood . He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet . There the LORD made a decree and a law for them, and there he tested the Israelites.

Exo 15:26 He said, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you."

Jude 1:16 These men are

• Grumblers and
• Faultfinders ;
• They follow their own evil desires ;
• They boast about themselves and
• Flatter others for their own advantage .

When God helps us to change the bitter taste of the water to a sweet one the resting place Elim will come as in Exo 15:27 Then they came to Elim , where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees , and they camped there near the water. Exo 15:26 He said, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you."

May the Lord help each one of us to learn something out of this. But God had made a Naomi happy women in the end by blessing and building her house through her daughter in law Ruth when she repented truly. Amen.

With love and prayers,

Yours in the kingdom of God’s service,
Rev. Dr. T. Marcus Devasahayam.