God's Field of Grace

"So Boaz said to Ruth, 'My daughter, listen to me. Don't go and glean in another field and don't go away from here. Stay here with my servant girls. Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the girls...And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled.'" Ruth 2:8.

When reading over the second chapter of Ruth, it struck me that through life's circumstances Ruth found herself searching in a new town, a new season in her life and a new way to obtain the necessities required to survive. She approached this new life with humility as she carved out her own little niche in the fields of Boaz, a close relative of her deceased husband.

The verses above were the words communicated to Ruth by the owner of the field in which she was gleaning for leftover grain. Through the grace of Boaz he invited her to stay in his field and surround herself with his servants, workers and men. He offered her drink and refreshment as long as she stayed in his field and around his people.

Ruth's story can be our story when we choose to work in God's field. God lays out the harvest for us to glean if we carefully live within the boundaries of His land. We have all we need within these invisible walls to surround ourselves with His people and His servants who can assist when we become thirsty, weary from gleaning and sun-scorched. He promises that His fields will always produce, always protect and always nourish. He lays the choice out there for us to accept or reject. Ruth could have chosen another field, another owner, another way but instead her humility brought her into this field wherein she immediately began reaping the benefits and blessings from the owner.

Approaching the field of God requires Ruth-like humility, Ruth-like gratitude and Ruth-like obedience in order to glean the grain required to fill up our baskets. Boaz had plenty of workers but pleaded for Ruth to not go somewhere else with the promise of plenty from his field. God does this same pleading with us as we stand on the boundary line of His field bargaining with the One who has everything to give us if we will just come and work His fields.

There will never be another field that offers such sweet grain, such refreshing water and such powerful protection from the elements. Come and dance in the field of grace!