God Often Provides Through Us

As city dwellers my husband and I often enjoy driving the country roads, taking in the beauty of farmlands stretching as far as the eye could see.

On one of those trips, I took special note of the corn fields arranged properly row by row; so tall and swaying in the wind. And it seemed, ready to be harvested.

As we drove by, I imagined enjoying the taste of this freshly picked corn, and for the first time I glimpsed an understanding of the wonderful provision of our God for the poor and foreigner. 

Leviticus 19:9-10 says, “When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God”.

Then there’s the account of Ruth (chapters 1 to 4) who left Moab with her mother-in-law Naomi to return to Bethlehem. Both women were widows and poor. They had no one to look after them or provide for them. They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest, a Boaz, a man of means, and one who observed the Levitical law mentioned above, allowed Ruth to glean the outer edges of the field to collect the grain. God provided for these women’s daily sustenance through Boaz.

And finally, there’s the popular Good Samaritan story. In Luke 10:25-37 we read about a man who was robbed and beaten, and how a total stranger who had no obligation to him, care for this injured man. This “Good Samaritan” went out of his way, paid out of his own pocket, and showed mercy and compassion when others did not. This story shows us that our neighbour can be anyone God brings into our path as we go about our daily lives.

All these accounts in the bible illustrate that one of the ways in which God provides for the disadvantaged in our society, and someone in need, is through those of us who have been bless with a little more at any given time in our lives.

Now, we’re not farmers and we don’t have fields to that can be gleaned, and most of us will never encounter someone who was robbed, beaten and left for dead at the side of the road.

However, in our walk through this life we may meet someone who feels lost and alone, and we can offer friendship. Or we may come across someone who’s struggling with a relationship issue, and we can offer a shoulder to lean on. Or we may hear of someone who has recently lost a job, and we could offer to buy them some groceries to tide them over. Or there may someone in the hospital who could benefit from a visit. Or a widow who needs someone to talk to and a listening ear. The list of how we can allow the Lord to use us to bless someone, is endless.

In Matthew 25, Jesus tells us that the righteous will ask him, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?”. And Jesus replies, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me”.

We can all love our neighbour as ourselves by purposely seeing the needs of those around us and doing our utmost to play some kind of role in alleviating their distress, and bringing a little bit of joy into their lives.

What resonated the most with you as you read this?

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