Real Life: Loneliness

Ruth 1:6-22

Loneliness and the feeling of being uncared for and unwanted are the greatest poverty.

‌Blessed Mother Teresa

The story of Ruth begins with Elimelech’s family, whose name means “My God is King". They are Ephrathites from Bethlehem—just as Jesus fled from persecution in Bethlehem. They leave the land due to a famine. Previously, we examined Abraham, who was promised to become the father of a great nation, fleeing from a similar fear of famine. Now, we see Elimelech, whose name reflects his faith in God, also escaping from famine.

So, what is loneliness? Loneliness is a negative state of emotion characterized by feeling disconnected from others. It can affect a person’s appetite, concentration, sleep, and energy. We know loneliness is one of the symptoms of depression. Naomi is in this state after losing her husband and sons.

They travel to Moab, and once they have arrived, his sons find wives for themselves. His two sons’ wives’ names are Oprah and Ruth. While they are there, both sons and Elimelech die, leaving Naomi Elimelech’s wife a widow and losing her two sons who would have taken care of her.

Three characteristics of lonely people are: they won’t allow anyone to walk with them, make excuses, and blame God for their lives.

Walk Alone:

Nobody said it is easier to walk through life alone. Some people might have made the comment, but in their hearts, it was their way of screaming for help. The first thing God saw that was not good was loneliness, Genesis 2:18 .

Genesis 2:18 ESV

Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”

When life comes against us, the worst thing we can do is try to walk it alone. That is not how God created us! Naomi wanted both Oprah and Ruth to turn from her and go back to their people. In verse 8, Naomi says three things: First, she blesses them. Second, she does call her family by their names but by their status: dead. Lastly, she puts the dead before the living. Lonely people feel less than those who are dead.

Both first requested to travel with her. Maybe Oprah was trying to ensure Naomi returned safely, but we read later that she would return to her people. Ruth stayed with Naomi. When the daughter-in-law persistently pleaded to go with her, she resorted to making excuses.

Make Excuses:

Making excuses or shifting the blame is what lonely, insecure people do. This trait is not new; it has been here since Adam, Genesis 3:12 . Naomi wanted to be left alone, maybe to die or wallerin (wallow) in her self-pity. I can make an excuse about anything and even try to justify it like Naomi, but I am lying to myself and nobody else, especially God. Naomi was only fooling herself into believing she did not need Ruth. Even though her family was wrong in leaving the country, God already had it worked out to bring Ruth back from the pagans.

Genesis 3:12 ESV

The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.”

The God we serve is never surprised by our actions. Even when we do wrong, He has already worked it out for His good. How important is Ruth? She helps her mother-in-law recover from loneliness and depression. She also shows us that God would bring the Gentiles into the family through her (and Rahab). She is also mentioned in the lineage of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! Can I be brutally honest? We all need a Ruth in our lives.

Mine is my wife.

Lonely people also blame God for their circumstances.

Blaming God:

In Verse (13), Naomi recognizes God's punishment and wishes to protect her daughters from it. Oswald Chambers expresses a profound idea: my guilt ends with true repentance—when I cease merely acknowledging my faults and start genuinely confessing. If I’m attributing my present situation to my ancestors, my suffering will persist until I let go of that blame. Similarly, if I blame my living conditions, the punishment will continue until I stop doing so. If I hold onto the notion that I can find relief in any manner other than the divine Redemption, I will remain in my punishment. The moment I cease blaming others and relieve God of any perceived injustice towards me, my understanding of Him genuinely begins.

When we stay in the focus of God’s punishment, we miss out on His blessings.

Even when Naomi arrives home, and the people are astonished to see her, she tells them to call her Mara, which means: “for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.”

Rather than blaming God for all our troubles, we need to recognize that suffering is the inevitable result of human iniquity. In one way or another, all our trials can be traced back to sin—either our own or the sins of others.

Naomi was missing, and God brought her safely back home with a relative (RUTH). When we read the rest of Ruth's story, we see that Naomi is taken care of through the one she wanted to leave in Moab.

Application:

1. Loneliness can sometimes be hard to recognize. The first clue is when one spends more time alone than with others. Life is not meant to be done alone.

2. The second clue is that you make excuses as to why you cannot be somewhere.

3. The last clue is you blame God or feel like He is punishing you.

The antidote is to stop and listen to God’s words and find a Ruth to put in your life.