Fresh Gleanings

This morning I opened my Bible to see what was next in my reading schedule. My eyes lighted on the book of "Ruth". Only a month ago I was teaching this story for the Valentine Party at Good News Club. "Lord, I just studied this book. Please show me something new about Yourself in here today," was my quick prayer. He seemed to remind me that the character "Boaz" was a reflection of Himself, so I decided to pay extra attention to Boaz's speaking lines.

Then, there it was. So fresh! So applicable! So amazing!

He spoke to me.

"Then said Boaz unto Ruth,

Hearest thou not,

my daughter?

Go not to glean in another field,

neither go from hence,

but abide here fast by my maidens:

Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap,

and go thou after them:

have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee?

and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels,

and drink of that which the young men have drawn."

~Ruth 2:8-9

Each line had a special meaning to me. A revelation of His heart for me, and instruction on what to do where He has me right now.

So, since I'm a big fan of bullet points and summarizing, I translated this passage into application:

~He bids me listen

~He calls me His daughter

~He asks me not to leave

~He encourages fellowship with like-minded maidens

~He wants me to look at the harvest

~He tells me to go to the harvest

~He promises to protect me

~He provides refreshment

~He instructs me to benefit from what other men have "drawn" from His well

I pray this was a blessing to you. It certainly was an encouragement to me. Yet another reminder to let His Spirit speak through His Word each new day ~ even when it's an old, familiar passage.

Options, Options

Options, Options

One of the challenges of my generation is having too many options. From coffee to cars, there are endless choices to be made. Never have we had so many opportunities to educate ourselves. There is virtually no limit to the information at our fingertips.

Not only is knowledge so readily available, there have never been so many vocational options as this generation has had afforded to them. We don't just have the limited choices of farmer, doctor, and banker. There are a million and one jobs to be done- from filmmaking to car repair; from owning your own business to working at a franchise. The work is out there waiting for us.

Then, there are relationships. These days, contacting people via electronic devices and social media is even easier than snapping your fingers. If you need to get information to someone, there is some way to do so. This makes for larger spheres of acquaintance, and therefore even more opportunities for relationships.

And yet, in the midst of all this access to knowledge, we are not a very wise generation, and some of us are downright ignorant. Who cares about current events, when a new season of our favorite tv show has just been released?

I believe this lack of knowledge also contributes to why we have a hard time getting and keeping jobs. We want easy work and big pay. What is the best job for me? Not, what talents do I have that can I can use to help others?

We may have the most “friends” on social media, but how many deep relationships do we keep up with? We may know the latest quippy quote our favorite band just tweeted, but do we know the cares of those we are closest to?

There are so many options out there, but we want to choose the best one. How can we commit to one thing for life, if there is a chance that something better might come along? In the mean time, what's wrong with just having fun? I'm not saying we shouldn't enjoy life. I am saying we are not children forever. At some point we must grow up and do something.

It is time for us to use wisdom, work hard and care about others. That's what grown-ups do. They make hard choices. And I believe that when we do, we will see that choosing to do something is more satisfying than waiting around for the perfect dream option to fall in our lap.

So there you have it: do something.

I write this because I am part of this generation. These challenges are my challenges.

“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor...

 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10:23,24 & 31