Don’t Call Me Bitter: God Is Still Good”

“But she said to them, ‘Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.’” Ruth 1:20 NKJV

And When Naomi returned to Bethlehem after years in Moab, she carried not only physical loss but deep emotional pain. Her husband and two sons were gone, and she felt empty and forgotten. Once called Naomi—meaning “pleasant”—she now asked to be called Mara, meaning “bitter.” Her words reveal a heart overwhelmed by disappointment, interpreting God’s hand through the lens of her sorrow.

In that moment, Naomi’s grief blinded her to what still remained. Beneath her pain was a subtle ingratitude—not the absence of faith, but the inability to see God’s continuing mercy. She could not yet recognize Ruth’s presence as a sign of divine faithfulness. Ingratitude often takes root in seasons of loss, when we focus on what’s gone rather than what remains. Yet even when life feels bitter, God’s goodness has not changed. His grace often walks beside us quietly, as Ruth did with Naomi.

Naomi’s story also shows a heart wrestling with the will of God. What she saw as divine disappointment was actually divine direction. The Almighty who seemed to have dealt bitterly with her was gently guiding her back to Bethlehem—the place where redemption would begin. God’s will is not always pleasant, but it is always purposeful.

Even in her bitterness, God was still trustworthy. Trust is not built on understanding, but on knowing His unchanging character. Naomi’s sorrow was real, but so was God’s faithfulness. The same hand that allowed her pain was already preparing her redemption through Ruth and Boaz.

Application: When life feels bitter, resist the urge to rename your season by your pain. Choose gratitude for what remains, trust God’s will when you don’t understand it, and believe His faithfulness is still unfolding.

Reflection Question: Where in your life do you need to stop seeing loss as punishment and start trusting it as divine redirection?

Prayer: Lord, when I cannot understand Your will, teach me to trust Your heart. Help me see Your hand at work in my disappointments, and fill me with gratitude for the grace that remains. Amen.

Declaration: Even in seasons of loss, I will trust the will of God. His goodness is constant, His plan is perfect, and His faithfulness never fails.