Naomi was a Bible character who worried–she had lost everything. She questioned God and wanted her name to be changed to Mara which meant bitterness.

Let’s take a look at how Naomi went from worry to worship.

Naomi: A Bible character who worried

The story of Ruth and Naomi:

Ruth and her sister were widows, but they loved their mother-in-law, Naomi very much. At this time, there was a great famine throughout their land.

Naomi told her daughters-in-law to go back home, so that they could be prosperous and not have to worry about famine.

 ^“Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the Lord show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me.  May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.”

Ruth 1:8

Ruth replied:

Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. 

Pretty powerful words for a widowed daughter-in-law to speak to her mother-in-law.

Naomi traveled towards Bethlehem because the law of Moses declared that people had to leave the “corners” of their crops/harvest for widows.

Ruth followed her there.

When they arrived, people were joyful to see Naomi and Ruth!

However, Naomi was anything but full of joy.

“Don’t call me Naomi,” she told them. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter.  I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.”

Ruth 1 :20

Naomi was bitter and full of sadness. She wanted her name changed to Mara, because Mara means “bitter.”

Naomi felt that God had put misfortune and affliction in her life.

Have You Ever Felt God Has Brought Pain on Your Life like Naomi?

Naomi, a great matriarch of the Bible, a Bible character who worried–questioned God. I believe He welcomes our questions and wants us to come to him when we don’t understand. Does this mean God will always give you the answer you want to hear or magically fix all of your circumstances–NO.

Don’t feel bad for bringing your questions to God. Let’s see how things turned out for Naomi!

Why Did Naomi Feel Bitter?

Iine not knowing where your next meal will come from. Naomi had famine in her land.

Now imagine those closest to you dying. Both of Naomi’s sons died.

Oh, you’re also the outcast of society. Naomi did not have grandchildren–this was considered being “unblessed”.

All of these things describe Naomi’s life and her circumstances. She had truly lost everything. There did not seem to be a way for everything to be redeemed.

When I imagine Naomi’s circumstances, I get a better perspective when I want to complain about my own! Things aren’t too bad for me after-all.

God had a plan for Naomi and Ruth.

Naomi’s daughter-in-law, Ruth, met a great man named Boaz as she worked the fields.

He eventually fell in love with Ruth and took care of her AND Naomi! (It’s quite a sweet love if you want to read it here)

As it turns out, Boaz was a distant relative of Naomi, so Ruth was still in Naomi’s family.

How cool is that?!

God can take our hopeless circumstances, and turn them into the most beautiful story we could ever imagine.

Eventually, Ruth had a baby boy, she named him Obed.

Obed was the father of Jesse, the father of King David–and Jesus came out of her lineage.

Naomi, a Bible character who worried, had everything restored.

“Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! ¹⁵ He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.”

Ruth 4:14

The book of Ruth ends with praise to the Lord!

No matter what you have lost, God is still on the throne. He can show up in mighty ways. He can turn the impossible into the possible.

Jesus makes all things work together for our good! (Romans 8:28)

Has there been a situation or time in your life where you went from worry to worship?

Remember this beautiful story of Naomi, and how God worked in a mighty to restore what had been lost.

A Closer Look at Ruth In The Bible

For a closer look at the life of Ruth and what we can learn from her, check out this study.

Ruth | Fields of Grace

The gospel is on display throughout all of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation. This is especially evident in the short yet powerful story of Ruth. Her story is a beautiful picture of God’s redemptive love that He lavishes upon His people. The book of Ruth acts as a reminder for us today that God is always working to sovereignly bring about His plan of redemption.

For more inspiration on women in the Bible, read about these 14 Inspiring Mothers in the Bible!