Ruth 2:19. “Where hast thou gleaned today? And where wroughtest thou?”
THE FIELD. The work we do from day to day, may at times seem insignificant and a waste of valuable time. The question that influences the work we do is, “Where did you work?” It is possible to expend great amounts of energy on things that are wrong or in the wrong place. There are places of work for the one who has followed God’s leading and know that it is God’s will we be in this place. And yet, all it seems that we do is glean. We spend time picking up bits and pieces. What we are doing seems such slow work and the results normally are small in our eyes. Picking up what someone else drops, doesn’t impress other people around who are energetically engaged in “the beginning of barley harvest.” Others seem to be getting souls all around us; there are thriving works that are filling pews; others have people coming from everywhere to be with them.
What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with what I am doing? It doesn’t measure up to what all the other reapers are producing. I get tired working hard and getting what seems so little out of it. “Where wroughtest thou?” “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 get more barley there? If I do, how can I be sure the Lord led me out of this one into the other one? I have met the Owner of this field but I am not sure who owns the other ones around. The One who owns this field is kind, thoughtful and giving. He doesn’t mind speaking to me and encouraging me to keep at it when I am hot and thirsty. He even shared His own food with me by letting me dip my bread in the same thing He dips His food in. And He also lets me drink water so that I haven’t had to go to the well to draw.
No! I’ll stick with this field and see what I can get by gleaning and let others harvest or glean in the other fields. This bag full of gleanings seems to be getting heavy. Maybe that’s because it’s getting close to 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 deal with any more. My O my! I must be getting weak! I think I’ll give this up. But I’ve got to beat out what I’ve got first; and that is going to take some time and work.
What in the world!? I have a whole lot more here than I dreamed of. How could I have gotten so much and not realized it. Those reapers, they sure left a lot now that I think about it. Probably if they were working for me, I 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 the time what was happening. He wanted me to get this bag full! It was His doing all the time and yet He wanted me to work for it rather than just dump it in my lap. It was His field I was in; it was His grain I was able to get; He could’ve just given it to me if He had wanted to, but He didn’t. He knew if I gathered it, if I put it in my bag, if I worked for it I would appreciate it more. It would mean more to me than any other way. He gave it but I did it! Yes! That’s the way it should always be. It was from His seed; it was in His field; it belonged to Him; but He let me get it for myself.
This bread sure tastes good! It is fresh from the field; fresh from the oven; fresh from my hand – no, fresh from His hand!
We are able to learn from Ruth's responsibility to care for the needs of her mother-in-law and her own needs, that we should not expect from others some kind of interest in our welfare if we are not acting aggressively to help ourselves. We also learn from Boaz's generosity that kindness has its own rewards and one is never wrong when they seek to meet the genuine needs of others.
“I want to thank Thee, O God of the field, Supplier of those who need what Thou alone can supply. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, will You accept my sincere and grateful thanks for the full and plenty I receive every day from Thee? I don’t deserve this spiritual food and sustenance I have here but I really do appreciate it. Amen.”