Gleaning Faithfully

I am still studying the book of Ruth.  Today I was reading a sermon by Charles Spurgeon.  He made a very interesting point about the 'gleaning' that Ruth did and how that could be applied to the spiritual life of a Christian.  Ruth gleaned for food.  She spent her days stooped over picking up what was left behind by the work crews harvesting grain in the fields.  She worked hard and only took short rests to  refresh herself.  Working from sun up to sun down,

she never stopped until her arms and hands were loaded to capacity.  She was not afraid of the hard work and she did not shun her duties.  She did not expect a  hand-out and did not expect her job to be easy.

 

As a Christian, do we expect our 'gleaning' of the fields to be easy because God will bless our efforts to increase the Kingdom?  I think sometimes we do.  When something does not come easy, or if it requires a bit of effort, than we automatically think it is not God's will.  I'm not sure that is an accurate attitude.  There are many instances in history and accounts in the Bible where work was involved.  God does not promise us an easy road, just that He will be with us as we travel that road.  He does not promise us that no work will be involved, just that He will bless us for work that glorifies and grows His Kingdom. And, He does not

promise us that there will not be any "apparent failures" to our efforts.  Sometimes it may seem like a failure to us, but He has a bigger plan and what we see as a mistake or lack

of success may in fact be a part of His overall picture.

 

The fact that we take the time to know Him, to study His word and to try our best to follow His example shows Him our heart.  It will increase our faith and ultimately His kingdom when we share that relationship with others.  So don't be discouraged by a set-back.  It may in fact

be a set-up for something in the future.  Keep gleaning from his word, from the fields in your circle of influence and be willing to step out on faith when he calls you to glean else where, even outside what you are comfortable with.  He will be beside you all the way and he will

give you what you need to be successful, by his plan and in his time.