Walking With Christ

Ruth 1:20 She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.(ESV)

Throughout history, names have held deep meaning. Naomi meant ‘pleasant’, but after losing her husband and both sons, she chose to change her name to Mara, meaning ‘bitter’.

Ask most people, even many scholars, what they know about the person Mara in the bible, and you’ll likely get blank stares. Ask about Naomi, however, and they will point you to the book of Ruth. If I’m not mistaken, there are only three references to Mara (or Marah) in the bible. Exodus 15:23 and Numbers 33:8-9 both speak of the place called Marah, named because the water was bitter and undrinkable. This is likely the reference Naomi had in mind when she chose her new name.

But here’s something interesting: read the rest of Ruth and count how many times the book calls her Mara. Absolutely none. There isn’t another place in the bible that refers to Naomi as Mara.

In the beginning, God said, “Let there be light.” It doesn’t matter what we call it; the thing God spoke into existence remains. We can have thousands of different names or words for it, but that can’t change what it is. God created each of us, and He gave each of us a name that describes us perfectly. Neither we nor the world can change that. Who we think we are today is not who He sees. Who we are in this life is not who He created us to be. When we come to Christ, He reveals to us who we truly are. The world will stop at nothing to make us forget that identity. But in the end, we can’t run or hide from the truth of who God says we are. Take heart in that.