Ruth's day of work is
complete, and now it is time to go home. There is nothing quite like
the time after working all day especially when we have something to
show for our efforts. Ruth was carrying five and one-half gallons of
barely with her, and her bounty must have felt substantial. Ruth's
last venue of the day was to show Naomi her supply. We take up the
story again in verse eighteen of chapter two where we read:
And she took [it] up,
and went into the city: and her mother in law saw what she had
gleaned: and she brought forth, and gave to her that she had reserved
after she was sufficed.
The
completion of Ruth's work for the day included taking her reward
home. Like a paycheck for work well done, “she took it up (the
barley she gleaned and threshed), and went into the city.”
Wouldn't it have been foolish to leave all her hard work laying in
the field? Reward is wonderful to those who work for it, and the most
common way is to take the reward home and enjoy it.
Next we
read, “and her mother in law saw what she had gleaned:”
Can we imagine what Naomi's thoughts were throughout the day? Perhaps
they were, “I know what this gleaning will be like for Ruth. She
will probably only gather a handful or so. It will be enough to eat
for the day, and of course she will have to go out tomorrow so we can
eat again.” However, imagine what the expression was on the face of
Naomi when she saw this bountiful supply. She must have been in
shock, stunned and wondering what in the world altered her normal
expectation. She knew what was normally brought home by workers like
Ruth, and now she had abundance before her. We must remember, she has
changed her name to “Marah” which means “bitter”, and when a
person becomes bitter, it is much harder to see blessing when it
comes.
Finally,
we see what Ruth did, “and she brought forth, and gave to her
that she had reserved after she was sufficed.” Basically Ruth
took a little of the barley for her own food, and then gave the rest
to Naomi. With five and one-half gallons of barley to share, there
must have been a lot of reserves. If we think about it, we can almost
see Naomi's jaw dropping open as she sees the abundance of supply.
This must have been a special moment for each of them as they enjoyed
the blessings of the Lord through Boaz' provision and Ruth's hard
work.
Can we
see through this story our Savior Jesus? Can we think about His
abundant provision for us, and how He must watch as we enjoy the
fruit of our gatherings? Sure, we work. Of course, we endure long
days of arduous work, and often the supply which he has given is
simply enjoyed. When He sends favor and grace our way, not only
should we be shocked and stunned as Naomi, but we must also be ever
so grateful for His abundant supply. It is God who sees to our daily
provision, “Give us this day our daily bread”, and it is
God who should always be thanked and blessed for laying up for us
what we cannot supply on our own.
Next
time we will watch as Naomi questions Ruth about her gleaning, so
read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow...there is more...
Look
for the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation” in all major bookstore sites,
www.amazon.com
; www.barnesandnobles.com
; download
to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore
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