Naomi

Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.

Ruth 1:20

Naomi was a widow whose sons had died. She was alone in the world, living on a shoestring budget, returning home after years of living in a foreign nation, and missing her husband and sons.

Maybe you can identify with her if you’re single, widowed, divorced, living overseas, or grieving the loss of a child. You feel like crying out, “Call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt bitterly with me.”

But finish reading Naomi’s story in the book of Ruth. She had a God who knew how to meet her needs, and in His good timing, He gave her a good friendship with her daughter-in-law Ruth, a caregiver named Boaz, a village full of friends, and—best of all—a grandson named Obed. By the end of the story, her friends were praising the Lord for restoring Naomi’s life.

If the Lord is your Shepherd, you shall not lack anything you need—including friends. Our God supplies our needs out of the riches of His grace. Reject self-pity, and trust Him to restore your spirits and to nourish you through all the seasons of life.

Self-pity is our worst enemy and if we yield to it, we can never do anything wise in this world.

HELEN KELLER