Ask most people about their work that day, and you had best be prepared for a long discourse on the ungrateful boss, the rude customers, and the minimal wage paid for them to endure that mess! As we meditate on the experience of Ruth after her first day of gleaning, or gathering the rejected grain from a foreigner’s field, I wonder if we might have a change of heart!
DATE POSTED Tuesday, 2021-10-05
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL
BY: Ed Algreen
SCRIPTURE FROM: Ruth 2:18-19
TRANSLATION: New King James Version (NKJV)
BIBLE TEXT: 18 Then she took it up and went into the city, and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. So she brought out and gave to her what she had kept back after she had been satisfied. 19 And her mother-in-law said to her, “Where have you gleaned today? And where did you work? Blessed be the one who took notice of you.” So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked, and said, “The man’s name with whom I worked today is Boaz.”
APPLICATION: It is a good question for us to ask ourselves every night, where have I gleaned today? What improvement have I made in my knowledge and grace? What have I done that excites me and perhaps made someone else happy? When we deliberately recognize the Lord’s blessings on us, perhaps we will accept Naomi’s advice and not search for another field. We might actually shun Divine favors, if we slight the blessings given to us and seek pastures that, in our own opinion, are ‘greener’! Ruth dutifully observed her mother’s directions, and I hope that we will diligently seek God’s directions on where He would have us glean each day. To ‘glean’ is to ‘gather up’ or ‘extract’ from various sources. Ruth gleaned the leftover grain from around the edges of the field owned by Boaz, as it was a customer for harvesters to deliberately leave scraps for the poor. At the end of the day Ruth was able to reflect on the welcome, and the kind attitude of the field owner towards her. With a heart of gratitude, she noticed the way he seemed to have looked out for her best interest. Naomi shared in this gratitude, as Ruth’s gleaning resulted in food for their table. How does this compare to your attitude when your spouse arrives home each day? Are you grateful and appreciative for the job they hold? Do you show appreciation to their boss whenever possible? And now to the business owners: are you practicing like Boaz in leaving scraps for the poor? Don’t you know that as you bless the poor, God will bless you in your business? Friends, I believe that there are several principles for us to benefit from in today’s Scripture: 1). Search diligently for ways to put food on your table. Ruth did and God blessed her richly for her efforts; 2). Be willing to do whatever God directs you to. Ruth was willing to glean from the rejected grain storks, and alongside others whom she didn’t know, at a farm where she didn’t know the owner; 3). Encourage each other daily – Naomi was an encouragement to Ruth after a long day gleaning grain; and 4). Consider what all you have gleaned in a day – yes, Ruth was able to gather grain for food, but along the way she also had opportunities to share, to love, to encourage, to witness and to care. Instead of looking at all the negatives in our day, there are always things we could be thankful for. Let’s learn to praise the Lord in all the ways that He directs us and provides for us. Perhaps we will be so overwhelming in praise, that we won’t be tempted to complain about anything. Remember, God is for us and not against us. He loves us unconditionally and is always looking out for our good. Let Him, dear friend!
BLESSING(S) NOTED: God provides in ways that we could never imagine. He looks out for His children and will always ensure that we prosper in His many blessings!
PRAYER: Lord, please teach us to be thankful, knowing that You are working all things out for our good. Ruth had no idea where she was going to find food, but You provided a way and the means for her to glean plenty enough grain for herself and her mother-in-law. You bless us daily also, dear Lord, and we want to say thank You from the bottom of our hearts. As we glean each day, may we be careful to spread cheer, thankfulness, kind words, a gracious attitude, and most of all – the love of our Savior. As you bless us, please bless those with whom we come into contact, and especially bless those who provide for our well being. Please bless each company owner that pays the salary of all my readers and listeners. May they profit tenfold for allowing others to glean at their place of business. AMEN!