Morning & Evening Devotional Reading–

August 2– Evening

by C. H. Spurgeon, revised and edited by W. C. Neff

“[Ruth] gleaned in the field until evening.”

—Ruth 2:17

Let me learn from Ruth, the gleaner. As she went out to gather the ears of corn, so must I go forth into the fields of prayer, meditation, and hearing the word to gather spiritual food. The gleaner gathers her harvest ear by ear, making small, but steady, gains; in the same way, I must be content to learn from each truth as it comes to me, and, over time, I will become wise unto salvation.

The gleaner keeps her eyes open. If she stumbled while daydreaming, she would spill the harvest and have nothing at the end of the day. I, too, must not be distracted as I engage in spiritual activities or they will become unprofitable to me. I fear I have lost many opportunities already. O, that I may rightly seize new opportunities with greater diligence.

The gleaner stoops for all she finds, and so must I. The high-minded criticize and object, but humble minds glean and receive. A humble heart is a great help in profitably hearing the gospel. The word that saves our souls can only be received with meekness. A stiff back makes a bad gleaner. Get away from me, master pride! You are a vile robber, not to be endured for a moment.

What the gleaner gathers she holds. If she dropped one ear to pick up another, the result of her day’s work would be small. She is as careful to retain as to obtain, so, at the end of the day, her gains are great. How often do I forget all that I hear. A second truth pushes the first out of my head, and so my reading and hearing result in much ado about nothing!

A hungry belly makes the gleaner wise. If she finds no corn in the field, she will have no bread on her table. She labors out of necessity, so she walks swiftly and works quickly. O, Lord, help me to feel the urgency of gleaning in Your fields which yield great rewards for the diligent.” [M&E]