YOUR LABOR. Ruth 2:12. “The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.” Not everyone does the same things, but when our work is for God, He is willing to bless all we do for Him. Even if some tasks are big and others are small, He understands the motive behind each one and rewards accordingly. When, through our work, we show that our efforts are not merely for self-interest but to advance His work by God’s grace, He rewards the labor. He fully pays back and adds far more than we deserve for what you’ve done in your home or in some distant place.
One person works as a farmer in a field where the physical labor can be pretty intense and is necessary every day. From preparing the land to harvesting the crop, much effort is spent in that field, and God rewards that. It would be foolish for someone to stay at home, praying and hoping for results without doing any work. God cannot water plants with rain if the farmer has not planted seed in the ground. The sun can shine brightly for days, but if there is no life or seed to germinate, the fault lies with the person who is supposed to do his work but instead sits around or plays.
A builder who doesn't build can’t truly be called a builder, nor is he one. The person who works diligently becomes the one other people turn to for tasks they cannot do themselves. They recognize him as a man skilled in his craft, which is evident in the work he produces. The Lord can bless the efforts of sincere and honest builders. They influence and shape people's lives, and their work is a true reflection of their values.
A fisherman goes fishing early every day, even the day after he fished and caught nothing. He knows there are fish in the sea to be caught if only he can find them. He may pull up his nets and move them to another, more distant spot for a while, or he may need to change the bait he uses. But it won’t be long before he can smile at the bounty the Master of fishermen has sent to that place for him to catch. He wouldn’t have caught a single one if he just sat on the beach to watch.
“In all labor, there is profit,” and we must head to work. No grain harvest will come in, no building will be done, and no fish will be caught if we sit around waiting for something to happen. We’ve been called to labor for the Lord today, knowing He can reward our work and give back what we do, not just what we say. We must do our part with enthusiasm and vigor, aware that we are called to do what we must, and the Lord will bring about what He wants when we trust in Him alone.
The work we do every day can sometimes feel insignificant and a waste of precious time. The question guiding our effort is, “Where did you work?” It’s easy to spend energy on the wrong things or in the wrong place. There are places of work for those who have followed God’s leading and know it’s His will that we are here. Yet, all we seem to do is glean. We spend time picking up bits and pieces. Our efforts appear slow, and the results often seem small in our eyes. Picking up what someone else drops doesn’t impress those around us, especially those who are passionately engaged in “the beginning of barley harvest.” Others appear to be gathering souls everywhere; thriving ministries are filling pews; some have people coming from all over to be with them.
What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with what I’m doing? It doesn’t compare to what all the other reapers are producing. I get tired of working hard and receiving what feels like so little in return. “Where was the place I worked, and what did I produce?” “Where did I work?” In this field—the one that seemed to be the right one. Should I go to another field and try to harvest more barley there? If I do, how can I be sure the Lord led me from this one to the other? I’ve met the Owner of this field, but I’m not sure who owns the others around. The One who owns this field is kind, thoughtful, and generous. He doesn’t mind talking to me and encouraging me to keep going when I’m hot and thirsty. He even shared His own food with me by letting me dip my bread in the same thing He does. He also lets me drink water so I don’t have to go to the well to fetch it.
No! I’ll stick with this field, see what I can gather by gleaning, and let others harvest or gather in the other fields. This bag full of gleanings seems to be getting heavy. Maybe that’s because it’s nearing the end of the day, and I am hot, tired, dusty, itchy, and I am getting older, too. In fact, I’ve got all that I can handle. I don’t think I can manage it anymore. My oh my! I must be getting weak! I think I’ll give this up. But I’ve got to finish what I’ve started first, which will take some time and effort.
What in the world! I have so much more here than I ever imagined. How could I have accumulated all this without realizing? Those reapers definitely left behind a lot, now that I think about it. If they had been working for me, I probably would’ve fired them for leaving so much behind. I wonder what their Boss thought? Wait a minute! He was there! He was talking to me, and He was talking to them, so He knew all along what was going on. He wanted me to fill this bag! It was His plan all along, yet He wanted me to earn it rather than just be handed everything.
It was His field I was in; it was His grain I could harvest. He could have just given it to me if He wanted to, but He didn’t. He knew that if I gathered it and placed it in my bag through my own effort, I would value it more. It would mean more to me than any other way. He gave it to me, but I did it! Yes! That’s the way it should always be. It came from His seed, in His field; it belonged to Him, but He let me get it myself.
This bread sure tastes good! It's fresh from the field, fresh from the oven, fresh from my hand – no, fresh from His hand!
We learn from Ruth's responsibility to care for her mother-in-law and her own needs that we should not expect others to show interest in our welfare if we are not actively helping ourselves. We also see from Boaz's generosity that kindness has its own rewards, and one is never wrong when seeking to meet the genuine needs of others.
Ruth 2:20. “And Naomi said unto her daughter-in-law, ‘Blessed be he of the Lord, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead.’ And Naomi said unto her, ‘The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen.’”