Life is full of a mixture of sweetness and bitterness. Naomi knew that. When she left the land of her people, she had a husband and two sons. When she returned, she only had her one daughter-in-law. What looked like a sweet future of enjoyment with husband and grandchildren and large family gatherings, turned into what looked like a bitter future of financial struggle, depression, and loneliness. It was understandably spoken by Naomi when she exclaimed, “Do not call me Naomi (which literally means “pleasant”); call me Mara (which literally means “bitter”).
Everywhere you go, you find sweetness here and bitterness there. The sweet single day of Spring warmth is met with the bitter week of freezing cold wind. The sweet song of the sparrow is met with the bitter death of the hawk’s bone-crushing talons. The sweet joy of a family is met with the bitter difficultly of a sudden illness. The sweet anticipation of future plans is met with the bitter obstacles of interference. The sweet hope of a better tomorrow is met with a bitter burden of yet another trial.
With such a seemingly arbitrary reality, it’s easy to believe that God is distant. It’s easy to believe that God doesn’t care. It’s easy to believe that God doesn’t want the best for His children. It’s easy for us to believe “the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me” (Ruth 1:20b NKJV).
But what is “easy” to believe isn’t always true. The truth often takes a harder faith.
Sure, Jesus tells us, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move” (Matt. 17:20 NIV). “But Lord!” we often reply, “sometimes a mustard seed feels as heavy as a mountain!”
I must remind myself – no matter how hard the truth is to believe, I will always benefit to believe it. No matter how bitter the loss may seem, I will always benefit to remember the sweetness of His mercy and grace. My pain may not lessen, but my soul will rest in Him whose heart truly wants what is best. “Truly my soul finds rest in God” (Ps. 62:1 NIV)
Abraham must choose the harder faith to obey God to give up Isaac (though Isaac was the chosen seed). David must choose the harder faith to believe he must not kill the Lord’s anointed, Saul (though Saul wanted David dead). Jesus must choose the harder faith to trust that the Cross is the only way for man’s salvation (though He wanted another way if possible).
The harder faith is the best and most beneficial faith. We will look back on our lives and thank God for seeing us through. When, in the process, the waters turn bitter, remember this simple truth:
Someday, God will bring a Boaz.
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” – Romans 8:18 (NKJV)