Walking by Faith: Naomi – When Bitterness Turns Back to Blessing

Arnie and the BTTB Team
Aug 4
3 min read

She returned home with nothing.

Years earlier, Naomi had left Bethlehem during a famine with her husband and two sons. Now she stood at the city gates without them. Her husband had died. So had her sons. All that remained was her Moabite daughter-in-law, Ruth, and a heart full of sorrow.

“Don’t call me Naomi… Call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me” (Ruth 1:20).

Naomi’s story reminds us that faith doesn’t mean we always feel strong. Sometimes, walking by faith means limping forward when all hope seems lost. And sometimes, even when we feel empty, God is quietly at work to restore what we thought was gone for good.

From Famine to Loss

Naomi and her family had left Israel to escape a famine. They settled in Moab, a foreign and pagan land. Her sons married Moabite women—something frowned upon in Israel—and for a while, life seemed stable.

Then tragedy struck. Her husband died. Her sons died. Naomi was left alone in a culture not her own, without protection, provision, or clear purpose.

So she made the long journey back to Bethlehem, accompanied by Ruth. She arrived physically exhausted and emotionally depleted. When friends greeted her by name, Naomi replied with brutal honesty: “I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty” (Ruth 1:21).

It was grief speaking, not blasphemy. God never rebukes Naomi for her sorrow. He simply continues working in the background.

A Quiet Glimmer of Hope

Ruth insisted on staying with Naomi, saying, “Your people shall be my people, and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16). Her loyalty became the first sign that Naomi wasn’t as alone as she felt.

Back in Bethlehem, Ruth went to work gathering leftover grain to provide for them both. She “happened” to glean in the field of Boaz, a relative of Naomi’s late husband. According to Jewish law, Boaz could act as a redeemer and marry Ruth, which would preserve the family line.

Three silhouetted crosses on a hill against a vibrant pink and orange sunset sky, creating a serene and reflective mood.

Naomi saw God’s hand in this. The woman who once called herself “bitter” began to hope again. She crafted a plan, coached Ruth in how to approach Boaz, and watched as God unfolded His purposes through surprising means.

A Redeemed Legacy

Boaz responded with integrity and generosity. He married Ruth, and their union produced a son—Obed.

“Then the women said to Naomi… ‘He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age’” (Ruth 4:15).

In a beautiful final scene, Naomi holds her grandson in her arms. The same woman who had said she returned empty was now full again—not just with family, but with renewed faith.

And here’s what makes Naomi’s story even more powerful: Obed would become the grandfather of King David. And many generations later, from David’s line, would come Jesus Christ—the ultimate Redeemer.

What Naomi’s Journey Means for Ours

You may be walking through your own season of bitterness or loss. You may feel like life has emptied your hands, like your story has already ended, or like God’s kindness is for others but not for you.

Naomi’s story reminds us that God is not finished with us when we feel finished. He is present in our grief. He is faithful in our emptiness. And He is often working quietly behind the scenes, preparing something redemptive that we cannot yet see.