“God’s Help in Hopeless Times”

Scripture Reading:  Ruth 1
Memory Verse:  “But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.”  Ruth 1:16

God provides righteous family relationships as a means of His provision and protection during times of helplessness and hopelessness!


1.  A helpless and hopeless situation!

• Faulty decisions by her husband: Moab?
  
• Famine in the land: Even in famine, the land he left was the land God had given him
  
• Foreigner in a pagan land: 
  
• Family is dead: From Bad to worse!!!!
  

2.  God is working in ways that cannot be seen!

• Famine is resolved at home: God had given his people food!
  
• Naomi sets out on the road for home!
  
• Naomi frees her daughters-in law from their commitment to her.
  
• Naomi has no more sons to provide for the women.
  
• The Lord’s hand is against me! Verse 13
  
• Naomi changes her name to Mara! Verse 20 - Mara = "bitterness"
  

3.  Naomi receives Ruth’s companionship without knowing she has received God’s redemption!

• The Key to waiting on God’s help?
  
• Maintain honest and caring relationships with the people in your life!
  
• Resolve to let the Lord establish the Relationship! 
  

          ~ I will not leave you! 
          ~ I will go with you!
          ~ I will be with your people!
          ~ I will worship your God!
          ~ I will stay for life!

• Determination!
  

SO WHAT?
Know that God is at work through your relationships!
Resolve to be the ONE!
Receive the love of those who will stay and be God’s instrument in your life!
Cultivate Righteous Relationships!
Avoid Bitterness