By Stephen Viars (summary by Jeffrey Bush)
- Bitterness is not a reaction but a reality, and you must face it well.
- It will do you good to be honest about the bitter happenings in this world. And it’s at
that time that you can taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8). - Understanding the pain from bitterness should impact how you treat others – don’t
make jokes at other’s expense, be careful how you respond, etc. - Your bitter circumstances and experiences can make your relationship with the Lord
fuller and richer. - Which of the wrongful extremes do you fall into when it comes to bitter
circumstances: complaining or suffering in silence? - Blame shifting is as old as the garden of Eden, but Jesus reminds us that we should
remove the beam from our own eye before looking at another (Matthew 7:3-5). - Bitter tears can move you to greater depth in your relationship with God, and
motivate you to remember that only your future will be fully satisfying. - Esau had to decide between immediate gratification or God’s eternal purpose, and
later he cried bitter tears. But Jacob didn’t take his birthright, Esau sold it. - People do not become bitter when things go their way. It’s when disappointments in
life come that you’re tested to either see things through God‘s point of view or your
own. - The Bible principle is to put off and put on — put off thoughts, behaviors, patterns,
and cravings that are you-focused and put on what is God-focused. - The one word that explained Naomi was “bitterness.” What would be the one word
that would explain who you are? - Naomi’s bitterness caused her to lie — she said she left full (not true since they left
Israel because of a famine) and now was empty (though God had provided for her
even in her bitterness). Bitterness causes one to lie and exaggerate.