Bitter Hope

November 30, 2025 | Ruth 1 | Rob Collis

The book of Ruth is situated in a time when God’s people kept doing what was right in their own eyes, and kept walking way from God in order to revel in the darkness of their own ways. But Ruth shows us that, even when darkness hangs so closely, God never abandons his people – and he is moving in the lives of his people so that his relentless love can shine to all the world.

As we begin our Advent series in Ruth, this week Rob Collis preaches from Ruth 1, and introduces us to a woman named Naomi. The opening chapter of Ruth plunges us the gritty depths of Naomi’s grief and despair, and the story of her bitter hope. But even when the darkness overwhelmed her, Naomi heard the whisper of God’s grace, as he came to surround her with his love.