Glean All You Can!

        

“So she stayed close by the maids of Boaz in order to glean until the end of the barley harvest and the wheat harvest.” Ruth 2:23

   To glean means to extract information from various sources, to obtain, to get, to take, to draw. Gleaning was the process by which reapers let some grain fall to the ground so that the poor may come by and gather it up for their provision. In the case of Ruth, she gleaned all day as she gathered the grain that was left behind.

   We too glean, but not wheat… we glean from the scripture. We gather information and we take it away, and what we gather becomes our provision. This is what we will live off of, what will sustain us, and it’s how we’ll grow. We can only be sustained as long as we are being fed. We need to gather our grain on a daily basis. Notice that Ruth gathered for the whole harvesting season. The harvesting season for barley was March through May and wheat was May through July. So that means that Ruth was in the fields of Boaz harvesting the barley and wheat for 4 months along side the other more experienced women. She was instructed by her mother in law to stay close by these women in Boaz’s field and she obeyed.

   This is a key point, and one that we can easily skip right over (I did!). There is a season in each of our lives, when we are just beginning to serve our greater then Boaz, the Lord Jesus, that it’s absolutely necessary that we plant ourselves in a safe and healthy field. One that is rich with love, care and wisdom. This environment is often found among the people who have walked with the Lord longer then we have, those who have many years under their belt and whose roots have sunken deeply into the Lord. I know for me, this was a crucial part of my maturity in the Lord. I was plopped into a good healthy field of older, more experienced, godly women and gleaned there for 3 years. This is where I matured leaps and bounds as I received and obeyed godly counsel.

    Boaz and Naomi both instructed Ruth in this way for several reasons. First, she would be safer with the women then with the men. When we are first coming out of the world we are vulnerable and an easy target for the enemy. Second, she would learn from the women as they instructed her in the ways of gleaning.  When we begin to walk with the Lord we need constant instruction, and prayer support from older godly women who can point us to Jesus, pray with us and instruct us in the Word. The final reason was to test Ruth’s obedience. Was she open to being taught? Would she obey her elders and those who had more experience then her? Or would she try it her own way?

   What we want to take away from this story is that zeal and maturity working together is what brings about a beautiful godly Christian women. I believe this is where many young women go wrong…they never get plugged into a good church where they can glean in the fields of Jesus. They are undernourished and under cared for because they never obeyed. Ladies, there are older godly women just waiting to pour into you…go into the fields and stay by the women. Watch them and learn form them. The Lord would say to you what Boaz said to Ruth; “Listen my daughter, do not go and glean in any other field, and do not go away from here, but stay close by my maidens.” Ruth 2:8

A Trophy of His Grace

 "They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their head singed, their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them." Daniel 3:27 

 I marvel when I see or hear people who have gone through extreme adversity standing strong and confident. I often think; "What would I do in that same situation, and would I be that strong? We see many in the scriptures who went through extreme adversity and yet came out stronger and more confident than before.  This is because the Lord uses extreme conditions to mature us. He molds us through the heat of adversity…and then He uses us as a trophy of His grace!

David, Daniel, Joseph, Esther, the Disciples, Paul, and so many more serve as an example of bravery, courage and supernatural strength during extreme adversity.  Three men that stood strong during a difficult time, determined not to bend the knee to the pressure to conform were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These godly young men were thrown in to the fiery furnace, heated 7 times hotter all because they would not bow down to an idol. They didn't ask for this treatment, nor did they rebel against it...instead they trusted that the Lord would deliver them out or take them up.  Daniel 3:17-18; “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. "But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up."  Notice these young men trusted their God completely and knew that He would give them strength either way…to endure the heat or take them home. As we read of their time in the fire, we see that Jesus was right there with them, walking with them and encouraging them....and it was seen by others! There are many who watch and observe us as we walk through fiery trials. It is here that we shine like a golden trophy! It is here that He strengthens us and makes us rise above the fray. It is here that He reveals His plans, His presence, His purpose and His peace and we are not burned.

 If you are in a hot time right now...trust Jesus...invite Him into the trial with you and you will not be burned. Be encouraged today that JESUS has a plan and a purpose for your trials. He is molding you into His very image. NO trial is ever wasted. He uses our times of adversity to draw out our faith, to reveal His presence, to make us like Him, and to display us as a trophy of His grace! A testimony to all who look on and see that we belong to Him and He to us! Remember, Jesus uses all things in our lives to bring HIm glory. Let Him work in your life today...for it's only when the fire is extremely hot that the dross rises to the surface and is skimmed off...revealing the reflection of Jesus. Let Him use you today as a trophy of His great Grace! 

Getting Our JESUS Glow!

"When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant and they were afraid to come near him."- Exodus 34:30

We read of the account in Exodus of Moses coming down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets in hand and a shinning face for all to see and often wonder what Moses face looked like...was it scary, red, and glowing...or was it shinning and illuminating the peace of God, the love of God and the face of God? To radiate means to be shinning light or heat from an object. In this case it was Moses' face that shone so brightly that people were afraid to come near him. What made his face shine so distinctly? It was being in the v
ery presence of God that brought about this special glow...for we read that whenever Moses would go into the presence of God he would unveil his face and when he went before the people he would veil his face as not to draw attention to himself because the radiance of his face was so distinct. As we read this, the obvious question is...HOW do we get that same glow? The answer... the same way Moses did! We go into the presence of God and commune with Him as Moses did. But, for this communion to take place we must come to Him humbly, honestly, openly and without any unconfessed sin.

