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April 13, 2014

The High Cost of Bitterness (Part 2)

Speaker: Pastor Joe Ricchuiti
Series: Ruth, The High Cost of Bitterness
Passage: Ruth 1:1-22

1. Naomi blames God for her situation, speaks in anger against Him, seeing Him as the cause of her affliction (but God did not force them to go to Moab).   “Naomi sinned by getting bitter and blaming God for her plight….A ‘root of bitterness’ can poison your life and the people around you (Dt. 29:18; Heb. 12:15), so avoid carrying grudges.” (Wiersbe)

2.  How a root of bitterness begins:  we experience a disappointment, a trial, a challenge (sometimes of our own making); we react with hurt, lashing-out at God and at people; we nurture the hurt and won’t let it go.  Our alternative is to react with faith--seeking what it is that God wants to do in me. It is not the circumstances of our lives which cause bitterness, but our reaction to the circumstances.

3.  The cost of bitterness in Naomi’s life in Ruth 1:

-bitterness blinded her to the pain of others and to their real needs (1:13)

-bitterness warped her perception in that she didn’t see how God was working in her situation, she didn’t leave room for God to work (1:13,21)

-bitterness takes a physical toll (1:19)

-bitterness blinded her to hope, she didn’t recognize the brightest spot in her life, Ruth (1:22)

4.  Ruth, in a beautiful statement of commitment, puts her trust in Ruth’s God.  She gives up her national identity, her family, and her idolatrous religion.  She made a decisive break with the past (1:16,17) embracing the one true God.

5.  Ruth chapter one ends with Naomi bitter and empty, yet with a note of hope in the mention of the Barley harvest, subsequently her bitterness would become joy and her emptiness would become fullness.

Download Files Notes

Topics: Bitterness, Cost, Cost of Bitterness, High, High Cost, The High Cost of Bitterness
« The High Cost of Bitterness (Part 1) No, Really….He’s Alive!! »

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About Us

Our church is an independent, non-denominational congregation focused on equipping believers to accomplish all God has for each individual. We emphasize growing to maturity through regular, relevant study of God’s Word, meaningful corporate worship, and fellowship. Del Rio Bible Church was established in 1997 by a … Read More »

Joe Ricchuiti Senior Pastor & Elder Pastor Joe Ricchuiti graduated in 1982 from Dallas Theological Seminary. He holds a Master's Degree in Theology. He's been pastor of Del Rio Bible Church since its inception. Joe and … Learn More »

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