I don’t think any of us know how much the Lord is working behind the scenes on our behalf. Often times when unexpected blessings come our way we either think we had something to do with it or that we’re just plain lucky. Rarely does the thought cross our mind that our heavenly Father enjoys blessing His children.
In the case of Ruth, as she was going about serving and honoring her mother-in-law Naomi, God was setting the stage for her coming blessing.
I have noticed over the years that there is a relationship between serving others and receiving blessings. Ruth may have looked like the others while gleaning the grain from the field but she wasn’t. Without knowing it she was in fact the future Mrs. Boaz, the owner of the same field she had been gleaning. God is the only one who knows the end from the beginning. There is something about having a servant’s heart that moves the heart of God. Gleaning from the fields one day and owning the fields the next is quite a blessing.
In Ruth’s case there is a great lesson to be learned while studying the process in receiving the full blessing. She started out by gleaning grain from the field with others. The second step in her blessing process was that of gleaning handfuls of grain that was left in the field by the instructions of the owner. Her last step in the blessing process was marrying Boaz the owner of the field. There’s always a process to receiving the full blessing.
When I first came to know the Lord, well meaning Christians continued telling me how much I was going to have to give up and how hard it would be to live the Christian life. I believed them and for a long time I waited for the hammer to drop—but it never did. I discovered it wasn’t me who paid the price, it was the Lord. The only thing I gave up was a miserable hopeless life. I was also told I would never have any more fun and I certainly couldn’t have any of the so called good things in life.
After spending many years studying the Christian life, I’ve become convinced that the Body of Christ has bought into a lie by claiming to suffer for Christ when they in fact have not suffered. This lie is better defined as false pride.
I do not intend to minimize the price some have paid on foreign fields of ministry by giving up their lives. Nor do I want to minimize the price the early church paid for establishing the freedom which I enjoy today. The point I’m making is that the majority of Christians here in American have not paid any price for their relationship with the Lord.
It costs us nothing to serve God. We are on the receiving end of this deal. When I think about being led by the Holy Spirit into the fullness of life and light I can’t even imagine there being a better life. As a matter of fact you couldn’t take a baseball bat and chase me away from the Lord. I’ve never been loved this much before.
Life in Christ is like finding handfuls of blessings left for us to glean on purpose. Praise you Lord!
Father,
I admit your love is far beyond my understanding. It seems as soon as I need something you’ve already laid it before me by the handfuls. All I have to do is go out to the gleaning fields and pick it up by faith.
Thank you Lord for opening my eyes that I might see you as a loving Father.
The Christian life is much better than I expected.
Amen!
And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not. Ruth 2:16
Apostle John Dean Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved
Alliance International Ministries