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Your Best Days Are Still Ahead
'Don't call me Naomi... call me Mara' Ruth 1:20
Ask any new parent how important a name is and they'll probably gush with the story of what their little bundle of joy is called and why they've chosen the reason behind it.
Throughout the Bible, names are super-significant and often tell us about that person's character and identity, with Jesus Christ being the best example ('Saviour', 'the Anointed One').
But in Ruth, we read about a woman who decided on a name change for the worse. Naomi lost her husband and, later on, both of her sons. She went from Naomi, meaning 'my joy' to Mara, meaning 'bitter'. She let her circumstances define her when in reality there were still loads of things in store for Naomi - including mentoring Ruth who would ultimately become an ancestor of Jesus Christ himself!
Sadly, Naomi let pessimism into the driver's seat of her life strangling all hope from within her. Don't let that happen to you. If things around you are changing, embrace the change and roll with it.
God's still in control and still has things in store for you too. We might think we've got our life nailed down but God's got an uncanny way of surprising us with what we never thought possible.
So instead of having a Mara mentality, let God have His way: 'God can do anything, you know - far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, His Spirit deeply and gently within us' (Eph. 3:20-21 TM).
written by Bob Gass
'Don't call me Naomi... call me Mara' Ruth 1:20
Ask any new parent how important a name is and they'll probably gush with the story of what their little bundle of joy is called and why they've chosen the reason behind it.
Throughout the Bible, names are super-significant and often tell us about that person's character and identity, with Jesus Christ being the best example ('Saviour', 'the Anointed One').
But in Ruth, we read about a woman who decided on a name change for the worse. Naomi lost her husband and, later on, both of her sons. She went from Naomi, meaning 'my joy' to Mara, meaning 'bitter'. She let her circumstances define her when in reality there were still loads of things in store for Naomi - including mentoring Ruth who would ultimately become an ancestor of Jesus Christ himself!
Sadly, Naomi let pessimism into the driver's seat of her life strangling all hope from within her. Don't let that happen to you. If things around you are changing, embrace the change and roll with it.
God's still in control and still has things in store for you too. We might think we've got our life nailed down but God's got an uncanny way of surprising us with what we never thought possible.
So instead of having a Mara mentality, let God have His way: 'God can do anything, you know - far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, His Spirit deeply and gently within us' (Eph. 3:20-21 TM).
written by Bob Gass
