Waiting on Your Boaz
Reading an intriguing “page-turner” romance novel or watching a romantic “tear-jerker” movie is entertaining for me. I love it when my favorite character captivates my heart from the beginning, embarking me on a real emotional roller-coaster ride. Through each thrilling scene, the plot thickens; and nothing but “bad news” drama unfolds. Alas! It looks like total defeat for my character. The antagonist has won. The supposedly conqueror was conquered. Nothing but doom and gloom loom on the horizon. Have you ever read a romance novel or watched a romantic movie with a similar sequential pattern?
My husband has this saying, “It’s all she wrote and the pencil lead broke.” One of my favorite sayings is “But God….” This is not the end of the story. Through some unexpected twists and turns of events, the story provides
a game changer for my character. After all have been said and done, my character prevails and victory triumphs. When I turn to the last page of the novel or the movie has ended, the caption reads, “…and they
lived happily ever after. The End.” If you are a single woman looking for a mate, this column was tailored just
for you.
The biblical romance found in the book of Ruth is a good example of the above scenario, and it is a perfect illustration of Proverbs 18:22, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing.” Let’s focus on three key words in this verse, “He who finds….” I really want you to read this verse. So grab your Bible, blow off the dust… if you must… and read it for yourself. Underline or highlight this verse with your favorite pen or marker. Write your thoughts on how this verse speaks to you.
In this story, Ruth was a young widow who was estranged in a foreign land living with her mother-in-law, Naomi. No, I’m not kidding! She travelled with her mother-in-law to Bethlehem; the native land of Naomi. Both Ruth and Naomi had lost their husbands in Ruth’s native land, Moab. During this difficult time, they cultivated an inseparable and compassionate bond. A relationship in today’s society is quite uncommon and it is not found in your typical
in-law relationships. Ruth vowed to her Naomi, “Your people are my people, and your God is my God.” When you listen to today’s chatter, most in-laws have become out-laws. In my own personal story, I beg to differ. My mother-in-law is so sweet. Still after some 39 years later, she is like a mother to me.
In this story, Ruth made some quality decisions that invoked God’s providence and intervention; thereby catapulting her into her destiny. Unbeknownst to her, Ruth worked as hired help in the barely fields of her soon-to-be-husband. Boaz, who was a relative of her mother-in-law, was also the richest man in the land. Naomi mentored Ruth on how to conduct herself in the fields. As a result, Boaz noticed her immediately. His attraction gravitated to her because her work ethics were different from the other female laborers. While they flirted with the reapers trying to get more barely, Ruth displayed honesty and integrity. She minded her own business and worked with her own hands. Boaz was impressed so he instructed his reapers to leave extra barley in the fields just for her on purpose. Now that’s
the favor of God at work.
After suffering much emotional grief and physical turmoil in her past; love and redemption came into play for Ruth. Boaz became her kinsman redeemer, he married her, and they had a son named Obed. In an instant, her status was elevated from rags to riches. Her family heritage included King David and the King of Kings, Jesus. This is a good place to pause and take a praise break! The rest of the story was history. The Bible did not record this, but I believe Ruth and Boaz lived happily ever after.
Like Ruth and Naomi, women are single for many reasons:
(1) Circumstances and situations occur beyond their control, i.e., unexpected
illnesses which may lead to untimely deaths.
(2) Some women are single by choice.
(3) Adultery, verbal and/or physical abuse by a spouse may lead to separation and divorce.
(4) The husband walks away from the marriage and family without giving a justifiable reason.
Can you relate your singleness to this story in any way? Do you desire a godly mate? If so, the good news is your Boaz is looking for you. What will you be doing when He finds you?
Journaling assignment:
What are you doing in preparation of your Boaz finding you?
List some quality decisions you have made (or you would make) while waiting on your Boaz.
Evaluate your relationship with God. Is it personal & imitate? Or is it casual and cool?
Evaluate your inter-personal relationships with your parents, spiritual parents, siblings, friends, coworkers, etc.
What are your work ethics like in your home? On your job? In your school? Or in your church?
Happy Journaling!
Claudia Newby-Tynes, entrepreneur of Write 4U, is an author, speaker, teacher, and mentor. She has written two books and is a contributor to one. Claudia has approximately 200+ published credits online and in print publications. She served as both a columnist for The Spirit-Led Writer and a planning committee/faculty member for the Sandy Cove Christian Writers’ Conference. She is married and has one grown son. For more information, visit http://claudiatynes.com/.
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