It “just happened.” I’ve seen that phrase through the Bible and it always makes me chuckle a little bit. See what it says in Ruth 2:2-3. So she departed and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. Ruth 2:3 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/rut.2.3.NASB When God is in control, it’s amazing what just “happens.” Naomi thought she was alone, but she wasn’t. Ruth came up with an idea to help them survive and she “just happens” to end up in the exact right place with the exact right person. God…

Not alone. The whole first chapter of Ruth we see Naomi believing and acting like she is all alone. But now we start chapter 2. Read Ruth 2:1. Now Naomi had a kinsman of her husband, a man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. Ruth 2:1 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/rut.2.1.NASB She had a kinsman. There was family. No mention of him anywhere in chapter 1, but here, we see the beginnings of the plan that God was working out. Even in the darkest, most alone times of life, God is always with us. But more than that God is almost always working in the background to…

Broken. That’s how Naomi saw her life. She felt broken. She thought things looked broken. She even changed her name to reflect her broken and bitter heart. Read Ruth 1:20-22. I went out full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has witnessed against me and the Almighty has afflicted me?” Ruth 1:21 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/rut.1.21.NASB But despite what she thought, God wasn’t done with her yet. We can often feel the same way and see ourselves as broken. We don’t understand why God allows us to go through difficulties and trials. Yet that is exactly when God is shaping us…

Has life’s circumstances changed you? It certainly had changed Naomi. She had been gone for over 10 years and yet when she returned, everyone knew her and was shocked by the changes they saw. See Ruth 1:19. So they both went until they came to Bethlehem. And when they had come to Bethlehem, all the city was stirred because of them, and the women said, “Is this Naomi?” Ruth 1:19 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/rut.1.19.NASB This must have been an amazing change that was visible in Naomi. The people knew who she was, but were shocked at how she had been changed by her situation. Have we allowed life to change us? Or…

Pick your battles. That advice has been given to many people throughout the business and personal world. Not every battle is worth fighting, sometimes you need to wait and make sure that you’re fighting the battles that you really need win. Naomi made that choice when Ruth explained that she was absolutely going to follow Naomi. Read Ruth 1:16-18 When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her. Ruth 1:18 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/rut.1.18.NASB With was determined. She made her choice and nothing and no one was going to sway her a different direction. No matter what Naomi said to her, it wouldn’t matter.…

Nothing to offer. Not only did Naomi have no hope, as we saw yesterday, but she also felt that she had nothing to offer. Read Ruth 1:14-15. Then she said, “Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” Ruth 1:15 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/rut.1.15.NASB Naomi has been trying to convince her daughters-in-law to leave her and stay here in the land of Moab. However, they had continued with her up to this point. Finally Naomi convinces Orpah to stay, but Ruth insists on coming. Naomi tries one last time she get her to stay too by telling her that she has absolutely nothing left.…

No hope. That’s how Naomi felt. She saw nothing good or positive about her situation. She didn’t know or understand how there could be anything good around her and as a result, she pushed away everyone near her. Read Ruth 1:10-13. would you therefore wait until they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters; for it is harder for me than for you, for the hand of the Lord has gone forth against me.” Ruth 1:13 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/rut.1.13.NASB Naomi’s daughters-in-law want to stay with her, but she can’t figure out why anyone would want to stay with her. She has nothing. Nothing to offer. Nothing to…

Lonely people often try to isolate themselves even more. Naomi did. She already felt alone and abandonded, so what did she do? She tried to be completely alone. Read Ruth 1:8-9. And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May the Lord deal kindly with you as you have dealt with the dead and with me. Ruth 1:8 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/rut.1.8.NASB She basically tells them, “Look, you two have been great, but I got nothing more for you, so you should go back to a place where people can support you.” Lonely people often feel they have nothing to give and assume that…

What’s the first step to take when you feel alone? Naomi knew it, and she took it. Naomi picked herself up and decided to go back to where she had been when she didn’t feel alone. Read Ruth 1:6-7. Then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the land of Moab, for she had heard in the land of Moab that the Lord had visited His people in giving them food. Ruth 1:6 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/rut.1.6.NASB Naomi knew she needed to get back to God. She didn’t know what that would do for her, but she recognized that she needed something different, so she started with that. When…

Alone. First Naomi left the land she knew. Then her husband died. Then 10 years later both her sons die. She felt very much alone. Read Ruth 1:3-5. Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and the woman was bereft of her two children and her husband. Ruth 1:5 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/rut.1.5.NASB We have all felt alone at some point in our lives. Maybe it was while we were literally, physically by ourselves. Maybe we were surrounded by people but didn’t feel understood or accepted. There are mamy ways to feel alone. Regardless of the way in which you felt alone, it still hurts all the same. God sees us when…