Today’s Bible Reading: LEVITICUS 23:1-25:23
Leviticus 23:22 (19:9)
And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the LORD your God."
We live in a fast-paced society. We are in one that can easily overwhelm us. We pack every second with something. We don’t leave any time for anyone. We spend from paycheck to paycheck. We go right to the “edge” with our routine and resources so that we don’t leave anything for anyone else. We have little remaining time or money to help those who are hurting. Our text helps us to manage this mayhem.
Most of us are not involved in an agrarian lifestyle. We don’t literally plow, plant or reap. Even though we don’t “glean” a physical harvest, we can gain tremendous help here.
The text admonishes the farmer to leave something on the edges for others. We are to do the same. We shouldn’t exhaust our time and resources right up to the “edge”, but leave some moments and money for unexpected encounters. We need to leave a little to help the hurting.
The farmer is told to leave some of their crop around the edges of their field “for the poor and the sojourner”. He is commanded to provide for their needs. His blessing was to be for their benefit. His fortune was their food. This was to be God’s provision for the poor. It was His plan for their welfare.
This exhortation was not just limited to a few generous landowners, but to all of God’s people. Those who are called by His name are to care for those less fortunate. Their bounty is to be the poor’s blessing. We are called to care for those who can’t care for themselves. Their needs should be our concern.
Notice too that this was not a handout. The farmer didn’t take his food to them; they came and gathered it from him. They, in their hunger, came and gathered the provisions that the Lord had provided for them. It was the portion from His people that He provided for the poor. We must make the “edges” available that they might access them.
So this encourages all of us to plan for the providential. We must intentionally earmark portions of our time and resources for ministering to the needs and necessities of others. We must plan for the unplanned. We must not harvest our resources “right up to its edge”. We must hold back some to help the helpless and hurting. God has entrusted us with our time and money and we must use them to glorify Him.
Today evaluate your “edges”. Consider what you have to help the hurting. Examine your schedule and make the necessary adjustments so that you have time on the edges to engage in ministering to others. Look carefully at your resources to see how you can allocate the edges of your bounty to be a blessing for others. Don’t be so busy in the Kingdom that you can’t be a blessing for the King. Leave your edges for engaging.
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