On Purpose
And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them. – Ruth 2:16
There were no refrigerators when I was growing up, but each house had an icebox, and was dependant on the huge blocks
of ice delivered each week. During the hot days of summer, the young people would wait for that day each week when the iceman came into our neighborhood.
Usually, we went barefooted on the gravel street and spent most of our summer playing games that we had created, but nothing compared with the day
that the iceman came by. All other activities ceased for a time, and we would follow him down the street. He must have had children of his own, for
he understood us perfectly. As he chipped with his ice pick and separated the fifty-pound blocks of ice, he would take the pick and shave off a few
extra chunks of ice and say, “These are yours.” For the moment, time stood still and we were the wealthiest children in the world. Someone had given
us something on purpose.
Today’s focus verse is from the account of Ruth, who gleaned in Boaz’s barley and wheat fields after his servants had gone through them. Boaz instructed
his men to purposefully leave handfuls of grain for Ruth to take, and we can only imagine the joy she must have felt when she came upon those “handfuls
of purpose.” It was an unsolicited act of kindness, the type which leaves a person lacking words to express their gratitude.
May the Lord help all of us to recognize that He is continually giving us handfuls on purpose. Above all, God made a plan of salvation for us before we
even existed, and through it we can have eternal life. We can also thank God for the grace He gives, which in the Scriptures is referred to as being
both abounding and abundant. God has purposely made His grace available to us, to abide in the lives of those who are truly saved and provide the ability
to cope with any situation or set of circumstances. God also gives comfort in times of grief, guidance to navigate life’s decisions, and encouragement
to the downhearted.
A day does not pass without God’s leaving “handfuls of purpose” for us. We would do well to make a point of looking for those unsolicited blessings from
God, and thanking Him for His wonderful love to us.