Daily bread:Gods handfuls on purpose.

Ruth 2:15-16  And when
she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean
even among the sheaves, and reproach her not: 
(16) 
And let fall also some of the
handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them,
that she may glean them, and rebuke her
not.
 
The timeless beauty of the kinsman redeemer story in Ruth
stands against the best stories of love and provision of God elsewhere in
scripture. Further no Hollywood story of human experience can out class Ruth in
how the Providence of God helped a gentile maid in time of great tragedy. [Ruth
1:4]
The setting tragically unfolds as Naomi Ruth’s future jewish
mother in law moves to Moab during a famine in the land of Israel. [1:1] While
living there her husband dies and her two sons who married Moabite women also
die.[1:3;5] Upon hearing the famine has lessened in the land of Israel, Naomi
decides to move to her homeland. [6]She offers her daughter in law’s the option
of returning to their families since she cannot raise any more sons for them to
marry. [8-17]
Only
one of the daughter in law’s returns to her people and the other, Ruth, cleaves
to her mother in law, accepts her faith in God, and moves to the land of
Israel. [ibid] As providence has it, the workings of God are often
subtle and hard to observe.[Dan 4:3] The acts of God happen incrememtally and
his provision for Ruth only comes visible as we read the story post the event.
[acts 17:3; John 4:4] In essence most of the time hindsight is twenty twenty.
[Phill 4:19] I want to draw your attention to one event that pieces together the
wonderous love story seen in  Ruth’s
life. Not only does this love story affect an individual’s experience with God
and personally affects a large segment of Jewish people for generations; it
describes in intimate detail the way Christ has become our kinsman redeemer in
the theology and experience of salvation.
Right now, though, the piece of the puzzle of God’s
providence I wish to highlight happens to be God’s provision for Ruth to meet
Boaz and how his kindness helped her and Naomi find food with daily immediacy
during tough times. God led Naomi to head home and Ruth’s attendance with her
mother in law bodes fortune for us and for the Jewish nation but immediately it
reveals how God planned to take care of Naomi in her latter years. Widowed women
depended upon their children for provision when they grew older and did not
have a husband to provide income and land ownership.[Luke 18:5 ;1 Tim 5:3] If
the woman did not have children then she could depend upon near kinsmen and
sometimes even the generosity of the nation. Land owners were commanded in the
word of God to leave the corners of their fields produce and to leave produce
in their field for the poor and the stranger to find provision in times of
trouble.
Beyond the broader picture and the grand scheme of God it
amazes me how that Boaz takes this law in hand and commands his reapers to leave
not only the corner gleanings and the periodic gleanings for the poor and the
stranger; He command s his servants to leave handful’s on purpose for an
individual,  Ruth, a Moabite gentile,  to gather. God used Boaz to provide not only
what was required in the law but to go above and beyond what was necessary to
provide necessities from sources ruth could not imagine. [Ruth 2:7] Even the
very fact that Ruth meets with Boaz shows the providence of God. If she had met
with other jewish people she would not have found such favor. [Ruth 2:22]. How
mightily God leads ruth to the right field and the right time to find the favor
she needs. God had led her to marry Naomi’s son. In her father in law’s death
and the death of her husband, Ruth had found provision for salvation, security
and also provided a security for aged Naomi Naomi with wisdom begins to
understand the providence of God long before Ruth does and yet God teaches Ruth,
Boaz and even us today of how he cares for his own.[Ruth 2:7]. Now through the
events of going back to Israel God solidifies the security and provision for
this gentile maid and her mother in law. He strengthens the genetic lineage for
the Christ and also lays ground work for the prophetic atoning work of Jesus on
the Cross. So not only is God the father providing locally, individually, but
in the big plan of God, he has also provided for our salvation through these
events. Such providential moves of God become handfuls on purpose for even our
lives today. Then amazingly through the very natural lives, insignificant
moments as small as daily meals for a widow and her Moabite daughter in law God
gives us lessons we can glean handfuls of truth to sustain our lives when
famine comes or when the unthinkable happens and tragedy suddenly strikes.
Has the unthinkable happened to
you? If not it is not a matter of if, but a matter of when that it happens. Today
you may not see readily the provision of God. You may not hear the rustling of
the wings of angels, feel the brush of the Spirit’s heavenly wind, see the
person or persons God will place in your path but I can guarantee God cares for
his children n he cares for u. I also know God provides people, resources, answers, all
necessary for your trials and needs. He supplies from resources you cannot
imagine. Trust him today for those handfuls on purpose. There are no accident’s
with God. Just as there has to be Boaz’s who command the leaving of the
gleanings for Ruth, there must be servants ready to obey. Just as there has to
be Mother in law’s leading in salvation, moves, and even wisdom’s directions;
there must be daughter in laws who look for the gleanings. And as the gleanings
are found understand that God does not always reveal everything to us at once.
Even the word to glean, means:  to gather grain or other produce left
by reapers, or to gather information or material bit by bit; to pick up behind
the one who reaps; or to gather information bit by bit. Such it is with the
will of God. He unrolls his revelation to us by his scroll, the word of God,
his messenger the spirit of God, in such as fashion that what we need becomes
relevant and what must remain unseen till a later day remains beneath the folds
of his will and way. Such revelations are not always known by those who
need them until they are found. Provision often comes as we need it and not all
our needs lumped together at once. Like the manna of old, our provision finds
daily expression. Live with expectant hope for these cleaning, the handfuls on purpose. To think that in his providence n universal plan he considers me valuable n important enough to plan my daily provision goggles the mind Look closely at your life and be ready to be a provider like
Boaz, a witness like Naomi, a worker like those servants, and a finder of God’s
expression of Grace through others like Ruth. What ever part you are playing in
this plan of God be faithful and God will reward you.