Unfolding Your Blessing Series

aa Once we learn to walk through the small doors, God will open up larger ones for us.

bb If your not faithful with being a good church member, forget about being ever taking a major leadership role. . . work in the corners for a while.

B When we think of Ruth we think of Boaz’s wife, David’s grandma, a matriarch of faith, first link in Israel’s royal chain . . . but, she started in the corner of the field.

1 She didn’t start out by asking for leadership; she asked for grace (2.2) and favor (2.13).

Ruth 2:2 (NASB) 2 And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, "Please let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after one in whose sight I may find favor." And she said to her, "Go, my daughter."

Ruth 2:13 (NASB) 13 Then she said, "I have found favor in your sight, my lord, for you have comforted me and indeed have spoken kindly to your maidservant, though I am not like one of your maidservants."

a Favor opens the door but grace keeps the door open.

b If you’ve got a call to minister, serve . . .stop waiting for a big opportunity, big break, open door . . . grow where your planted.

2 Your call is a one-time event, but it is developed/matures over the course of your whole life.

III The Law of Gleaning.

A God established through Moses a law called the law of gleaning.

Leviticus 19:9-10 (NASB) 9 'Now when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 ~'Nor shall you glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the needy and for the stranger. I am the LORD your God.

1 When a man harvested his field he was to allow the four corners to remain standing so the poor, the widows and strangers could come and glean in that field.

a The poor, widows, strangers didn’t have seed/land/showed up after planting season.

b When Ruth went out to get the wheat, she was opting to engage the law of gleaning (Ruth 2.3, NASB).

Ruth 2:3 (NASB) 3 So she departed and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.

aa She was hired to glean in the fields & she worked hard (Ruth 2.7) Worked all day and didn’t take a break!

Ruth 2:7 (NASB) 7 "And she said, 'Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.' Thus she came and has remained from the morning until now; she has been sitting in the house for a little while."

bb I’m sure Ruth’s beauty caught the attention of Boaz, but I don’t think he overlooked her work ethic either.

cc She was on time, hard laborer, took pride in her work, selfless in her labor. (She took the portion of grain she would collect for herself back home to Naomi.)

2 Ruth 2:9 (NASB) 9 "Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Indeed, I have commanded the servants not to touch you. When you are thirsty, go to the water jars and drink from what the servants draw."