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RUTH 1:19-21
So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?” “Don’t call me Naomi,” she told them. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.”
HEBREWS 12:15
See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.
REFERENCES: EXODUS 15:22-25; PSALM 34:18, 147:3; MALACHI 4:5-6; JOHN 14:6-7, 18
Just change my name and call me Bitter. The troubles of the past have left me brokenhearted and I’m in total heartache for what seems to be just out of reach. That was the sentiment Naomi shared as she entered her hometown. On some level, while you probably didn’t have to travel from a foreign land, maybe you can relate. But, the world has lied to us that being bitter is OK if you have a reason or have been wronged. In this journey called life we get hurt or offended and often don’t deal with it, allowing bitterness to overtake us. God wants to heal us from our heartaches and heartbreaks that lead to becoming bitter. Your heavenly Father longs to have a relationship with you and heal you from all your heartaches and wounds. Even if you’re heartbroken, God can restore all the pieces. Don’t live a life in bitterness when you have a Father in heaven who is longing to give you joy and a future.
God can heal your broken heart but you have to give Him all the pieces
Heartache is felt when we long for something but never receive it. This can develop as early as childhood and we end up spending our adult life trying to fill that void. It isn’t uncommon for our view of God to act as a projection or rejection of our earthly fathers. But as we develop our relationship with Christ, his love heals our wounds through acceptance and grace. He leads us to the Father who declares that we are worthy.
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” —John 14:6-7
Whenever we lose an important relationship, we experience heartbreak. Whether we admit it or not, our brains and our bodies will register the loss as deeply painful. Thankfully, God has promised to be near us in our heartbreak so that He can heal the pain. Just as a broken bone needs time in a cast, your heart needs time to heal. Our part is to trust the work that God is doing.
Whether you are going through heartache or heartbreak, God is there with you. He wants to heal and restore the broken pieces of your heart. Maybe you’ve become bitter in the process, but when you add what Jesus did on the cross to the equation, that bitter season can turn into a sweet one. After you allow Him to heal your heart, you’ll want a relationship without needing one. You’ll see not just the mistakes of others, but you’ll acknowledge your own and learn from them. You’ll talk about that past situation with emotional control. And you’ll finally feel free to celebrate the happiness of others and look forward to the future God has for your life.
Take some time in the next week to reflect on any bitterness that may be in your life. Ask God to show you who, or what about yourself, you need to forgive.
Need a midweek reset? Join us every Wednesday at VOUS Miami Gardens and VOUS Design District in the Prayer Room for an incredible hour of prayer starting at 12PM. Make it part of your weekly rhythm!
Where: VOUS Miami Gardens and VOUS Design District
When: Every Wednesday
Time: 12:00PM - 1:00PM
Join us for Vision Sunday! Pastor Rich & DawnCheré Wilkerson will be sharing vision and marching orders for the year ahead. Be sure to invite your friends & family and get in the room!
For more information on Vision Sunday, click here
Team Night is happening on Wednesday, November 12th across all four VOUS locations starting at 7:00 PM!
Whether you’ve been serving for years or are just getting started, your presence matters. Team Night isn’t just for a specific team or department, it’s for our locations to come together as one cohesive team and move forward as one.
Sign up for your location below:
SoMi | City | Miami Gardens | Design District
Are you interested in leading a crew? Click here to fill out an application to become a crew leader in SZN 1 2026!
You don't want to miss the chance to hang with us at VOUS High Nite on Wednesday, November 5th @ 7PM, a night for the middle and high school community of VOUS Church.
We'll be hosting a Parent Hangout during VHN – an opportunity to get to know other parents in our community. Dinner provided.
To RSVP for VOUS High Nite, click here
To RSVP for the Parent Hang, click here
Where:
VOUS SoMi @ One City Church | 6750 Sunset Drive
VOUS Miami Gardens | 17801 NW Second Ave
Make Thanksgiving special for a family in need by serving at our annual Thanksgiving Bash, a morning of distributing hundreds of meals to families in our community and watching teams compete for the VOUS Bowl Title in our spirited 7-on-7 flag football tournament.
To donate a meal kit online, click here
To serve, click here
Date: Saturday, November 22nd
Time: 11:00AM
Location: Charles Hadley Park
Join us bright and early at Peacock Park for the VOUS 10K Turkey Trot! Start your Thanksgiving with fresh air, great friends, and all-around fun! We’ll see you at the starting line!
Sign up for the Turkey Trot, click here
Date: Thursday, November 27th
Time: 6:00AM
Location: Peacock Park
VOUS SoMi
10:00AM / 12:00PM / 6PM
VOUS City
10:00AM / 12:00PM / 6PM
VOUS Miami Gardens
8:30AM / 10:00AM / 12:00PM
VOUS Design District
8:30AM / 10:00AM / 12:00PM
Church Online
10:30AM / 12:30PM / 5PM Español
Growth Track
After every service or join online at vouschurch.com/growthtrack
