QT 15 Dec 14, Ruth 1:13b-14, Bitter events can be a good thing, if we see our need for God

Ruth 1:13b-14 (ESV) … No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me." 14 Then they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

NOTE: Most people assume that Naomi is exceedingly bitter against God for what has occurred in her life, the death of her husband and her two sons, the famine in Israel, and probably the health of her two boys as they grew up. Later on, she even tells others to call her Mara, meaning bitter, "because the Lord has dealt bitterly with her." But rather than being bitter, I believe that Naomi recognized the bitter lessons as God's way of drawing her back to himself. "Bitter" was a good thing in Naomi's life, not because it was good or fun, but because it helped her to see what was most important in life. Far from being a bitter woman, I believe Naomi was a very special godly woman without a trace of bitterness in her life. The reaction of her daughter-in-laws makes my point. No one enjoys bitter people, nor do they want to remain near them. Certainly no one searching for a faith system would choose one that seemed to provide disaster to a person's life. But both Orpah and Ruth love Naomi deeply. Orpah did return home, but Ruth clung to Naomi. And later Ruth affirms that the God who has dealt bitterly with Naomi would be her God as well. Why? Because Ruth recognized that God gave Naomi a strength and a sense of purpose that was unlike anything she had ever seen. God gave Naomi hope in the midst of great pain, tragedy, disaster, and bitterness. She wanted what Naomi had. She wanted to be a Yahweh follower.