The Torah told Jewish farmers not to harvest every grain. This meant that those who struggled to eat could be fed by collecting what was left. It meant that people who were trapped by unfortunate circumstances were able to work and eat. Boaz followed this rule but also sought to ensure that Ruth was kept safe and sustained.
So Boaz said to Ruth, ‘My daughter, listen to me. Don’t go and glean in another field and don’t go away from here. Stay here with the women who work for me. Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the women. I have told the men not to lay a hand on you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled.’
Ruth 2: 8-9 [NIV]
God provided for those who had fallen on hard times without any welfare system to protect them. We live in a country that has benefits for those that cannot work and need support. But, we still have charities like the Foodbank because the need, especially in crisis, is so great.
Naomi and Ruth had been settled and supported and fell on hard times through no fault of their own. When you think of those who are on benefits or need the Foodbank, do you stereotype them? Do you wonder what has brought them to this point? Do you know how easy it could be to fall into that position? Mark 2:23 tells us that Jesus and his disciples needed to glean wheat at least once.
Yesterday we thought about the people who are in place to help us. Today think about how you could be like Boaz not just doing what is required but going beyond.
Lord, thank you for putting me in a position where I can show your love goes beyond the expected by the way I treat others. Help me to see opportunities and then grasp them with both hands.
Anna Naish
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