The Principle of Gleaning.

It has been a great two weeks for me and Sathy as we spend our weekend hosting our Pastor friends who are ministering in Penang. We count it a joy and privilege to take care the men of God while they are here fulfilling the great commission that God has given them.

I use the world "privilege" above because as we spend our time with the man of God, we begin to learn a lot on new insight of the word of God and begin to draw more wisdom and knowledge. Last night, we had dinner with Ps. Steven Teo, who is on his way back from ministry in Alor Setar and Kangar. He spends the night in Penang with us before going back to Melbourne.

Ps. Steven shared with us the four principle of giving. He shares about the principle of Tithing, Offering, Gleaning and Lending. Often time we hear sermons on giving that touches the concept of Tithing and Offering but Gleaning and Lending is something we never heard off especially in the context of giving.

In today's posting, let me share with you what I have learned with regards with the Principle of Gleaning.

According to Webster's Dictionary glean means to gather grain or other produce left by reapers. Gleaning has been around since Biblical times when Jews didn't harvest all the crops in order to leave some for the poor (Leviticus and Deuteronomy). Deuteronomy 24:19 says "When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be left for the alien, the orphan, and the widow, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all your undertakings."

We see an instance of gleaning in the story of Ruth and Boaz. Boaz was a rich farmer. It was harvest time for his barley. Ruth, with the other poor, worked the fields behind his servants. Whatever they dropped or missed belonged to gleaners like Ruth. In fact, Boaz even commanded his servants to purposely drop and leave some behind for Ruth. By gleaning, Ruth was able to collect enough grain to bake a couple of loaves of bread.

So what is gleaning in the modern era? A simple act of gleaning that Ps. Steven shared was tipping. That is gleaning in its very raw format. It is basically giving extra that someone will be blessed. It can be feeding someone who is hungry as my friend Ivan always do. There many more areas that we can allow others to "glean" on the blessing that God has given us. Let's us be the channel that God can use to bless someone. As the Lord blesses us, we will leave something behind that someone can glean on it.

No kind action ever stops with itself. One kind action leads to another. Good example is followed. A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees. The greatest work that kindness does to others is that it makes them kind themselves.

Be Blessed.