Where Hast Thou Gleaned Today?

Ruth 2:19, “Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou?”

The passage above  from the book of  Ruth is in the context of Naomi asking Ruth in which field she had worked to gather their food for the day. Today, we might also ask the same question of ourselves, “Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou” in the service of the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ.

WHERE HAST THOU GLEANED TODAY? (Area). It is said in real estate the three most important factors are location, location, location. The location of our work for Jesus has been designated for us.  In Mark 16:15-16, New Testament Christians are instructed to, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” Christians are to go into the world and spread the soul saving message of Christ. Where have we gone within our part of the world? Have we taught family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, even strangers who we can encourage to discuss the Bible?

WHERE HAST THOU GLEANED TODAY? (Accountability) This speaks of personal responsibility. It has been accurately said “Go Ye” means “Go Me”! 2 Timothy 2:2 teaches us, “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” Men in this verse is a generic term meaning a human being, whether male or female. We are accountable to God to “tell the old, old, story”. We are also warned in Acts 20:26-27, “Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.”

WHERE HAST THOU GLEANED TODAY? (Action) Christians are to be active in the spread of the Gospel. The passage we are considering we see the words “gleaned” (i.e. gathered) and “wrought” (i.e. worked). This is describing diligent effort, and certainly we are to be industrious in serving God and Christ. In Matthew 13 it is described as “sowing the seed of the Kingdom”, just like the song we sing “Are You Sowing the Seed of the Kingdom, Brother?” We must remember that  Christians today are priests, 1 Peter 2:9. In the Old Testament, priests were to be teachers of the Law, Deuteronomy 33:10, “They shall teach Jacob thy judgments, and Israel thy law”. God has graciously given us the Gospel and we are to be active in spreading it to those around us.

WHERE HAST THOU GLEANED TODAY? (Admonition) In spreading the Gospel, we see in the Bible an urgency in getting the message out now, because people need to obey the Gospel now. 2 Corinthians 6:2, says “… behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation”. Don’t wait. Either death will claim us, James 4:13-14, “Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” Or the Lord will return, 2 Peter 3:10, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” We should be spreading the Gospel, warning people of the urgency of obeying before it is too late. Also not only warning the sinner, but exhorting the Christian to continued obedience as well, see Hebrews 3:7-19.

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad”, 2 Corinthians 5:10. Our accountability, as our service, is personal. (Romans 14:12).

We must ask ourselves, “What have I done?” and “Have I been willing to work?”

– Jerry D. Sturgill