WHEN FACING LIFE ALONE
Lots of People Face Life
49% of adults in America are single.
Characters in the Story:
Naomi: An
Ruth: A
Boaz: Middle Aged and Never
Facets of Being Single:
Never
Widows and
CHALLENGES OF LIVING SINGLE:
But on the way, Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back to your mothers’ homes. And may the Lord reward you for your kindness to your husbands and to me. May the Lord bless you with the security of another marriage.” Then she kissed them good-bye, and they all broke down and wept. —Ruth 1:8-9
But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. 17 Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!” —Ruth 1:16-17
Career /
Ruth went out to gather grain behind the harvesters. And as it happened, she found herself working in a field that belonged to Boaz, the relative of her father-in-law, Elimelech. —Ruth 2:3
Boaz arrived from the city while she was there. After exchanging greetings with the reapers he said to his foreman, “Hey, who’s that girl over there?” —Ruth 2:4-5
Suddenly, around midnight, he wakened and sat up, startled. There was a woman lying at his feet! “Who are you?” he demanded.
“It’s I, sir—Ruth,” she replied. “Make me your wife according to God’s law, for you are my close relative.”
“Thank God for a girl like you!” he exclaimed. “For you are being even kinder to Naomi now than before. Naturally you’d prefer a younger man, even though poor. But you have put aside your personal desires. Now don’t worry about a thing, my child; I’ll handle all the details, for everyone knows what a wonderful person you are. —Ruth 3:8-11
HOW DOES HOPE RISE WHEN YOU’RE SINGLE?
BE
DON’T GO IT
They joined with the other believers in regular attendance at the apostles’ teaching sessions and at the Communion services and prayer meetings. And all the believers met together constantly and shared everything with each other. —Acts 2:42;44
LEARN TO BE
I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. —Phil. 4:12,13