Bundles of Stalks

When she got up to gather grain, Boaz ordered his young men, ‘Let her gather grain among the bundles…Pull out some stalks from the bundles for her and leave them for her to gather.’” Ruth 2:15

Ruth continued to display the character of a woman who refused to give up. She was not looking for a man to marry, rather looking for a provision for her family. She didn’t insert herself among the appointed harvesters, but instead she did the back-breaking work of bending over and picking up their leftovers. Boaz in his tenderness instructed the harvesters to intentionally pull some stalks from their bundles so Ruth could gather some grain to take home. What a loving person! Her part was to simply bend over and gather the smaller amounts of the harvest. ‘Ruth just kept picking up what was in front of her…She didn’t care what it looked like. Each step was a step of provision, and this became her process to reach the promise God would have for her. It was her small beginning that would one day lead to something huge. She would learn to be faithful here, so God could take her there.’ A Woman Who Doesn’t Quit, p. 75

So, I began wondering what stalks God is instructing His angels to pull out of their bundles, so we can experience the small blessings. The stalk of courage as a woman joins a Bible Study for the first time. The stalk of self-discipline for the person who has decided to be accountability for their spending. The stalk of partial employment which could lead to a satisfied career. The stalk of trust as the family is asked to pull up stakes and move to another city. These stalks are precious, but we must take the time to gather them. We will never receive our larger endings without investing time in our smaller beginnings. God wants to bless us where we are with each step we take in the fields where He has assigned us. Do the small things…the mundane things…the little things and you will find yourself living in the field of unparalleled blessings.

‘Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin.’ Zechariah 4:10.