Daily Encouragement: The Lord's Provision

The next portion of Leviticus 19 specifically relates to the study of the book of Ruth our Thursday morning group has been thoroughly enjoying:

"When you harvest your crops, do not harvest the grain along the edges of your fields, and do not pick up what the harvesters drop. It is the same with your grape crop--do not strip every last bunch of grapes from the vines, and do not pick up the grapes that fall to the ground. Leave them for the poor and the foreigners who live among you, for I, the Lord, am your God." (Leviticus 19:9-10)

Ruth was one of these foreigners who found herself in Bethlehem as the daughter-in-law of Naomi whose husband and both sons had died in Ruth's homeland. They were not only alone, but they had nothing. But God had a plan to provide for people just like Ruth and Naomi, and He had given this plan to the people of Israel even before they had ever made it to a place where they could plant and harvest crops.

The plan was not to harvest every single bit of grain and then separate out a small percentage to give to the poor and needy and foreigners. In fact, it was to leave what was dropped, refrain from harvesting the edges of crops or stripping every last bunch of grapes from the vines. That way, the poor and the foreigners could go out there and work for their food and provision. They were not stealing, and the land owners were not giving hand-outs so that the poor would be forever asking for more. God's plan is for all of us to work; that was His design from the beginning even before the Fall.

Ruth is one example of a foreigner who was destitute and said to her mother-in-law, "Let me go out into the fields to gather leftover grain behind anyone who will let me do it," (Ruth 2:2) and God me her there and provided abundantly through her willingness to get out there and work wherever anyone would let her. You'll have to read the book of Ruth to see how God orchestrates all of this--it's so beautiful!

All of this I say, precious sister, in order to encourage you to consider how God wants to provide for the poor through what He's given you, or if you are one of those in need, what work is He prompting you to do so He can meet you there with His abundant provision.

by Wendie Beddingfield

picture by Nat Arnett