The Times Of Naomi Series

THE TIMES OF NAOMI

TEXT: BOOK OF RUTH

INTRODUCTION

This past year during the general elections they made a big point of stressing that this was the "year of the woman", as many new woman ran and won political office. For the rest of the month of July we here at ETCC will have the month of the woman, as we study 3 of the great woman of the Old Testament, in our Mid Week studies and on Sunday Morning.

We must never underestimate the power of a woman especially in the church. There would be a tremendous list of things in the kingdom that just wouldn’t get done if it were not for women.

A CEO of a large company in the Eastern United states was on a vacation with his wife traveling through New England. And they pulled up to a small gas station. The Attendant filled up the tank and the Ceo went inside to pay the cashier. When he was inside he looked out the window and saw that his wife had gotten out of the car and was talking to the attendant. The conversation was very animate, they were laughing and smiling. When the Ceo returned she talked about a minute longer and then she got into the car.

And he asked her did you know that man? She replied ,"its the strangest thing I used to date that guy when we were in college, we even got engaged." The CEO gulped not to excited about that answer and said O really." But then he smile and said , "gee dear did you ever think that you were almost married to a gas station attendant and not to an important CEO like me." She said, "no dear you don’t understand, if he would have married me he would have been the CEO."

These 3 women that we will be studying the rest of this month, were godly woman who lived and served God in the midst of a very wicked and ungodly society. Ruth and Naomi lived during the period of the Judges a period which was characterized by the fact that everyone did what was right in their own eyes, a time when standards of right and wrong and morality were nonexistent. And Esther is the story of an Jewish orphan girl who became the Queen of the Persian Empire.

We who live in the days of Rosanne, Jane Fonda, Hillary, Pat Schroeder, Molly Yard and Jill Ireland and company, all who feel that they are roles models and the epitome of womanhood, for us it will be refreshing to view the lives of 3 women who are true examples as to what womanhood is all about. Their lives remain today, a tremendous example to all Christians and especially, to young girls and women today.

This week we will look at the life of Naomi, next week we will look at the life of Ruth and the one characteristic that was so prevalent in her life, "Loyalty", and the last week in the month we will look at the life of Esther. I know that those who participate will be blessed by meeting these great women of faith.

In Ecclesiastes chapter 3 the word of God tells us;

[ECCL. 3:1-8]

Today as we look at 6 snapshots in the life of Naomi, as we look at "The Times of Naomi" we will be inspired and challenged by the life of this Godly woman. And we will probably find that one of these snapshots describe pretty well where we are today.

I. THE FIRST SNAP SHOT WE SEE IS A TIME OF CALAMITY

A. I am sure that most of us have heard, and have probably lived the expression, "When it rains, it pours."

It seems that many times just as we think things couldn’t possibly get any worse, they do. Often our lives can seem like a BAD country and Western song, our wife leaves us, the barn burns down and the dog dies - or something like that.

There are times in this life when things can get pretty tough, but if we are a Christian we should not be surprised by this, remember what James said in James 1:2,3 "CONSIDER IT PURE JOY MY BROTHERS WHENEVER YOU FACE TRIALS OF MANY KINDS BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT THE TESTING OF YOUR FAITH PRODUCES PERSEVERANCE."

B. The question "why bad things happen to God’s people"

is a question that has perplex the faithful and empowered the cynic for years.

The truth of the matter is that God does not cause bad things to happen, but that he allows them and uses them.

Someone has said that for every non Christian who gets cancer, a Christian gets cancer -- so the world can see the difference.. For every Non- Christian who gets fired a Christian gets fired - so the world can see the difference.....