God is working through the circumstances of Naomi’s life to bring her back to Bethlehem. In His providence, the Lord was working out His plan, but Naomi couldn’t see it at the time. All she had known from the previous decade was the pain of hardship. Life for her had become bitter.
Before we look at her for a moment, I wonder if you have ever been there yourself? Has life ever taken a bitter turn for whatever reason? If it hasn’t, then know that at some point it will. You don’t have to go looking for pain and adversity in life. Instead, it knows right where to find you. One of the themes that emerge from the pages of the Bible is the reality of suffering.