One of the most famous biblical names in the Bible is Naomi. Her name means “pleasant.” Yet, when she returned to Israel, she asked to be called Mara, which means “bitter.”
“Don’t call me Naomi,” she responded. “Instead, call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me.”
It is an astounding thing that nowhere after this verse is she referred to as “Mara” as she prefers. The author and the characters speak of her only as Naomi, the pleasant one.
While we work hard against evil during this Lenten Season, we need to remind ourselves that the one working in us will carry us to completion (Phil. 1:6). Our identity is bound up in him. The Naomi story teaches us that whether we feel bitter or even choose to identify ourselves with bitterness, God continues to view us as pleasant. We are called this Lent to live the next thirty-four days according to how God sees us, not how we wish to be seen or understood.
Happy Lent! God is pleased with you.
Prayer: Our Father in heaven, whose faithfulness reaches to the skies, we give you thanks for looking upon us on earth with your favor. Teach us to see ourselves as you see us, rather than to fight to see ourselves apart from you, through Christ our Lord, Amen.
