Judges, Ruth: Revised Edition (The NIV Application Commentary)

by K. Lawson Younger

There are times in the life of every individual when loneliness sets in. There are two kinds of loneliness: one that we feel when there is literally no one around, and one we feel when we are with people but unable to really communicate the longings or struggles of the heart. Thus, no matter how many friends one has or how happy a marriage or how connected to the children, there are times when we all feel lonely. It is not necessary that we have gone through the same exact experience of Naomi in order to feel the depths of her aloneness, hopelessness, and despair. For the most part, we attempt to fill the void. We have work activities and family activities and all kinds of other activities to keep going and fill that void. We have dreams and goals and achievements that keep us focused. Yet, in the quiet place of the soul can be found that sense of loneliness, that sense of “I’m not sure I fit,” of “I don’t feel understood or appreciated.” When the things with which we have filled our lives are removed, the void caused by aloneness screams out. That void can only be soothed by one relationship—relationship with Jesus Christ.