by Pastor Cecil | Aug 20, 2018 | Leviticus
Leviticus 19:9-10
“When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather every grape of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I am the Lord your God.”
In today’s Scripture God instructs His people to be generous and caring for those who have a need for food in order to survive. Years later we find this acted out in the life of Ruth when she gleans the fields of Boaz. It is easy to take in more and more spiritual truth, but leave nothing behind for others to glean. We may possess pages—even entire notebooks—filled with things that have inspired us, but sadly we have never shared them with others.
I remember as a young teen when our family lived in southern Idaho. Someone told us that when farmers harvested onions for seed they often dug up the bulbs and dumped them in the sagebrush. Many evenings found our family sniffing out the air and “gleaning” huge piles of onions. We quickly learned how to use them and freely shared them with our friends.
Sometimes as we study the Bible we may find the spiritual food that has been left behind for us. After we have “gleaned” the truth of God’s Word, we must leave some along the edges and in the corners of our life for others who need to be fed.
Blessings dear hearts. May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 25, 2008 | Leviticus
Leviticus 24:9-10
“When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God.”
I was just listening to a Christian radio station that gives news from a Christian perspective each hour. The commentator mentioned that 40,000 people had gathered at a 600 acre farm last week to glean. I went to the Denver Post newspaper and “gleaned” the following: “That tens of thousands of people came to a Weld County farm on Saturday to collect free potatoes, carrots and leeks could be one of the most palpable signs of a depressed economy.
The Miller family, which owns 600 acres of farmland outside Platteville, decided to hold a free food day because they had tens of thousands of pounds of extra produce at the end of their fall festival. Any day now, a deep freeze would ruin it, so the family let people come to the farm today to collect what they could haul.
They expected between 5,000 and 10,000—but instead found themselves inundated with cars and people with buckets and wagons and barrels ready to harvest whatever was available. They estimated the crowd at more than 40,000 people.”
Two thoughts flood my mind as I consider this information. The first is a question that is directed to ourselves: Are we leaving spiritual food behind from our own study of the Word of God for others to feast upon?
It is easy to take in more and more spiritual truth—but leave nothing behind for others to glean. We may possess pages—even entire notebooks—filled with things that have inspired us, but, sadly we have never shared them with others.
In today’s Scripture God instructs His people to be generous and caring for those who have a need for food in order to survive. Years later we find this acted out in the life of Ruth and Boaz. Please take the time to read the book of Ruth from start to finish and see how God works. Here is a test: Who was the great grandmother of David? (Hint: Read Matthew 1:5-6)
That was my first thought when I heard about the gleaning that took place in Colorado. There is a second thought: How eager and willing are we to glean out the spiritual truth that has been left for us?
We will notice in today’s Scripture that the farmer was to leave the edges of the fields for the gleaners. It may have meant more work to scrounge around the edges to find what was left, but it was there!
Sometimes we may be required to “glean” along the edges of Scripture to find the spiritual food that has been left behind for us. But here is a vital lesson to be learned: After we have “gleaned” the truth of God’s truth, we must leave some along the edges and in the corners of our life for others who need to be fed.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
— Pastor Cecil
