“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
— Proverbs 3:5 – 6
Naomi and her husband, Elimelech, were Israelites born and raised in the Promised Land. When a famine hit and there wasn’t enough food for everyone, Naomi, her husband, and their two boys moved from Bethlehem to Moab.
Later, Elimelech died and left Naomi with two sons to care for. Her sons grew up and married Moabite women. And then after ten years of living in Moab, both of Naomi’s sons died.
Naomi had lost everything that was important to her. She was a foreigner in Moab, and two daughters-in-law were all she had left. Naomi was homesick. The famine had ended in Israel, so she decided to return to her birthplace of Bethlehem in the land of Judah. Naomi’s daughters-in-law loved her and wanted to go with her, but Naomi took a deep breath and told them to stay in their homeland. But her daughter-in-law Ruth clung to Naomi.
With tears in her eyes, Ruth looked at Naomi and said, “Where you go, I will go, and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God, my God.”
That said, Ruth followed Naomi to Bethlehem. As Naomi and Ruth arrived, the women in Bethlehem hurried toward them. “Naomi, is it really you?
“Don’t call me Naomi,” she told them. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life bitter. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty.”
At the time, Naomi was too sad to see past her suffering. God was faithful to Naomi and would soon fill her life with blessings and joy. But Naomi couldn’t see it yet. All she knew was that she had come home empty. You can read more about her happy ending in the book of Ruth.
We all face hard things. Maybe you’ve already had some tough times. They can be as simple as failing a test or as complicated as living with a chronic illness like diabetes. Or maybe, like Naomi, someone you love has died — a parent, a brother or sister, a grandparent, a friend, or a favorite teacher.
You can choose to turn your pain or grief over to God. You can trust him to provide what you need to get through it. God is always good. He’s faithful to walk through tough times with you and to help you get through them.
More To Explore: Hebrews 12:14 – 15
Girl Talk: Do you know what it feels like to be bitter towards God?
God Talk: “Dear heavenly Father, I confess I can’t always see your purpose for me. Help me in difficult times to remember how much you love me. Please guide me as you guided Naomi. Amen.”
From Real Girls of the Bible by Mona Hodgson