-August 3, 2023-
Good morning, happy Thursday,
“So she gleaned in the field until evening, and beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley.”
(Ruth 2:17).
Gleaning takes great effort, diligence, perseverance, and skill. Ruth was Gentile, the daughter-in-law of Naomi. She embraced faith in the Lord and followed Naomi in her journey back to Bethlehem in the land of Israel. She was extremely loyal and faithful. When they arrived, they had no job and no money. Naomi knew those she had grown up with, but Ruth knew no one.
Ruth happened to look for work in the field owned by Boaz, a single, well to do entrepreneur who employed many workers. It was no chance occurrence, it was from the Lord. He allowed Ruth to work among them, provided for her, and instructed his workers and supervisors to treat her well. As we know from the story, Boaz married Ruth, and their son was Obed, the great grandfather of David. Ruth is one of several women in the genealogy of Christ.
Our text says three things of Ruth, “she gleaned in the field until evening, she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah.” The word glean is defined as, “to gather grain or other produce left by reapers.” The reapers came first and gathered the bulk of the harvest, then the gleaners like Ruth and others came along and took what was remaining. Both reapers and gleaners shared in the harvest. There was plenty for both.
How does gleaning apply to us? We need to read, study, meditate on, and apply God’s Word to our lives. We need to work hard for it like those gleaning the grain in the field. We like Ruth, glean until the evening, which is symbolic of when the Lord calls us home to heaven. There are many treasures we find in the Word when we search diligently for them with all our hearts. Ruth was what we call, a “quick study.” She learned really very and was very fruitful in her work.
She gathered about an ephah of barley on her first day. An ephah was an ancient Hebrew dry measurement equal to 1/10 of a homer or a little over a bushel. She gathered much through the hot sun of the harvest time with some breaks for rest. She ate from what she gathered and brought back some for her beloved mother-in-law Naomi. She was very generous and unselfish. God wants us to learn from His Word and then share it with others. We should seek a blessing in order to be a blessing.
Are you a good gleaner? Are you taking what you learn and putting it into practice? God wants us to go beyond just reading to obeying and applying it. It takes effort and practice. Like anything, we form and maintain good habits. We need to make the time for the Lord in prayer and the Word, gathering much from Him for each day. This daily devotional had its roots in sharing what I had gleaned with friends, co-workers, and brothers and sisters in our church.
Have a blessed day gleaning in the Lord’s field and being fruitful for Him. Stay safe and healthy.
Dean
Dean Allen's Daily Devotional 