Why Widows Who Wait for Their Boaz Are Blessed
I'd joined a dating site several months before and endured several terrible dates plus a few scary encounters that made me consider staying single. After being married to a wonderful man for nearly 30 years, looking for a Christian husband in midlife was daunting. Little did I know that this message would lead me to the Christian man, now my husband, whom I call my Boaz.
The most difficult moment of my life was when cancer stole my first husband from me. However, God stayed faithful in my disoriented, sudden singleness. I'm so glad I listened when God told me to ask Him for His yes or no, one man at a time. We've been happily married for 10 years. Here, I share why widows must seek God and stay pure when dating again.
Delving into our passages, it's important to know the story of Ruth Ruth was a young Moabite widow who stayed with her mother-in-law, Naomi, after their husbands died. They were destitute when they returned to Bethlehem after a famine passed. Naomi's late husband had land that only a male relative could inherit. Ruth began picking up fallen grain in a field behind the harvesters. But doing so was dangerous during that treacherous time of the Judges. Boaz, the field's owner, discovered Ruth's identity and ensured her safety. He instructed his workers to drop grain for her to take home. Was he smitten with her? Perhaps.
God's purpose for Ruth to be in Boaz's field was to meet her future husband, a kinsman-redeemer (male relative). Our verses reveal they were both people of integrity. He could have taken advantage of her when he found her sleeping at his feet, as Naomi had instructed Ruth. She could have seduced him, giving in to lustful passion. Yet, both maintained their integrity in contrast to the prevailing attitudes around them. He followed Israelite practices by offering the first-in-line kinsman-redeemer the opportunity to redeem Ruth. This man declined, so Boaz sealed the deal with witnesses for the land and to marry Ruth. They didn't make love until after marriage, and God blessed them.
Are you waiting for God to bring you the man on your "shopping list?" Or are you asking God for your Boaz? There is nothing worse than to marry the wrong man. Nor is it appropriate to sleep with dates looking for sexual compatibility.
Being God's woman of integrity means waiting on God to bring a single Christian man to you as your Boaz. Remember, by His will, He will bring your Boaz into your life at the right time.
Questions for Reflection:
- Am I shopping for a new husband with my checklist of perfect qualities?
- Have I asked God who He has for me?
- Have I saved myself for my Boaz?
