God’s Story in Naomi: Broken. Bitter. Trusting.

Ruth 1

The Ten Signposts of the Bible
CAMDE—400—CALY

Creation. Abraham. Moses. DAVID. Elijah. 400. Christ. Apostles. Letters. Yet-to-Come. 

I recently received this email from a woman in our Living Grounded Community. She wrote:

I lost my husband 2 years ago, and I still cry over losing him. Jim and I accepted the Lord into our hearts about 50 years ago. I love the Lord with all my heart! And so did Jim . . . I miss Jim so much. Does Jesus want me to concentrate more on Him than on Jim? Stupid question, I know. But I'm still hurting. Why doesn't Jesus take these tears away?

With just a few words, we see a vivid picture of the pain and inner struggles she faces.  

Today, we are going to walk with a woman named Naomi, who has experienced similar pain. Life left her overwhelmed by grief, anxiety, and fear. She was spiritually exhausted, worn out in body and soul, and wrestling with many questions about how God was working in her life. Her questions are all too common: “Where is God in my pain?” and “How can I trust him in my pain?” 

As we consider God’s story in Naomi, found in the book of Ruth, my hope is that we will find answers to these heartfelt questions.    

Famine and the Move
This account takes place during the time of the judges. Naomi and her husband, Elimelech, had two sons, Mahlon and Chilion. When famine struck Judah, Elimelech took his family to the land of Moab to find food. Some argue that Elimelech’s departure from Judah demonstrated a lack of faith that God would provide for him and his family. However, Scripture is silent on that issue. We find similar circumstances in which Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob left Israel during famines.[1] So moving to Moab is not necessarily an indictment of Elimelech’s trust in Yahweh.

It seems the plan was to stay in Moab for a brief time. However, circumstances often upend our plans. Elimelech died, and Naomi grieved his loss. Now she was entirely dependent on her sons, who had married Moabite women. The family remained in Moab for ten years.

Then Naomi’s sons, Mahlon and Chilion, died.

Naomi and her daughters-in-law were left in a precarious position. Widows were customarily without income or legal standing. They were vulnerable and unprotected physically, legally, and economically. To survive, Naomi decided it was best to return to Judah, where she had family. She heard that the famine there had ended, and furthermore, she had her husband’s land to claim.

Naomi was determined to return to Bethlehem alone, but Ruth insisted on accompanying her. More on that next time. 

The two women made the 60-mile journey from Moab to Bethlehem, a trip that would have taken 7 to 10 days. They crossed the Jordan River near Jericho and made the difficult fifteen-mile ascent to the small village of Bethlehem (population: 300-500). 

Naomi and Ruth’s arrival in Bethlehem caused a commotion in the city. Scripture says, “The whole town was stirred because of them. And the women said, ‘Is this Naomi?’” (Ruth 1:19).[2] Naomi had not seen her friends for over a decade. She had left town a robust woman in her prime with a family and a future. She returned destitute, her clothes worn out by poverty and her body worn down by grief.

Naomi let the townspeople know of her plight by telling them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.  I went away full, and the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the LORD has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?” (Ruth 1:20-21).  Naomi’s name meant “sweetness and pleasantness,” but now she says that no longer fits her. Naomi’s life was like a salty, bitter spring, and God was the one who brought that bitterness into it. 

Allow time to focus on two important truths as key takeaways from this account. 

There’s no indication that Naomi’s loss was a consequence of sin, as in Job’s case. Some may criticize her for calling her life bitter, but I can’t. Telling someone who has endured such loss to “stop complaining, trust God, and move on” is cruel. Naomi is hurting—give her permission to acknowledge her grief and anger toward God.

In Ruth 1:19-21, Naomi mentions God four times as she articulates her accusations about her situation. I believe this reflects her questions about his actions. But notice how she begins and ends her response to the women of the town by calling God “Almighty” (Shaddai–strong One, all-sufficient One, all-powerful One, sovereign). Naomi doesn’t understand God’s work, but she knows without a doubt that he is sovereign. She also recognizes him as her personal God, referring to him as LORD (Yahweh), the covenant-keeping God. 

We learn from Naomi’s story that God cannot be central to our theology yet be dismissed from our pain. Naomi does not exclude God from her distress. She acknowledges him as the personal sovereign God who is active in her life, even when she doesn’t know the “why” behind his ways. 

Naomi didn’t need Christian clichés, platitudes, or favorite verses. Neither do our friends nor our family members who are in the depths of grief. They need our presence, our prayers, and our compassion as God guides them through their darkness. 

So–show up and mourn with those who mourn. Listen much. Speak little. And let them work through their grief in God’s way and timing. 

PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD
Read and reflect on Ruth 1. Where have you experienced brokenness that has challenged your understanding of God’s goodness?

Talking to God: Ask God to give you his strength and reassure you with his love. 

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