DAILY READING
REFLECTION
Glean from God's Word
by Judy Webb
Don’t you love that word, GLEAN? Maybe because it is close to clean and of course lean. But there is something appealing here. The Book of Ruth is a favorite of mine, and this text reminds me of that story. Ruth made a living working in Boaz’s fields, gleaning the remains of the harvest. (Ruth 2:2 TLB) This was common practice in Biblical times and one that is sometimes referred to as God’s welfare program.
A few months into widowhood, I was at a meeting with a few pastors and lay leaders and the topic of widows came up. This was sort of a raw subject for me, as I was still navigating my way through this new season. One of the pastors pointed out that we as Christians were to take care of the widows. Being the independent woman I was at that time; I resented his words. Thinking about it now, I realize it was the word widow I resented, not the person speaking. I was mortified that I could be anyone’s project. I could take care of myself, thank you. My thinking and my feelings were misplaced, and I have since learned to lean on Jesus – not on myself – for everything.
If we were to practice this sort of welfare nowadays, what could it look like? How could we set things up so that those who needed help could get help by gleaning? This practice saved pride and provided useful work – work that would put food on the table. It created a safety net for those who were in need.
People often talk about God doing “exceedingly abundantly, beyond all we can ask or imagine." (Ephesians 3:20) What does this look like in our current lifestyle? What corners of our fields or extra margins could we share?
Gleaning as referenced in the Bible is an important belief Christians should take to heart. It could be as simple as providing $100 to someone you know needs help, but do it anonymously, or you could provide a meal or a laundry basket of groceries (mysteriously left on doorstep).
PRAYER
Let us remember how much God has given us and practice gleaning. Allow others to glean from our abundance and learn generosity. Then also glean wisdom and knowledge from God's word and share with others this great truth. Amen.
