Summer Romance

OVERVIEW
Summer Romance
In many ancient cultures, the loss of a husband without having children was severe. It was the end of the family name. In our culture we aren’t as attached to our last names but there are moments when the loss of what we thought would “last forever” brings devastation. Whether it’s a marriage that failed, the death of a loved one or a dream that never comes true, we can feel like all hope is gone and we are left wondering what to do now. Welcome to the life of Ruth.

In the Old Testament there is a small 4-chapter book about a woman named Naomi who raises two sons who end up getting married. Naomi’s husband and two sons die and she and her two daughters-in-law are left alone. All hope is gone, but that’s not the end of the story. God is a redeeming God. He’s able to take that which is lost and make something new and beautiful of our lives.

SCRIPTURE
Then Boaz said to the elders and to the crowd standing around, “You are witnesses that today I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelech, Kilion, and Mahlon. And with the land I have acquired Ruth, the Moabite widow of Mahlon, to be my wife. This way she can have a son to carry on the family name of her dead husband and to inherit the family property here in his hometown. You are all witnesses today.” Ruth 4:9-10 (NLT)