“When Pain Turns Into Bitterness” April 28
“Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me” (Ruth 1:20).
Mara means “bitter.”
Can you imagine running into an old friend after years apart… and when she calls your name, you reply, “Don’t call me Donna or Diane or David—call me Bitter”?
It’s striking. Uncomfortable, even.
But Naomi’s words reveal something deeper than a moment of grief—they reveal a heart weighed down by bitterness.
And if we’re honest… she’s not the only one who has felt that way.
Bitterness has a way of quietly taking root in our hearts. Sometimes it grows out of real hurt, real loss, real disappointment. But if we allow it to linger, it never stays contained. It spills over—into our attitudes, our relationships, and even our view of God.
That’s why it’s so important to deal with it… and to deal with it biblically.
So what is the antidote to bitterness?
Let’s take a closer look.
