Lay It on Me

20 / L AY I T ON M E

Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. Naomi was bitter at God for the loss of her husband and two sons. She said, "The hand of the Lord has gone out against me" (Ruth 1:13)! The name "Mara" is a form of the word marah. In the wilderness, Israel came to the bitter waters of Marah and could not drink until the waters were sweetened. Strongs Greek and Hebrew Bible Dictionary says the word means "a bitter place in the desert." When Moses threw wood into the bitter water of Marah, then the bitterness was made sweet. The Cross of Christ can still make bitter waters sweet! Yet, Naomi had been through so much hurt that she wasn't able to encourage others who were hurting. One who is whole needs no physician (Matthew 9:12). It is possible for a healthy person to nurse someone else back to health, but a person who needs a doctor certainly cannot heal someone else. Likewise, a person who is hurting terribly has insufficient faith to heal another who is suffering. Bitter people make other bitter people more bitter. Angry people make other angry people angrier. Hurting people have difficulty in healing hurting people. Apparently, Naomi had not prayed about God's will for Ruth and Orpah. Chances are she had not consulted the Lord about her own decision. When famine hit Bethlehem, why did her family move to Moab? Did they pray about it? They heard that bread was in Moab, and they responded. Now Naomi hears there is bread back home. It seems that the things