I have discovered in my own life that if I come to the Lord expecting to hear from Him...I will! I have learned, like Moses, that in order to enter into the presence of God I must first confess my sins, for sin separates us from God. Once I have confessed my sins the gateway to God is open. As I begin to praise Him I enter the Holy place in the presence of God where the glory is found. When I am in the presence of God it is warm and bright, much like Moses' face. As we enter holy ground we speak to the Lord and we also take the time to listen to what He would say to us. Many of us miss this most precious and valuable part of our prayer life...forgetting that communion with God means it's two way...a dialogue and not a monologue. Taking time to listen takes discipline and training. We must wait upon Him and be sure the gateway is not hindered by anything. If we want our Jesus glow we must go to God unhindered by sin and expectant of hearing form Him. Go up the mountain today and get your glow...that all the world may Jesus in you and He radiates through you!

A Lasting Foundation

                        

“ But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”- Jude 20-21

 Jude, the half brother of Jesus, didn’t believe in Jesus as the Son of God until He was resurrected. His name means praise and he certainly learned to praise God through his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As he writes this short, powerful book of 25 verses we see that Jude begins warning the people about the false teachers that were infiltrating the church and then takes a sharp turn encouraging the believers to build up their own faith.

Notice that Jude says; “build yourselves,” which indicates to me that we are responsible for the bulk of the building. No one can make us build…only we can motivate ourselves to do it.

Next, notice that it says “build yourselves up.” To build up means the act or process of increasing, to develop gradually in increments. The best way that I know to illustrate this point is by using the activity of exercise. Muscles are not built overnight, but are gradually built as we use them more and more each day. If you want to get bigger muscles you use more weight and push yourself further each time you work out.

The same is true with our faith, if you are seeking to build your faith you will need to use more weight and push yourself further and higher with the Lord…it’s not enough to just settle for where we are with the Lord…going to church once a week and reading a devotional each day…He wants more! The Christian life must never stand still…if it does, it will go backwards.

If you want to ensure that you are not going backwards with the Lord …you must press forward and build up your spiritual muscles by building the foundation of your most holy faith!  If you are seeking to build a single family dwelling you will need your foundation to go 6-8 inches down. But, if you’re wanting to build a skyscraper you will need your foundation to go a hundred feet down into the ground to ensure that your building will be secure and will not fall. The deeper the foundation the higher the potential building!  How high do you want to go with Jesus? Will you settle for a normal home or do you want to soar into the sky? If you want to soar high you must build your faith like Jude tells us in the remainder of the verse, by…

1.    Reading the Word of God

2.    Praying in the Spirit

3.    Loving the Lord and others

4.    Looking for His return

If your heart is to go higher and deeper with Jesus…you will need to lay a deep foundation in the Word of God. You will also need to use the your power tools of prayer to raise the walls and cover the building with the love of God. Lastly, if you are looking for His soon return you will have hope and your building will be able to withstand any storm that will come your way! Let your foundation go deep, pray in the Spirit, show the love of God and be earnestly expecting His return and you will be building your most holy faith!

The LOVE Challenge

"By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for  one another." John 13:35

   As Christians we should be the most loving, most caring, and most compassionate of all people because Jesus lives in us. It was D.L. Moody that said; "Faith makes all things possible, but love makes all things easy." Without love in the home there is strife and  contentions. But with love comes security and peace. Our love for God is displayed by our everyday love for others. You can really tell how much a person loves the Lord by how much they love others. 

   True Christian love cannot be manifested by the flesh, it can only come from God who embodies the very definition of love. "God is love" 1 John 4:8. Therefore, the more we love God the more we naturally love others.  John Wesley said; "An ounce of  love is worth a pound of knowledge." It's not how much we know, but how much we love that people take notice of. It's been said that people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. This is a very elementary principle an yet we fail to put it into practice. Why? because we are selfish and self centered and loving others takes death to our self. Just as Jesus died on the cross to show His great love for us, we too must die in order to love like Jesus loved. All too often we try in our own efforts to love and consequently we end us frustrated, discouraged and disappointed.  Instead of trying in your flesh, concentrate on feeding your Spirit and the love will just pour forth as a natural byproduct of your love for Christ. 

   When there are problems in the family or in the marriage it is usually because someone is not loving as they should and self has taken the place of love. True love is unconditional and not based upon whether we are being loved back. Think about when it was that Jesus started loving you. Was it when you started loving Him? Nope...it was long before that...before you were even born He knew you and loved you...as He was fashioning you in your mothers womb...Jesus loved you. If you have children...think about when you first began loving them. Was it when they were born or when they were in the womb?

   It's so good to be reminded how much  and how unconditionally Jesus loves us! With Valentines Day right around the corner...take some time to think about the ONE who loves you more than any one else. The ONE who will never leave you...the ONE who is always ready to listen and eager to direct your life. The ONE who is the very definition of LOVE. Take some time to bask in His great love for you and then step out and show His love to someone else!

   I read a story recently about a church that was having gang related problems in their neighborhood and decided to do something about it. Every day for a month they went out door to door and asked each person they encountered how they could be praying for them. The results were astonishing as they prayed for the requests the gang problem ceased. People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care...and one of the most effective ways for us to show that we care is to offer to pray for the world around us! I was so moved by this story that I too am going to try this in my neighborhood! You too can take the LOVE challenge and make it your aim to ask for a prayer request from someone outside your home everyday for a month and see how the Lord works!